Clinical Integration of Digital Solutions in Health Care: An Overview of the Current Landscape of Digital Technologies in Cancer Care

A qualitative exploration of nurses' views on technology-based interventions in pediatric oncology care

OBJECTIVES

Recent technological advancements offer tools for pediatric oncology care, but their integration into clnical practice is still under research. This study aimed to explore pediatric oncology nurses' perspectives on integrating technology-based interventions into care.

METHODS

A descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was conducted with 13 pediatric oncology nurses. The focus groups were led by the research members, and each group included four to five participants. Nurses were asked to discuss their perceptions of the technology-based intervention, the type of technology used in the clinic, and the advantages and disadvantages of the technology. The focus groups were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed thematically by two study team members using MAXQDA. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research were followed.

RESULTS

The mean age of nurses was 38.46 ± 5.23 years and 92.3 % had more than 10 years of professional experience. As a result of the focus group interviews, three main themes and seven sub-themes were identified. These main themes included: (i) Need for competence and training for technology-based interventions, (ii) Effectiveness of technology-based interventions in pediatric patient care, and (iii) Challenges in integrating technology-based interventions into care.

CONCLUSION

The study found that from the perspective of pediatric oncology nurses, technology-based interventions have multifaceted benefits and are effective in improving patient outcomes and care; however, nurses' limited ability to use technology-based interventions restricts them from integrating their care.

IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE

It is recommended that nurses should be trained on technology-based interventions and the safe use of these interventions.

Insights From a Clinically Orientated Workshop on Health Care Cybersecurity and Medical Technology: Observational Study and Thematic Analysis

BACKGROUND

Health care professionals receive little training on the digital technologies that their patients rely on. Consequently, practitioners may face significant barriers when providing care to patients experiencing digitally mediated harms (eg, medical device failures and cybersecurity exploits). Here, we explore the impact of technological failures in clinical terms.

OBJECTIVE

Our study explored the key challenges faced by frontline health care workers during digital events, identified gaps in clinical training and guidance, and proposes a set of recommendations for improving digital clinical practice.

METHODS

A qualitative study involving a 1-day workshop of 52 participants, internationally attended, with multistakeholder participation. Participants engaged in table-top exercises and group discussions focused on medical scenarios complicated by technology (eg, malfunctioning ventilators and malicious hacks on health care apps). Extensive notes from 5 scribes were retrospectively analyzed and a thematic analysis was performed to extract and synthesize data.

RESULTS

Clinicians reported novel forms of harm related to technology (eg, geofencing in domestic violence and errors related to interconnected fetal monitoring systems) and barriers impeding adverse event reporting (eg, time constraints and postmortem device disposal). Challenges to providing effective patient care included a lack of clinical suspicion of device failures, unfamiliarity with equipment, and an absence of digitally tailored clinical protocols. Participants agreed that cyberattacks should be classified as major incidents, with the repurposing of existing crisis resources. Treatment of patients was determined by the role technology played in clinical management, such that those reliant on potentially compromised laboratory or radiological facilities were prioritized.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we have framed digital events through a clinical lens, described in terms of their end-point impact on the patient. In doing so, we have developed a series of recommendations for ensuring responses to digital events are tailored to clinical needs and center patient care.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment in older adults with acute myeloid leukemia treated with hypomethylating agents and venetoclax chemotherapy: a longitudinal descriptive study

PURPOSE

To explore cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving venetoclax in combination with hypomethylating agents or low-dose cytarabine chemotherapy.

METHODS

This study is a longitudinal, qualitative descriptive study. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 11 older adults with AML at cycle 2, cycle 4, and cycle 7 of chemotherapy. An early end-of-study interview was conducted for those who changed treatment plans during the study follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 22 transcripts were included for thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (1) CRCI experiences, (2) impact of CRCI, (3) CRCI coping strategies, and (4) perceived CRCI-related factors. Older adults with AML experienced challenges in memory, language, and attention both intermittently and daily. These cognitive changes impacted their emotion, daily activities, social connection, and their caregivers' responsibilities. Hence, these older adults with AML developed problem-solving and emotional coping strategies to cope with CRCI. Older adults with AML also identified demographic, physiology/clinical, psychological, and other factors that might contribute to CRCI.

CONCLUSION

This study offers important insight for clinicians to understand how older adults with AML experience CRCI and how it impacts their daily routines. It indicates that clinicians should ask patients about their experience with cognitive changes at each encounter to provide support or coping strategies as needed to prevent CRCI from further hindering their quality of life.

Physician and Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Responses to Cancer Questions From Social Media

Importance

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots pose the opportunity to draft template responses to patient questions. However, the ability of chatbots to generate responses based on domain-specific knowledge of cancer remains to be tested.

Objective

To evaluate the competency of AI chatbots (GPT-3.5 [chatbot 1], GPT-4 [chatbot 2], and Claude AI [chatbot 3]) to generate high-quality, empathetic, and readable responses to patient questions about cancer.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This equivalence study compared the AI chatbot responses and responses by 6 verified oncologists to 200 patient questions about cancer from a public online forum. Data were collected on May 31, 2023.

Exposures

Random sample of 200 patient questions related to cancer from a public online forum (Reddit r/AskDocs) spanning from January 1, 2018, to May 31, 2023, was posed to 3 AI chatbots.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes were pilot ratings of the quality, empathy, and readability on a Likert scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). Two teams of attending oncology specialists evaluated each response based on pilot measures of quality, empathy, and readability in triplicate. The secondary outcome was readability assessed using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level.

