PURPOSE

Tracking symptoms related to treatment toxicity is standard practice in routine care and during clinical trials. Currently, clinicians collect symptom information via complex and often inefficient mechanisms, but there is growing interest in collecting outcome information directly from patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events schema for seven common symptoms was adapted into a Web-based patient-reporting system, accessible from desktop computers in outpatient clinics and from home computers. Eighty patients with gynecologic malignancies beginning standard chemotherapy regimens were enrolled between April and September 2004. During an 8-week observation period, participants were encouraged to log in and report symptoms at each follow-up visit, or alternatively, to access the system from home.

RESULTS

All patients completed an initial log in. At each subsequent appointment, most enrollees (80% to 85%) reported symptoms using the online system, with a mean of three follow-up visits per patient during the observation period (range, one to six). Sixty of 80 patients (75%) logged in at least once from home. Use was significantly associated with prior Internet experience. Forty-two severe toxicities (grade 3 to 4) entered from home prompted seven clinician interventions. Most patients (96%) found the system useful and would recommend it to others.

CONCLUSION

Patients are capable of reporting symptoms experienced during chemotherapy using a Web-based interface. Assessment in the clinical trial setting and comparison of direct patient- versus clinician-based approaches for reporting symptoms and their severity are warranted.