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“Like a Clinical Nurse Consultant in Your Pocket.” Implementing a Co-Designed Smartphone App Following Treatment for Pediatric Cancer: A Feasibility Study.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Pediatric cancer presents many challenges for young patients and families that extend beyond active treatment. Families report significant unmet information and supportive care needs at the end-of-treatment. Digital health solutions, such as patient applications (apps), offer a potential solution to addressing current gaps in care.
Objective:
To develop and test a patient and family smartphone app called LotusLab, designed to improve access to survivorship information following childhood cancer. The aim of this study was to examine (i) parent and healthcare provider perceptions of LotusLab; and (ii) the feasibility of embedding a patient reported outcome measure (PROM) within the app.
Methods:
This study was conducted within the beta-testing phase of app development. Participants were invited to explore the content and key functionality of LotusLab, including the embedded PROM. Evaluation of the app’s usability, acceptability, utility, and feasibility was conducted via quantitative surveys and qualitative semi-structured interviews.
Results:
Participants included 8 parents whose child had completed cancer treatment and 9 healthcare providers. 100% of parents and healthcare providers ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ the app was acceptable for use. Parents scored app usability more highly, with a mean System Usability Score (SUS) of 86.88, than healthcare providers (SUS 66.39). Parents individually rated usability as either ‘excellent’ (62%) or ‘good’ (38%). A perceived benefit of LotusLab was the provision of trusted and psychosocial information. All parents completed the app-embedded PROM prior to their child’s next medical consultation. Healthcare providers and parents noted the value of the PROM in enhancing end-of-treatment consultations, while highlighting key considerations for effective response to PROM data.
Conclusions:
Initial data indicate that LotusLab is easy to use and provides value in provision of patient and family end-of-treatment information and PROM data. Consistent with co-design methodology, these findings are guiding the ongoing development and implementation of LotusLab. Clinical Trial: N/A
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