Results

Responses to 200 questions generated by chatbot 3, the best-performing AI chatbot, were rated consistently higher in overall measures of quality (mean, 3.56 [95% CI, 3.48-3.63] vs 3.00 [95% CI, 2.91-3.09]; P < .001), empathy (mean, 3.62 [95% CI, 3.53-3.70] vs 2.43 [95% CI, 2.32-2.53]; P < .001), and readability (mean, 3.79 [95% CI, 3.72-3.87] vs 3.07 [95% CI, 3.00-3.15]; P < .001) compared with physician responses. The mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of physician responses (mean, 10.11 [95% CI, 9.21-11.03]) was not significantly different from chatbot 3 responses (mean, 10.31 [95% CI, 9.89-10.72]; P > .99) but was lower than those from chatbot 1 (mean, 12.33 [95% CI, 11.84-12.83]; P < .001) and chatbot 2 (mean, 11.32 [95% CI, 11.05-11.79]; P = .01).

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this study suggest that chatbots can generate quality, empathetic, and readable responses to patient questions comparable to physician responses sourced from an online forum. Further research is required to assess the scope, process integration, and patient and physician outcomes of chatbot-facilitated interactions.

Digital Remote Monitoring Using an mHealth Solution for Survivors of Cancer: Protocol for a Pilot Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Healthy lifestyle interventions have a positive impact on multiple disease trajectories, including cancer-related outcomes. Specifically, appropriate habitual physical activity, adequate sleep, and a regular wholesome diet are of paramount importance for the wellness and supportive care of survivors of cancer. Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to support novel tailored lifestyle interventions.

OBJECTIVE

This observational pilot study aims to assess the feasibility of mHealth multidimensional longitudinal monitoring in survivors of cancer. The primary objective is to test the compliance (user engagement) with the monitoring solution. Secondary objectives include recording clinically relevant subjective and objective measures collected through the digital solution.

METHODS

This is a monocentric pilot study taking place in Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom. We plan to enroll up to 100 adult survivors of cancer not receiving toxic anticancer treatment, who will provide self-reported behavioral data recorded via a dedicated app and validated questionnaires and objective data automatically collected by a paired smartwatch over 16 weeks. The participants will continue with their normal routine surveillance care for their cancer. The primary end point is feasibility (eg, mHealth monitoring acceptability). Composite secondary end points include clinically relevant patient-reported outcome measures (eg, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System score) and objective physiological measures (eg, step counts). This trial received a favorable ethical review in May 2023 (Integrated Research Application System 301068).

RESULTS

This study is part of an array of pilots within a European Union funded project, entitled "GATEKEEPER," conducted at different sites across Europe and covering various chronic diseases. Study accrual is anticipated to commence in January 2024 and continue until June 2024. It is hypothesized that mHealth monitoring will be feasible in survivors of cancer; specifically, at least 50% (50/100) of the participants will engage with the app at least once a week in 8 of the 16 study weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

In a population with potentially complex clinical needs, this pilot study will test the feasibility of multidimensional remote monitoring of patient-reported outcomes and physiological parameters. Satisfactory compliance with the use of the app and smartwatch, whether confirmed or infirmed through this study, will be propaedeutic to the development of innovative mHealth interventions in survivors of cancer.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/52957.

Utilization of cancer survivorship services during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary referral center

BACKGROUND

All Commission on Cancer-accredited comprehensive cancer centers offer survivorship programs (SPs) to women upon completion of treatment. These SPs can include clinical and non-clinical programming such as physical rehabilitation, emotional and psychosocial support, nutrition, and exercise programming. Concern about the availability and access to these programs during the COVID-19 pandemic has been described in recent literature. We sought to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participation in these supportive services for breast cancer patients within a single institution.

METHODS

The Ohio State University tertiary care center offers clinical and non-clinical breast cancer support services. Descriptive statistics were utilized to summarize referral and patient participation data from January 2019 through July 2021. Data from calendar year 2019 was used as a normative comparison for pre-COVID-19. In-person and telehealth use was tracked longitudinally.

RESULTS

During the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic (March through May 2020), provider referrals to SPs declined by 10%, while the overall total for the calendar year modestly increased from 1195 in 2019 to 1210 in 2020, representing a 1.3% increase. Psycho-oncology referrals increased from 280 to 318 (13.5%). The most significant change of participation rates in non-clinical SPs during the pandemic was utilization of exercise content, which increased by 220% from 2019 to 2020. The total proportion of breast cancer participants choosing an exercise program increased from 16.8% in 2019 to 42.2% in 2021, making it the most selected program area overall. Previously, nutrition was the most selected program area as it comprised 42.5% of overall utilization in 2019.

CONCLUSION

The pandemic's potential to place barriers to participation in SPs is a legitimate concern. We found a modest decline in provider referrals to clinical services during the lockdown period, while patient-directed participation increased with more survivors engaging in exercise-based programs. Transitioning to virtual platforms served to maintain access for patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

As we grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with cancer deserve increased attention due to the expected stressors associated with the diagnosis. Those in the survivorship stage utilize services for psychosocial support, and the observed increase in utilization of SPs suggests an elevated need for connectivity. To meet this need, telehealth platforms have been expanded to allow for continued participation. It remains to be seen whether this will be sustained post-COVID-19 or whether reduced human contact will create new needs for programming.

Pilot study of a European oncology regimen reference library and matching algorithm

OBJECTIVES

As yet, there is no European data standard for naming and describing oncology regimens. To enable real-world cancer treatment data comparisons, the Oncology Data Network created a unified reference database for systemic anti-cancer regimens used in practice across Europe. Data are extracted from clinical systems and mapped to a single standard called the "Core Regimen Reference Library (CRRL)". An automated matching algorithm has been designed based on: drug combinations; administration schedule; and dosing and route of administration. Incomplete matches are flagged for expert review. The aim of this pilot study is to have an expert pharmacist panel test the algorithm's feasibility by comparing computerised and manual matching of regimens that are currently in use in different European countries.

METHODS

The combined team pooled a diverse sample of 47 reference regimens used in Europe for solid and haematological cancers. These were then codified to the developed common data standard and the algorithm was used to match them to the CRRL. The expert pharmacist panel from the European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) selected 12 regimens from the sample set, ranging from simple to complex, and performed a single-blind test of the algorithm, by systematically matching each original regimen to the CRRL.

