About the Project
People living with and beyond cancer (PLWBC) face many challenges, including failure of communications with their clinical team and sub optimal support for early detection of symptoms and adverse events that can have a detrimental effect on their ongoing care1. The use of technology to support communications and early detection of problems is well documented in the literature with some studies evaluating their use in cancer care 2,3. Technology has the potential to offer a complementary supportive function by being available 24/7 to provide advice and guidance while monitoring patient reported outcomes (PROs) whenever the need arises for information in regards to their own therapy thus offering alternative processes for all to have equal access. However, despite this positive evidence, new technologies have proven slow to become accepted, integrated and implemented in practice resulting in innovations remaining within the realm of research and not within the reach of everyday practice. This could be partially due to a lack of an implementation strategy 4.
We have already designed and developed two separate prototype platforms (CanAdvice and MyAppPal) that offer such support to cancer patients7. CanAdvice is an award winning platform that follows a patient-centred design supported by an in depth needs assessment of cancer patients8-11. CanAdvice supports users with self-management and reporting of adverse events. Following successful validation and usability studies, CanAdvice is now in clinical trial at the Royal Marsden cancer centre. Preliminary results show high acceptability among users.
Similarly, My AppPal was designed in collaboration with Croydon University Hospital and in accordance with requirements of patients in remission on follow up cancer plans. My AppPal provides users with a platform of support for appointments, financial/social care services, symptoms reporting and advice on wellbeing 12. It is the vision of the applicants that the holistic needs of PLWBC need to be addressed in an integrated way and therefore will benefit from one holistic digital platform that can support them throughout their journey from diagnosis to follow up.
The aim of this programme is to design and evaluate an implementation strategy and care pathway model for the adoption of a real time intelligent system that can address the patients’ needs from diagnosis to living with and beyond cancer
This studentship is suitable for a graduate in health sciences, Pharmacy, Nursing, Medicine and other allied health care professionals
References
1. Chen J, Ou L, Hollis SJ. (2013) A systematic review of the impact of routine collection of patient reported outcome measures on patients, providers and health organisations in an oncologic setting. BMC Health Serv Res.13:211.
2. Schuler M, et al. (2017) Implementation and first results of a tablet-based assessment referring to patient-reported outcomes in an inpatient cancer care unit. Z. Evid. Fortbild. Qual. Gesundh. wesen (ZEFQ) , Available online http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.zefq.2017.03.007
3. Odeh B, Kayyali R, El Nabhani S and Philip, N . (2015) Optimizing cancer care through mobile health. Support Care Cancer; 23(7):2183-2188.
4. Agbakoba R, McGee-Lennon, Bouamrane M, Watson N and Mair F. (2016) Implementation Factors affecting the large scale deployment of digital health and wellbeing technologies: A qualitative study of the initial phase of Living it Up Programme. Health Informatics Journal;22(4):867-877
5. Odeh B, Kayyali R, Nabhani-Gebara, S et al. (2015). Evaluation of a Telehealth Service for COPD and HF patients: Clinical outcome and patients' perceptions. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare: 21(5), pp. 292-297.
6. Odeh B, Kayyali R, Elnabhani-Gebara, S and Philip, N . (2014) Implementing a telehealth service: nurses' perceptions and experiences. British Journal of Nursing;23(21):1133-1137.
7. Sobnath D, Philip N, Kayyali R, Nabhani-Gebara S.(2014) Cancer support & advice (CANadvice) m-health system for home monitoring and symptom management of patients receiving oral chemotherapy treatment. Wireless Mobile Communication and Healthcare (Mobihealth) International Conference:136-140. DOI: 10.1109/MOBIHEALTH.2014.7015928-full text
8. Nabhani-Gebara S, Philip N, Odeh B, Sobnath D, Olszewska A, Ghafour S, Ahmed Z, Kayyali, R. CanAdvice: A Holistic Mobile platform to Support Cancer Patients. British Journal of Cancer. In preparation
9. Ghafoor S, Kayyali R, Nabhani S, Sobnath D and Philip N. (2013) Evaluating patients’ acceptability of alternative means of support for oral chemotherapy counselling and side effect management using a smartphone application. Int. J. Pharm. Practice ; 21(2): 27-28. In abstract form
10. Nabhani-Gebara S, Kayyali R, Olszewska A.(2012) Patient Perception of Educational Materiel Surrounding their Cancer treatment. European Journal of Oncology Nursing;16(1):S30 in abstract form
11. Kayyali R, Nabhani-Gebara S, Olszweska A, Adeniyi M.(2012) Investigation of Bowel and Breast Cancer Patients’ perceptions of Counselling and Written Information Provided Regarding Oral Chemotherapy Agent Capecitabine. IJPP:Suppl 2:85. In abstract form
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