Patients’ experiences of using an interactive appduring treatment for breast cancer

• Aims: To evaluate patients' experiences of using an interactive app for reporting symptoms during neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.Methods: The research project is a multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial with a mixed method approach. The content of the interactive app (Interaktor) was developed from the perspective of patients, health care professionals and literature. It is made for use in a smart device including a 14‐symptom questionnaire based on a risk assessment model, which generates alerts to a nurse at the clinic if symptoms are severe. Patients have continuous access to self‐care advice and can follow their symptoms in graphs. The study includes patients recruited from two university hospitals in Sweden, 75 using the app during treatment in comparison to control group (n = 75) with standard care routines. Data was collected between 2015 and 2017 including logged data, interviews with patients and nurses concerning experiences of using the app and participation in care. Outcomes were collected at three time points by questionnaires including symptom distress, health literacy, perceptions of individualized care, sense of coherence and quality of life. Analysis of outcome data is currently ongoing.Results: Results: including logged data showed an 80% adherence to reporting in the app. A total of 16.299 symptoms were reported during the study period and the most frequent symptoms reported were fatigue, sleeping difficulties, pain, nausea, sadness and oral discomfort. Results: from interviews showed that patients using the app noted that it was easy to use with few technical problems. They considered the app as a source for information with the self‐care advice, helping them manage symptoms. Knowing that nurses at the clinic monitored them, led to a feeling of being looked after and cared for. The app was an easy way of getting in contact with the health care if symptoms were severe, which increased the interaction with caregivers, leading to a feeling of security, personalized and participatory care.Conclusions: Using the app during treatment for breast cancer can facilitate management of symptoms, participatory and individualized care.

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MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

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