RESULTS

ESOP validated the algorithm's feasibility based on full concurrence between manual and computer matches thereby validating the algorithm rules and logic with regard to what defines the core characteristics of a regimen and how to compare similarities and differences.

CONCLUSIONS

ESOP's validation of the matching algorithm and approach to curating a master library provides confidence in their utility for reliable comparison of real-world regimen usage across Europe.

Digital Transformation of Cancer Care in the Era of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Data-Driven Interventions: Navigating the Field

OBJECTIVES

To navigate the field of digital cancer care and define and discuss key aspects and applications of big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and data-driven interventions.

DATA SOURCES

Peer-reviewed scientific publications and expert opinion.

CONCLUSION

The digital transformation of cancer care, enabled by big data analytics, AI, and data-driven interventions, presents a significant opportunity to revolutionize the field. An increased understanding of the lifecycle and ethics of data-driven interventions will enhance development of innovative and applicable products to advance digital cancer care services.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

As digital technologies become integrated into cancer care, nurse practitioners and scientists will be required to increase their knowledge and skills to effectively use these tools to the patient's benefit. An enhanced understanding of the core concepts of AI and big data, confident use of digital health platforms, and ability to interpret the outputs of data-driven interventions are key competencies. Nurses in oncology will play a crucial role in patient education around big data and AI, with a focus on addressing any arising questions, concerns, or misconceptions to foster trust in these technologies. Successful integration of data-driven innovations into oncology nursing practice will empower practitioners to deliver more personalized, effective, and evidence-based care.

An Overview of Chatbot-Based Mobile Mental Health Apps: Insights From App Description and User Reviews

BACKGROUND

Chatbots are an emerging technology that show potential for mental health care apps to enable effective and practical evidence-based therapies. As this technology is still relatively new, little is known about recently developed apps and their characteristics and effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to provide an overview of the commercially available popular mental health chatbots and how they are perceived by users.

METHODS

We conducted an exploratory observation of 10 apps that offer support and treatment for a variety of mental health concerns with a built-in chatbot feature and qualitatively analyzed 3621 consumer reviews from the Google Play Store and 2624 consumer reviews from the Apple App Store.

RESULTS

We found that although chatbots' personalized, humanlike interactions were positively received by users, improper responses and assumptions about the personalities of users led to a loss of interest. As chatbots are always accessible and convenient, users can become overly attached to them and prefer them over interacting with friends and family. Furthermore, a chatbot may offer crisis care whenever the user needs it because of its 24/7 availability, but even recently developed chatbots lack the understanding of properly identifying a crisis. Chatbots considered in this study fostered a judgment-free environment and helped users feel more comfortable sharing sensitive information.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that chatbots have great potential to offer social and psychological support in situations where real-world human interaction, such as connecting to friends or family members or seeking professional support, is not preferred or possible to achieve. However, there are several restrictions and limitations that these chatbots must establish according to the level of service they offer. Too much reliance on technology can pose risks, such as isolation and insufficient assistance during times of crisis. Recommendations for customization and balanced persuasion to inform the design of effective chatbots for mental health support have been outlined based on the insights of our findings.

Revitalising cancer trials post-pandemic: time for reform

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant risk to the health of cancer patients, compromised standard cancer care and interrupted clinical cancer trials, prompting dramatic streamlining of services. From this health crisis has emerged the opportunity to carry forward an unexpected legacy of positive reforms to clinical cancer research, where conventionally convoluted approvals processes, inefficient trial design, procedures and data gathering could benefit from the lessons in rationalisation learned during the pandemic.

Integration of a personalised mobile health (mHealth) application into the care of patients with brain tumours: proof-of-concept study (IDEAL stage 1)

Objectives

Brain tumours lead to significant morbidity including a neurocognitive, physical and psychological burden of disease. The extent to which they impact the multiple domains of health is difficult to capture leading to a significant degree of unmet needs. Mobile health tools such as Vinehealth have the potential to identify and address these needs through real-world data generation and delivery of personalised educational material and therapies. We aimed to establish the feasibility of Vinehealth integration into brain tumour care, its ability to collect real-world and (electronic) patient-recorded outcome (ePRO) data, and subjective improvement in care.

Design

A mixed-methodology IDEAL stage 1 study.

Setting

A single tertiary care centre.

Participants

Six patients consented and four downloaded and engaged with the mHealth application throughout the 12 weeks of the study.

Main outcome measures

Over a 12-week period, we collected real-world and ePRO data via Vinehealth. We assessed qualitative feedback from mixed-methodology surveys and semistructured interviews at recruitment and after 2 weeks.

Results

565 data points were captured including, but not limited to: symptoms, activity, well-being and medication. EORTC QLQ-BN20 and EQ-5D-5L completion rates (54% and 46%) were impacted by technical issues; 100% completion rates were seen when ePROs were received. More brain cancer tumour-specific content was requested. All participants recommended the application and felt it improved care.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate value in an application to holistically support patients living with brain cancer tumours and established the feasibility and safety of further studies to more rigorously assess this.

Usability: An introduction to and literature review of usability testing for educational resources in radiation oncology

Usability, or the ease with which something can be used, is a key aspect in ensuring end-users can achieve the best possible outcomes from a given educational resource. Ideally usability testing should take place iteratively throughout the design of the resource, and there are several approaches for undertaking usability testing described in the wider literature. Within radiation oncology education, the extent to which usability testing occurs remains unclear. This literature review aimed to assess current practice and provide a practical introduction to usability testing for educational resource design within radiation oncology. Two web databases were searched for articles describing planned or completed usability testing during the design of a radiation oncology educational resource. Fifteen studies were identified. Data was gathered describing the type of usability testing performed, the number of cycles of testing and the number of test subjects. Articles described design of educational resources for both patients and trainees, with the number of test subjects ranging from 8 to 18. Various testing methods were used, including questionnaires, think aloud studies and heuristic evaluation. Usability testing comprised a range of single cycle through to several rounds of testing. Through illustrative examples identified in the literature review, we demonstrate that usability testing is feasible and beneficial for educational resources varying in size and context. In doing so we hope to encourage radiation oncologists to incorporate usability testing into future educational resource design.

Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of a Goals-of-Care Decision Aid for Surrogates of Patients With Severe Acute Brain Injury

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Breakdowns in clinician-family communication in neurologic intensive care units (neuroICUs) are common, particularly for goals-of-care decisions to continue or withdraw life-sustaining treatments while considering long-term prognoses. Shared decision-making interventions (decision aids [DAs]) may prevent this problem and increase patient-centered care, yet none are currently available. We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived usefulness of a DA for goals-of-care communication with surrogate decision makers for critically ill patients with severe acute brain injury (SABI) after hemispheric acute ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or traumatic brain injury.

METHODS

We conducted a parallel-arm, unblinded, patient-level randomized, controlled pilot trial at 2 tertiary care US neuroICUs and randomized surrogate participants 1:1 to a tailored paper-based DA provided to surrogates before clinician-family goals-of-care meetings or usual care (no intervention before clinician-family meetings). The primary outcomes were feasibility of deploying the DA (recruitment, participation, and retention), acceptability, and perceived usefulness of the DA among surrogates. Exploratory outcomes included outcome of surrogate goals-of-care decision, code status changes during admission, patients' 3-month functional outcome, and surrogates' 3-month validated psychological outcomes.

RESULTS

We approached 83 surrogates of 58 patients and enrolled 66 surrogates of 41 patients (80% consent rate). Of 66 surrogates, 45 remained in the study at 3 months (68% retention). Of the 33 surrogates randomized to intervention, 27 were able to receive the DA, and 25 subsequently read the DA (93% participation). Eighty-two percent rated the DA's acceptability as good or excellent (median acceptability score 2 [IQR 2-3]); 96% found it useful for goals-of-care decision making. In the DA group, there was a trend toward fewer comfort care decisions (27% vs 56%, p = 0.1) and fewer code status changes (no change, 73% vs 44%, p = 0.02). At 3 months, fewer patients in the DA group had died (33% vs 69%, p = 0.05; median Glasgow Outcome Scale 3 vs1, p = 0.05). Regardless of intervention, 3-month psychological outcomes were significantly worse among surrogates who had chosen continuation of care.

DISCUSSION

A goals-of-care DA to support ICU shared decision making for patients with SABI is feasible to deploy and well perceived by surrogates. A larger trial is feasible to conduct, although surrogates who select continuation of care deserve additional psychosocial support.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03833375.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE

This study provides Class IV evidence that the use of a DA explaining the goals-of-care decision and the treatment options is acceptable and useful to surrogates of incapacitated critically ill patients with ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or traumatic brain injury.

Medical Students and Their Perceptions of Digital Medicine: a Question of Gender?

Digital technologies play an essential role in the medical sector of today and the future. In a cross-sectional online survey at a German medical university, male students more frequently reported keeping themselves informed about digital medicine outside of their studies across all clinical years of study. While female students self-assessed their knowledge in different fields of digital medicine as worse than their male peers in the first clinical years of study, no more gender differences could be found towards the final year. However, students of both genders showed a strong desire for further education on the topic of digital medicine.

Development of an Administrative Data-Based Frailty Index for Older Adults Receiving Dialysis

Background

Frailty is present in ≥50% of older adults receiving dialysis. Our objective was to a develop an administrative data-based frailty index and assess the frailty index's predictive validity for mortality and future hospitalizations.

Methods

We used United States Renal Data System data to establish two cohorts of adults aged ≥65 years, initiating dialysis in 2013 and in 2017. Using the 2013 cohort (development dataset), we applied the deficit accumulation index approach to develop a frailty index. Adjusting for age and sex, we assessed the extent to which the frailty index predicts the hazard of time until death and time until first hospitalization over 12 months. We assessed the Harrell's C-statistic of the frailty index, a comorbidity index, and jointly. The 2017 cohort was used as a validation dataset.

Results

Using the 2013 cohort (n=20,974), we identified 53 deficits for the frailty index across seven domains: disabilities, diseases, equipment, procedures, signs, tests, and unclassified. Among those with ≥1 deficit, the mean (SD) frailty index was 0.30 (0.13), range 0.02-0.72. Over 12 months, 18% (n=3842) died, and 55% (n=11,493) experienced a hospitalization. Adjusted hazard ratios for each 0.1-point increase in frailty index in models of time to death and time to first hospitalization were 1.41 (95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 1.44) and 1.33 (95% confidence interval, 1.31 to 1.35), respectively. For mortality, C-statistics for frailty index, comorbidity index, and both indices were 0.65, 0.65, and 0.66, respectively. For hospitalization, C-statistics for frailty index, comorbidity index, and both indices were 0.61, 0.60, and 0.61, respectively. Data from the 2017 cohort were similar.

Conclusions

We developed a novel frailty index for older adults receiving dialysis. Further studies are needed to improve on this frailty index and validate its use for clinical and research applications.

Non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis: a comparison between dermoscopic and smartphone images by unified visual and sonification deep learning algorithms

PURPOSE

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most frequent keratinocyte-origin skin tumor. It is confirmed that dermoscopy of NMSC confers a diagnostic advantage as compared to visual face-to-face assessment. COVID-19 restrictions diagnostics by telemedicine photos, which are analogous to visual inspection, displaced part of in-person visits. This study evaluated by a dual convolutional neural network (CNN) performance metrics in dermoscopic (DI) versus smartphone-captured images (SI) and tested if artificial intelligence narrows the proclaimed gap in diagnostic accuracy.

METHODS

A CNN that receives a raw image and predicts malignancy, overlaid by a second independent CNN which processes a sonification (image-to-sound mapping) of the original image, were combined into a unified malignancy classifier. All images were histopathology-verified in a comparison between NMSC and benign skin lesions excised as suspected NMSCs. Study criteria outcomes were sensitivity and specificity for the unified output.

