Digital Patient-Reported Cancer Symptom Management: Comparison of Black and White Participants

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Digital Health
• Health Equity

Background:

• Digital symptom monitoring aids cancer patients but equity concerns across racial groups persist.
• Limited research exists on racial disparities in digital health intervention benefits.
• This study examined engagement, satisfaction, and symptom reduction in Black and White patients using an electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare engagement and satisfaction with a digital symptom monitoring system between Black and White cancer patients.
• To assess if cancer symptom burden reduction benefits are equitable across racial groups.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Symptom Care at Home (SCH) ePRO system in a diverse patient population.

Main Methods:

• A secondary analysis of 357 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at a comprehensive cancer center.
• Daily reporting of 11 common oncology symptoms using an ePRO system on a 0-10 scale.
• Comparison of mean symptom burden over time, adherence rates, and end-of-study satisfaction between Black and White participants.

Main Results:

• Black participants (67%) were more likely to be female, have breast cancer, and have lower educational attainment than White participants.
• Black participants demonstrated lower daily symptom reporting adherence (65.25%) compared to White participants (72.75%; p=0.01).
• Both groups achieved significant symptom burden reduction (p<0.001) with comparable benefits for Black and White patients (p=0.27), and high overall satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Digital health technologies, like ePRO systems, can be beneficial and equitable for reducing symptom burden in both Black and White cancer patients.
• Tailored encouragement strategies may enhance symptom reporting, particularly for Black patients.
• ePRO reporting systems demonstrate potential to benefit diverse cancer patient populations without perpetuating health inequities.