The current research project builds on knowledge from a previous PhD study where researchers collected patient-reported symptoms from bladder cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or immunotherapy and linked these to clinical information. The study showed, among other things, that a large proportion of bladder cancer patients experienced hospitalization or did not complete the planned treatment. The PhD study and other similar research projects suggest that the reasons for this are largely due to potentially preventable symptoms. It is therefore obvious that by including patients' own assessments, it is possible to create better processes, dialog and treatment effect - and thus increase quality of life.
- Ultimately, this can lead to fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits because it increases patient awareness of the issues. For patients, the app acts as a support tool or a diary of their condition, providing an overview of their symptoms and better preparing them for their healthcare encounter. They can take this data with them and show it to any healthcare professional. This way, we can intervene more quickly if symptoms worsen or quality of life declines," says Helle Pappot.
For Helle Pappot, who took up the position of Professor of Patient Engagement in 2019, it is essential that patients are involved early on in the app development process to ensure that the app meets their needs and is easy to use.
- The strength of the project is that users are involved throughout the process. When we create electronic tools, it's not just about them being technically usable - it's essential that they are also user-friendly and created on the users' terms, she says.
Therefore, the app is being developed in collaboration with a group of bladder cancer patients, who in the previous study also helped create the questionnaires to be answered in the app.
One of the purposes of patient self-reporting of symptoms is to provide a more complete picture of the lives of bladder cancer patients than when data comes solely from healthcare professionals. In the long term, this may make it possible to investigate correlations between symptoms and course, which may benefit future bladder cancer patients.
- It speaks to the whole idea of differentiated health, that everyone should not just have the same plan, but that we can target and tailor treatment more, says Helle Pappot.
She expects a prototype of the app to be ready as early as April, which will be tested in a small population and then adjusted before it is made available nationally. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Danish Bladder Cancer Association, the Danish Cancer Society, DaBlaCa and RKKP.
Source: https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/presse-og-nyt/nyheder/nyheder/Sider/2021/februar/Ny-app-skal-forbedre-blaerekraeftpatienters-forloeb.aspx
You can read more about the project at Rigshospitalet
