Clinician Perspectives on Integrating Mobile Sensor Data Into Cancer Care: Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Digital Health
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Wearable devices generate health data patients may share with providers.
• Limited research exists on oncology provider perspectives regarding wearable data integration in cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand oncology clinicians' preferences for wearable data types and clinical scenarios.
• To identify benefits and barriers to integrating wearable device data into cancer care.
• To explore how wearable data impacts clinical decision-making.

Main Methods:

• 13 oncology clinicians completed online questionnaires and semistructured interviews.
• Participants assessed the value of different wearable data types in various clinical scenarios.
• Clinical recommendations were compared before and after reviewing patient wearable data via vignettes.

Main Results:

• Providers prioritized vital sign, fall/functioning, and sleep/activity data.
• Wearable data was deemed useful for remote monitoring during high-risk periods (e.g., post-hospitalization, new treatments).
• Key themes included corroborating reports, identifying issues, care coordination, and communication, with data increasing decision-making confidence.

Conclusions:

• Oncology providers recognize the clinical potential of wearable vital sign and functioning data for monitoring high-risk outpatients.
• Objective wearable data can complement subjective reports, enhancing communication and care coordination.
• Despite integration challenges, clinicians show cautious optimism about improving cancer care with wearable data.