Nurses' Perspectives of a Digital Supportive Intervention When Caring for Patients During Radiotherapy for Prostate...

Nurses' duties have come to include new technological solutions when supporting patients in cancer care. Patient-reported outcomes through digital self-monitoring in routine clinical care are highly recommended when supporting patients in cancer care. Learning about nurses' perceptions when providing digital support would enhance understanding of this new way of working and is necessary for future development and implementation. We performed a focus group interview with nurses who had been working with an interactive app (Interaktor) for digital support in daily practice when caring for patients undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer. The interview revealed that the nurses had retrieved useful information through the app about patients' symptoms and concerns that had promoted contact with the patients. Furthermore, they acknowledged that the app supported patients in communicating emotions such as worry. Monitoring and managing patients' symptoms were not seen as difficult or overly burdensome, although the organization at the clinic had difficulty putting it into practice. Overall, the nurses had a positive attitude and gained more knowledge about the patients than in standard care. This study contributes to the growing research on digital technology in health care delivery and its potential for supporting patients in cancer care.