JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Sustained improvements in cancer care in recent years have resulted in increased numbers of people living with and beyond cancer, and increased attention being placed on improving quality of life for those living with and beyond cancer. Connected Health provides the foundations for the transformation of cancer care into a patient-centric model focused to provide personalised support to the unique needs of each patient. It creates an opportunity to overcome barriers of health care support among patients diagnosed with chronic conditions. This paper provides an overview of important areas for the creation of a new connected health paradigm in cancer care. It discusses the capabilities of mobile and wearable technologies and device systems to advance a multidisciplinary and inclusive approach for cancer patients for mental wellbeing, physical activity, and rehabilitation. Several examples already show that there is an enthusiasm to strengthen the possibilities offered by Connected Health in persuasive & pervasive technology in cancer care. Developments harnessing the internet of things, personalization, and artificial intelligence help to monitor and assess the health status of cancer patients. Furthermore, this paper analyses the Data Infrastructure Ecosystem the Connected Health economy ecosystem, and its associated barriers. Interoperability is essential when developing Connected Health solutions which integrate with health systems and electronic health records. Business growth in mHealth exponential, making it both an attractive and challenging market. As a conclusion, there is a need for user-centered and multi-disciplinary standards of practice to the design, development, evaluation, and implementation of Connected Health interventions in cancer care to ensure their acceptability, practicality, effectiveness, affordability, safety, and equity.