Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, the Netherlands.
JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2024 Nov;8:e2400092. doi: 10.1200/CCI.24.00092. Epub 2024 Nov 12.
There is an increasing interest in studying the potential of mobile health (mHealth) technologies, such as smartphone apps and wearables, as monitoring tools for patients with cancer during or after their treatment. However, little research is dedicated to exploring the opinions and concerns of patients regarding the adoption of these technologies. This study aimed to gain insight into patients' perspectives and preferences for participating in mHealth-based monitoring in cancer care.
A qualitative study comprising semistructured interviews was conducted in the Netherlands between April and June 2023. Participants were eligible if they were 18 years or older with a current or past diagnosis of cancer. The interview guide was developed on the basis of the technology acceptance model, with main themes being use, communication, trust, privacy, and expectations.
Thirteen participants with urologic primary cancer were interviewed. Most patients had already some familiarity with the use of digital monitoring devices or wearables. Main barriers included persistent reminders of the illness, receiving notifications deemed unnecessary or unwanted, and the acknowledgment that mHealth technology does not serve as a substitute for human doctors. Conversely, patients recognized the potential for time-savings through the utilization of mHealth, viewed active monitoring as nonburdensome, considered mHealth a tool for reducing the communication threshold with their doctor, and expressed willingness to adopt such a platform if they perceived personal or societal relevance.
This study has elucidated which factors are important for successful development of mHealth for patients with cancer. While both barriers and facilitators play a role, patients' attitudes were positive toward the implementation of remote digital monitoring, showing promising prospects for future research of mHealth in oncology.
人们越来越关注将移动健康（mHealth）技术，如智能手机应用程序和可穿戴设备，作为癌症患者治疗期间或治疗后的监测工具的潜力。然而，很少有研究致力于探索患者对采用这些技术的意见和担忧。本研究旨在深入了解患者对参与癌症护理中基于 mHealth 的监测的看法和偏好。
2023 年 4 月至 6 月，在荷兰进行了一项包含半结构化访谈的定性研究。参与者须符合以下条件：年龄在 18 岁或以上，目前或过去患有癌症。访谈指南是基于技术接受模型制定的，主要主题包括使用、沟通、信任、隐私和期望。
对 13 名患有泌尿系统原发性癌症的患者进行了访谈。大多数患者已经对使用数字监测设备或可穿戴设备有一定的熟悉度。主要障碍包括持续提醒疾病的存在、接收被认为不必要或不想要的通知，以及认识到 mHealth 技术不能替代人类医生。相反，患者认识到通过使用 mHealth 可以节省时间，认为主动监测无负担，认为 mHealth 是降低与医生沟通门槛的工具，并表示如果他们认为个人或社会相关，愿意采用这样的平台。
本研究阐明了哪些因素对癌症患者成功开发 mHealth 至关重要。虽然障碍和促进因素都发挥了作用，但患者对远程数字监测的实施持积极态度，为未来肿瘤学中 mHealth 的研究展现了广阔的前景。
