Remote electronic self-reporting by patients in their homes is correlated with higher long-term compliance with treatment and improvements in self-management of disease. This can eventually lead to reductions in risk of metastases in patients with cancer.
As the world grows ever more digital, patients appear to find it easier to report their symptoms. However, some adverse events which are important to patients appeared to be inadequately reported. Some examples are hot flushes, vaginal dryness, and weight gain.
Collection of accurate data on patient experience with care and post-therapy quality of life presents a significant challenge in cancer treatment. Most of the newly developed patient reported outcome (PRO) measurements of adverse events in cancer care aim to make treatment more patient-centred.
This systematic review of PRO measurements in cancer clinical trials in Germany identified studies that use these measures and assessed the feasibility of collecting this type of patient-reported data in cancer clinical practice. The focus of the study was on electronic PRO devices and the usefulness of each to patients.
From the report: “The willingness of patients to utilise innovative applications for their own health has been increasing in parallel to the enhanced impact of the World Wide Web. In particular, the coverage of the metastatic [cancer] promises numerous findings on the structure and quality of health care, enabling implementation of individually tailored interventions”.
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