C. J. Ladbury1, M. Culbert2, Z. Huang1, T. Abuali1, R. A. Chandra3,4, S. Maroongroge1, S. M. Glaser1, S. V. Dandapani1, Y. J. Chen1, J. Y. C. Wong1, S. Sampath1, Y. R. Li1, and A. Amini1; 1Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 2Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, Rockville, MD
Purpose/Objective(s): Treatment logistics and symptom-directed care recommendations during radiation therapy can be complex and difficult for new patients to understand and remember. We developed a mobile application intended to be an accessible educational and clinical resource for patients during radiation treatment. This pilot study evaluated utility and usability of the mobile application to obtain feedback for future more widely distributed iterations. Materials/
Methods: The mobile application was developed as part of a three-phase prospective study, with the first phase consisting of a patient needs assessment and the second phase consisting of initial testing by radiation oncologists. These phases informed the development of the version of the application deployed in the third phase, in which a pilot study was performed among patients undergoing radiation treatment. Patients undergoing radiation at a single academic institution were recruited to download the mobile application and test it during their radiation course. The app included information about the logistics and goals of radiation treatment, side effect prophylaxis and management, and automated reminders for recommended symptom management regimens (e.g., twice daily use of skin creams). Upon completion of treatment, patients answered a 13-question survey consisting of questions scored on a 5-point Likert scale and free response questions. Items from both surveys were tabulated in summary statistics. Relationships between respondent demographics and survey responses were analyzed by univariate logistic regression (UVA). Results: 20 patients were accrued between 11/2022 and 1/2024. All patients successfully installed the application and completed radiation treatment. To date 18 (90%) have filled out the post-treatment survey. The median age of participants was 66 (range: 41-77). Most patients were male (85%), non-Hispanic white (55%), and used the application on Apple devices (85%). Head and neck (40%) and genitourinary (40%) were the most treated sites. Most users were either very comfortable (44.4%) or somewhat comfortable (27.8%) with technology. 55.6% used the application at least “almost daily”. 100% were satisfied with the application and 94.4% would recommend the application to other patients. 66.7%, 72.2%, and 66.7% of patients stated the application helped them manage side effects, remember to use recommended treatments, and understand radiation, respectively. No patient or clinical features were associated with survey responses on UVA. Conclusion: Based on survey responses, use of the mobile application in patients is feasible and it represents a useful tool for patients receiving radiation treatment. Benefits include helping to remind patients to adhere to recommended treatment regimens to reduce or mitigate treatment toxicity. Further development, integration, and testing in a larger group of patients with more diverse demographics and treatment sites is planned.