RESULTS

Images acquired by DI (n = 132 NMSC, n = 33 benign) were compared to SI (n = 170 NMSC, n = 28 benign). DI and SI analysis metrics resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.911 and 0.821, respectively. Accuracy was increased by DI (0.88; CI 81.9-92.4) as compared to SI (0.75; CI 68.1-80.6, p < 0.005). Sensitivity of DI was higher than SI (95.3%, CI 90.4-98.3 vs 75.3%, CI 68.1-81.6, p < 0.001), but not specificity (p = NS).

CONCLUSION

Telemedicine use of smartphone images might result in a substantial decrease in diagnostic performance as compared to dermoscopy, which needs to be considered by both healthcare providers and patients.

Which decentralised trial activities are reported in clinical trial protocols of drug trials initiated in 2019-2020? A cross-sectional study in ClinicalTrials.gov

OBJECTIVES

Decentralised clinical trial activities-such as participant recruitment via social media, data collection through wearables and direct-to-participant investigational medicinal product (IMP) supply-have the potential to change the way clinical trials (CTs) are conducted and with that to reduce the participation burden and improve generalisability. In this study, we investigated the decentralised and on-site conduct of trial activities as reported in CT protocols with a trial start date in 2019 or 2020.

DESIGN

We ascertained the decentralised and on-site conduct for the following operational trial activities: participant outreach, prescreening, screening, obtaining informed consent, asynchronous communication, participant training, IMP supply, IMP adherence monitoring, CT monitoring, staff training and data collection. Results were compared for the public versus private sponsors, regions involved, trial phases and four time periods (the first and second half of 2019 and 2020, respectively).

SETTING

Phases 2, 3 and 4 clinical drug trial protocols with a trial start date in 2019 or 2020 available from ClinicalTrials.gov.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The occurrence of decentralised and on-site conduct of the predefined trial activities reported in CT protocols.

RESULTS

For all trial activities, on-site conduct was more frequently reported than decentralised conduct. Decentralised conduct of the individual trial activities was reported in less than 25.6% of the 254 included protocols, except for decentralised data collection, which was reported in 68.9% of the protocols. More specifically, 81.9% of the phase 3 protocols reported decentralised data collection, compared with 73.3% and 47.0% of the phase 2 and 4 protocols, respectively. For several activities, including prescreening, screening and consenting, upward trends in reporting decentralised conduct were visible over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Decentralised methods are used in CTs, mainly for data collection, but less frequently for other activities. Sharing best practices and a detailed description in protocols can drive the adoption of decentralised methods.

Physical activity in older adults with metastatic gastrointestinal cancer: a pilot and feasibility study

Objectives

This study determined the feasibility of delivering a 12-week structured physical activity programme during chemotherapy to older adults recently diagnosed with metastatic gastrointestinal (GI) cancer.

Methods

This study used a single-cohort design. Older adults (aged ≥65 years) diagnosed with metastatic oesophageal, gastric, pancreatic or colorectal cancer who planned to initiate chemotherapy were enrolled. The physical activity programme included a combination of aerobic, flexibility, strength and balance modalities delivered by a certified cancer exercise trainer during chemotherapy infusion appointments, then translated and sustained at home by participants. The co-primary endpoints included: (1) accrual of 20 participants in 12 months and (2) physical activity adherence of ≥50%.

Results

Between March and October 2018, 29 participants were screened, and 20 were enrolled within 12 months (recruitment rate: 69% (90% CI: 55% to 83%); p<0.001), meeting the first co-primary endpoint. The median age of participants was 73.3 years (IQR: 69.3-77.2). At week 12, 67% (90% CI: 48% to 85%) of participants adhered to ≥50% of the prescribed physical activity (p=0.079 (statistically significant)), meeting the second co-primary endpoint. From baseline to week 12, accelerometer-measured light-intensity and moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity increased by 307.4 (95% CI: 152.6 to 462.2; p<0.001) and 25.0 min per week (95% CI: 9.9 to 40.1; p=0.001), respectively. There were no serious or unexpected adverse events. The median overall survival was 16.2 months (8.4-22.4).

Conclusion

These results establish the feasibility of a larger scale randomised controlled trial that enrols older adults with metastatic GI cancer and delivers a structured physical activity programme during chemotherapy.

Trial registration number

NCT03331406.

Effectiveness of exercise via telehealth for chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise interventions delivered via videoconferencing

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of videoconferencing exercise interventions for people with chronic diseases.

DESIGN

Systematic review incorporating meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Cinahl, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The current literature was searched following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Trials analysing participants with chronic disease undergoing aerobic and/or resistance exercise training over videoconferencing, with exercise capacity and/or quality of life outcomes were included. Meta-analyses were conducted for between-group comparisons of exercise capacity and quality of life. Risk of bias was analysed using the Downs and Black quality checklist and the certainty of evidence with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).

RESULTS

Thirty-two trials were included in this review, of which 12 were comparator trials. Small-moderate between-group (videoconferencing vs comparator) effects favouring videoconferencing were seen for studies using a non-exercising comparator for exercise capacity (standardised mean difference (SMD)=0.616, 95% CI 0.278 to 0.954; p=<0.001) and quality of life (SMD=0.400, 95% CI 0.099 to 0.701; p=0.009). Small effects favouring videoconferencing were observed for studies using an exercising comparator for quality of life (SMD=0.271, 95% CI 0.028 to 0.515; p=0.029) and exercise capacity (SMD=0.242, 95% CI 0.059 to 0.426; p=0.009). Moderate risk of bias was identified for included studies (16.3±3.6/28), with GRADE certainty ratings of 'low' (quality of life) and 'moderate' (exercise capacity). Session attendance was 70% and was reported in 23 trials. No serious adverse events relating to videoconferencing were found. Nine trials documented the total number of technical issues that occurred in 17% of the sessions. Positive satisfaction outcomes were associated with ease of access and usefulness of technology.

