Chan Wing-Lok, Tai Yin-Ling, Siu Wai-Kwan Steven, Hou Holly Li-Yu, Yuen Kwok-Keung, Lee Victor Ho-Fun
Department of Clinical Oncology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
Palliat Care Soc Pract. 2025 Jun 30;19:26323524251351036. doi: 10.1177/26323524251351036. eCollection 2025.
Patients with advanced cancer often experience symptoms between clinic visits, leading to emergency department admissions. Integrating patient-reported outcome measures into care could enhance symptom monitoring and support.
This study assesses the feasibility and efficacy of the SUPPORT+ app for monitoring symptoms and providing timely interventions for patients with advanced cancer.
In this prospective feasibility study, patients used the SUPPORT+ app for weekly symptom monitoring over 16 weeks. Participants received self-management advice from the app and timely remote consultations from palliative care nurses. Assessments included questionnaires on psychological stress, app satisfaction, and palliative care knowledge, with medical records reviewed for emergency department visits and unplanned hospitalizations.
Patients with advanced cancer receiving community palliative care and owning smartphones were recruited from an outpatient palliative care clinic at a university hospital in Hong Kong.
A total of 109 patients were recruited, with 84 completing the study (retention rate: 78.4%). Over 90% reported their symptoms weekly. Significant increases were noted in advance directive completion (9.5% vs 22.6%, = 0.047) and discussions on preferred places of dying (14.3% vs 28.6%, = 0.044), alongside a decrease in depression scores (8.4-6.7, = 0.024). Most participants found the app easy to use and reported positive health effects.
The SUPPORT+ app demonstrated feasibility and acceptability in facilitating end-of-life communication, increasing advance directive completion, and potentially reducing depression in patients with advanced cancer. Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to establish its efficacy.
晚期癌症患者在门诊就诊期间常出现症状，导致需急诊入院。将患者报告的结局指标纳入护理可加强症状监测并提供支持。
本研究评估SUPPORT+应用程序对晚期癌症患者进行症状监测及提供及时干预措施的可行性和有效性。
在这项前瞻性可行性研究中，患者使用SUPPORT+应用程序进行为期16周的每周症状监测。参与者从应用程序中获得自我管理建议，并接受姑息治疗护士的及时远程会诊。评估包括心理压力问卷、应用程序满意度问卷和姑息治疗知识问卷，并查阅病历以了解急诊就诊和非计划住院情况。
从香港一所大学医院的门诊姑息治疗诊所招募接受社区姑息治疗且拥有智能手机的晚期癌症患者。
共招募了109名患者，84名完成了研究（保留率：78.4%）。超过90%的患者每周报告症状。预先指示的完成情况（9.5%对22.6%，P = 0.047）和关于首选死亡地点的讨论（14.3%对28.6%，P = 0.044）显著增加，同时抑郁评分降低（8.4至6.7，P = 0.024）。大多数参与者认为该应用程序易于使用，并报告了对健康的积极影响。
SUPPORT+应用程序在促进临终沟通、增加预先指示的完成情况以及可能减轻晚期癌症患者的抑郁方面显示出可行性和可接受性。需要进一步研究，包括随机对照试验，以确定其疗效。