CONCLUSION

In patients with chronic disease, videoconferencing exercise interventions appear to be feasible and effective for improving exercise capacity and quality of life. More robust methodology is needed in future studies to improve the certainty of the evidence.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020191243.

Patient-centered outcomes for gastrointestinal cancer care: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Following a cancer diagnosis, patients and their caregivers face crucial decisions regarding goals of care and treatment, which have consequences that can persist throughout their cancer journey. To foster informed and value-driven treatment choices, evidence-based information on outcomes relevant to patients is needed. Traditionally, clinical studies have largely focused on a few concrete and easily measurable outcomes such as survival, disease progression and immediate treatment toxicities. These outcomes do not capture other important factors that patients consider when making treatment decisions. Patient-centred outcomes (PCOs) reflect the patients' individual values, preferences, needs and circumstances that are essential to directing meaningful and informed healthcare discussions. Often, however, these outcomes are not included in research protocols in a standardised and practical fashion. This scoping review will summarise the existing literature on PCOs in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer care as well as the tools used to assess these outcomes. A comprehensive list of these PCOs will be generated for future efforts to develop a core outcome set.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This scoping review will follow Arksey and O'Malley's expanded framework for scoping reviews. We will systematically search Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and APA PsycINFO databases for studies examining PCOs in the context of GI cancer. We will include studies published in or after the year 2000 up to the date of the final searches, with no language restrictions. Studies involving adult patients with GI cancers and discussion of any PCOs will be included. Opinion pieces, protocols, case reports and abstracts will be excluded. Two authors will independently perform two rounds of screening to select studies for inclusion. The data from full texts will be extracted, charted and summarised both quantitatively and qualitatively.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

No ethics approval is required for this scoping review. Results will be disseminated through scientific publication and presentation at relevant conferences.

Association between chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy and benzodiazepine prescription in patients with radicular low back pain: a retrospective cohort study using real-world data from the USA

OBJECTIVES

Although chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (CSMT) and prescription benzodiazepines are common treatments for radicular low back pain (rLBP), no research has examined the relationship between these interventions. We hypothesise that utilisation of CSMT for newly diagnosed rLBP is associated with reduced odds of benzodiazepine prescription through 12 months' follow-up.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

National, multicentre 73-million-patient electronic health records-based network (TriNetX) in the USA, queried on 30 July 2021, yielding data from 2003 to the date of query.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults aged 18-49 with an index diagnosis of rLBP were included. Serious aetiologies of low back pain, structural deformities, alternative neurological lesions and absolute benzodiazepine contraindications were excluded. Patients were assigned to cohorts according to CSMT receipt or absence. Propensity score matching was used to control for covariates that could influence the likelihood of benzodiazepine utilisation.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The number, percentage and OR of patients receiving a benzodiazepine prescription over 3, 6 and 12 months' follow-up prematching and postmatching.

RESULTS

After matching, there were 9206 patients (mean (SD) age, 37.6 (8.3) years, 54% male) per cohort. Odds of receiving a benzodiazepine prescription were significantly lower in the CSMT cohort over all follow-up windows prematching and postmatching (p<0.0001). After matching, the OR (95% CI) of benzodiazepine prescription at 3 months was 0.56 (0.50 to 0.64), at 6 months 0.61 (0.55 to 0.68) and 12 months 0.67 (0.62 to 0.74). Sensitivity analysis suggested a patient preference to avoid prescription medications did not explain the study findings.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that receiving CSMT for newly diagnosed rLBP is associated with reduced odds of receiving a benzodiazepine prescription during follow-up. These results provide real-world evidence of practice guideline-concordance among patients entering this care pathway. Benzodiazepine prescription for rLBP should be further examined in a randomised trial including patients receiving chiropractic or usual medical care, to reduce residual confounding.

Role of decentralized clinical trials in cancer drug development: Results from a survey of oncologists and patients

As a result of the unprecedented challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on enrollment to cancer clinical trials, there has been an urgency to identify and incorporate new solutions to mitigate these difficulties. The concept of decentralized or hybrid clinical trials has rapidly gained currency, given that it aims to reduce patient burden, increase patient enrollment and retention, and preserve quality of life, while also increasing the efficiency of trial logistics. Therefore, the clinical trial environment is moving toward remote collection and assessment of data, transitioning from the classic site-centric model to one that is more patient-centric.

Digital remote monitoring plus usual care versus usual care in patients treated with oral anticancer agents: the randomized phase 3 CAPRI trial

Strategies that individualize the care of cancer patients receiving oral anticancer agents offer opportunities to improve treatment adherence and patient care. However, the impact of digital remote monitoring systems in this setting has not been evaluated. Here, we report the results of a phase 3 trial (CAPRI, NCT02828462) to assess the impact of a nurse navigator-led program on treatment delivery for patients with metastatic cancer. Patients receiving approved oral anticancer agents were randomized (1:1) to an intervention combining a nurse navigator-led follow-up system and a web portal-smartphone application on top of usual care, or to usual symptom monitoring at the discretion of the treating oncologist, for a duration of 6 months. The primary objective included optimization of the treatment dose. Secondary objectives were grade ≥3 toxicities, patient experience, rates and duration of hospitalization, response and survival, and quality of life. In 559 evaluable patients the relative dose intensity was higher in the experimental arm (93.4% versus 89.4%, P = 0.04). The intervention improved the patient experience (Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care score, 2.94 versus 2.67, P = 0.01), reduced the days of hospitalization (2.82 versus 4.44 days, P = 0.02), and decreased treatment-related grade ≥3 toxicities (27.6% versus 36.9%, P = 0.02). These findings show that patient-centered care through remote monitoring of symptoms and treatment may improve patient outcomes and experience.

Digital technologies in cancer care: a review from the clinician's perspective

Physicians are increasingly utilizing digital health technologies (DHT) such as smartphone applications, network-enabled wearable devices, web-based communication platforms, videoconferencing, chatbots, artificial intelligence and virtual reality to improve access to, and quality of, care. DHT aid in cancer screening, patient education, shared decision-making, promotion of positive health habits, symptom monitoring and intervention, patient-provider communication, provision of psychological support and delivery of effective survivorship care. This narrative review outlines how physicians may utilize digital health to improve or augment their delivery of cancer care. For the full potential of DHT to be realized, experts must develop appropriate solutions to issues surrounding the regulation, liability, quality, security, equity and reimbursement of DHT.

Telerehabilitation programmes for patients with cancer and survivors: a protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The global cancer burden is a major public health problem. Cancer rehabilitation is an essential component of survivorship care for preventing complications, decreasing symptoms and improving functional quality of life (QOL). In addition to pre-existing challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected cancer rehabilitation programmes and their delivery to patients. This comprehensive systematic review will assess the efficacy and safety of telerehabilitation on functional outcomes and QOL in patients with cancer and survivors.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. The following key electronic bibliographic databases will be searched from their inception to April 2021: MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). We will include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English that examine the effects of telerehabilitation programmes on patients with cancer and survivors. The terms 'telerehabilitation', 'neoplasm', 'RCT' and their analogous terms will be used in our search strategy. Two reviewers will independently complete the study screening, selection, data extraction and quality rating. The PEDro scale will be used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Narrative or quantitative synthesis will be conducted on the basis of the final data. The planned start and end dates for the study are 1 March 2021 and 1 May 2022, respectively.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval will not be required for this review, and the results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021243467.

Epidemiological Algorithm for Early Detection of COVID-19 Cases in a Mexican Oncologic Center

An early detection tool for latent COVID-19 infections in oncology staff and patients is essential to prevent outbreaks in a cancer center. (1) Background: In this study, we developed and implemented two early detection tools for the radiotherapy area to identify COVID-19 cases opportunely. (2) Methods: Staff and patients answered a questionnaire (electronic and paper surveys, respectively) with clinical and epidemiological information. The data were collected through two online survey tools: Real-Time Tracking (R-Track) and Summary of Factors (S-Facts). Cut-off values were established according to the algorithm models. SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR tests confirmed the positive algorithms individuals. (3) Results: Oncology staff members (n = 142) were tested, and 14% (n = 20) were positives for the R-Track algorithm; 75% (n = 15) were qRT-PCR positive. The S-Facts Algorithm identified 7.75% (n = 11) positive oncology staff members, and 81.82% (n = 9) were qRT-PCR positive. Oncology patients (n = 369) were evaluated, and 1.36% (n = 5) were positive for the Algorithm used. The five patients (100%) were confirmed by qRT-PCR. (4) Conclusions: The proposed early detection tools have proved to be a low-cost and efficient tool in a country where qRT-PCR tests and vaccines are insufficient for the population.

Pilot implementation to assess the feasibility and care team impact of an app-based interactive care plan to remotely monitor breast cancer survivors

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of an app-based, electronic health record (EHR)-integrated, interactive care plan (ICP) for breast cancer (BC) survivors.

Methods

A single-arm pilot study was conducted with female BC survivors. ICP tasks included quarterly quality of life (QOL) questionnaire; monthly assessments of fatigue, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, hot flashes, and recurrence symptoms; and daily activity reminders. Embedded decision trees escalated recurrence symptoms to providers. On-demand education was available for self-management of treatment-related toxicities. The primary objective was to assess patients’ engagement with ICP tasks against feasibility thresholds of 75% completion rate. Secondary objectives were evaluation of the system’s functionality to track and escalate symptoms appropriately, and care team impact measured by volume of escalation messages generated. We report preliminary results 6 months after the last patient enrolled.

Results

Twenty-three patients enrolled August to November 2020. Mean age was 50.1 years. All patients engaged with at least one ICP task. The monthly average task completion rates were 62% for the QOL questionnaire, 59% for symptom assessments, and 37% for activity reminders. Task completion rate decreased over time. Eleven of 253 symptoms and QOL questionnaires (4.3%) generated messages for care escalation.

Conclusion

Implementation of an app-based, EHR-integrated ICP in BC survivors was feasible and created minimal provider burden; however, patient engagement was below the feasibility threshold suggesting that changes may enhance broad implementation and adoption.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

An ICP may facilitate remote monitoring, symptom control, and recurrence surveillance for cancer survivors as strategies to enhance patient engagement are applied.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11764-021-01136-1.

Feasibility of Wearable-Based Remote Monitoring in Patients During Intensive Treatment for Aggressive Hematologic Malignancies

PURPOSE

Intensive treatment protocols for aggressive hematologic malignancies harbor a high risk of serious clinical complications, such as infections. Current techniques of monitoring vital signs to detect such complications are cumbersome and often fail to diagnose them early. Continuous monitoring of vital signs and physical activity by means of an upper arm medical wearable allowing 24/7 streaming of such parameters may be a promising alternative.

METHODS

This single-arm, single-center observational trial evaluated symptom-related patient-reported outcomes and feasibility of a wearable-based remote patient monitoring. All wearable data were reviewed retrospectively and were not available to the patient or clinical staff. A total of 79 patients (54 inpatients and 25 outpatients) participated and received standard-of-care treatment for a hematologic malignancy. In addition, the wearable was continuously worn and self-managed by the patient to record multiple parameters such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and physical activity.

RESULTS

Fifty-one patients (94.4%) in the inpatient cohort and 16 (64.0%) in the outpatient cohort reported gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, and emesis), pain, dyspnea, or shivering in at least one visit. With the wearable, vital signs and physical activity were recorded for a total of 1,304.8 days. Recordings accounted for 78.0% (63.0-88.5; median [interquartile range]) of the potential recording time for the inpatient cohort and 84.6% (76.3-90.2) for the outpatient cohort. Adherence to the wearable was comparable in both cohorts, but decreased moderately over time during the trial.

CONCLUSION

A high adherence to the wearable was observed in patients on intensive treatment protocols for a hematologic malignancy who experience high symptom burden. Remote patient monitoring of vital signs and physical activity was demonstrated to be feasible and of primarily sufficient quality.

Effectiveness of decision aids on cancer-screening decision-making: an umbrella review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Although systematic reviews have shown how decision aids about cancer-related clinical decisions improve selection of key options and shared decision-making, whether or not particular decision aids, defined by their specific presentation formats, delivery methods and other attributes, can perform better than others in the context of cancer-screening decisions is uncertain. Therefore, we planned an overview to address this issue by using standard umbrella review methods to repurpose existing systematic reviews and their component comparative studies.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will search PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects from inception through 31 December 2021 with no language restriction and perform full-text evaluation of potentially relevant articles. We will include systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials or non-randomised studies of interventions that assessed a decision aid about cancer-screening decisions and compared it with an alternative tool or conventional management in healthy average-risk adults. Two reviewers will extract data and rate the study validity according to standard quality assessment measures. Our primary outcome will be intended and actual choice and adherence to selected options. The secondary outcomes will include attributes of the option-selection process, achieving shared decision-making and preference-linked psychosocial outcomes. We will qualitatively assess study, patient and intervention characteristics and outcomes. We will also take special care to investigate the presentation format, delivery methods and quality of the included decision aids and assess the degree to which the decision aid was delivered and used as intended. If appropriate, we will perform random-effects model meta-analyses to quantitatively synthesise the results.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval is not applicable as this is a secondary analysis of publicly available data. The review results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021235957.

Emerging digital technologies in cancer treatment, prevention, and control

The very first issue of the journal of Translational Behavioral Medicine (TBM) was dedicated, in part, to the theme of Health Information Technology as a platform for evidence implementation. The topic was timely: legislation in the USA was passed with the intent of stimulating the adoption of electronic health records; mobile smartphones, tablets, and other devices were gaining traction in the consumer market, while members within the Society of Behavioral Medicine were gaining scientific understanding on how to use these tools to effect healthy behavior change. For the anniversary issue of TBM, we evaluated the progress and problems associated with deploying digital health technologies to support cancer treatment, prevention, and control over the last decade. We conducted a narrative review of published literature to identify the role that emerging digital technologies may take in achieving national and international objectives in the decade to come. We tracked our evaluation of the literature across three phases in the cancer control continuum: (a) prevention, (b) early detection/screening, and (c) treatment/survivorship. From our targeted review and analyses, we noted that significant progress had been made in the adoption of digital health technologies in the cancer space over the past decade but that significant work remains to be done to integrate these technologies effectively into the cancer control systems needed to improve outcomes equitably across populations. The challenge for the next 10 years is inherently translational.

MyPal ADULT study protocol: a randomised clinical trial of the MyPal ePRO-based early palliative care system in adult patients with haematological malignancies

INTRODUCTION

The systematic collection of electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) in the routine care of patients with chronic haematological malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and myelodysplasia syndromes (MDS) can constitute a very ambitious but worthwhile challenge. MyPal is a Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Action aiming to meet this challenge and foster palliative care for patients with CLL or MDS by leveraging ePRO systems to adapt to the personal needs of patients and caregiver(s).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In this interventional randomised trial, 300 patients with CLL or MDS will be recruited across Europe. Patients will be randomly allocated to early palliative care using the MyPal system (n=150) versus standard care including general palliative care if needed (n=150). Patients in the experimental arm will be given access to the MyPal digital health platform which consists of purposely designed software available on smartphones and/or tablets. The platform entails different functionalities including physical and psychoemotional symptom reporting via regular questionnaire completion, spontaneous self-reporting, motivational messages, medication management and a personalised search engine for health information. Data on patients' activity (daily steps and sleep quality) will be automatically collected via wearable devices.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The integration of ePROs via mobile applications has raised ethical concerns regarding inclusion criteria, information provided to participants, free and voluntary consent, and respect for their autonomy. These have been carefully addressed by a multidisciplinary team. Data processing, dissemination and exploitation of the study findings will take place in full compliance with European Union data protection law. A participatory design was adopted in the development of the digital platform involving focus groups and discussions with patients to identify needs and preferences. The protocol was approved by the ethics committees of San Raffaele (8/2020), Thessaloniki 'George Papanikolaou' Hospital (849), Karolinska Institutet (20.10.2020), University General Hospital of Heraklion (07/15.4.2020) and University of Brno (01-120220/EK).

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04370457.

Reliability of patient-reported comorbidities: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Self-reported questionnaires have become a widely adopted method of reviewing patients in clinical practice. This systematic review aimed to determine the reliability of patient-reported comorbidities and to identify which patient factors influence the reliability. Included studies assessed the reliability of at least one patient-reported comorbidity against their medical record or clinical assessment as gold standard. Twenty-four eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. Only endocrine diseases (Cohen's Kappa Coefficient (CKC) 0.81 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.85)), consisting of diabetes mellitus (CKC 0.83 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.86)) and thyroid disease (CKC 0.68 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.86)), showed good-to-excellent reliability. Factors most frequently reported to influence concordance included age, sex and educational level.This systematic review demonstrated poor-to-moderate reliability for most systems, except for endocrine which showed good-to-excellent reliability. Although patient self-reporting can be a useful guide to clinical management, several patient factors were demonstrated to affect reliability therefore it should be avoided as a standalone measure.

Measuring What Matters: Patient-Reported Outcome and Experience Measures for Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

Patient-reported outcome and experience measures capture a reliable representation of a patient's functional outcomes and quality of life. However, they are only helpful if the data are easily comprehensible to patients and are accessible to providers, patients, and payers. If we want to ensure that these metrics are fair, accurate, and relevant, then physicians should be leaders in developing and adopting these tools.

Forecasting Erroneous Neural Machine Translation of Disease Symptoms: Development of Bayesian Probabilistic Classifiers for Cross-Lingual Health Translation

BACKGROUND

Machine translation (MT) technologies have increasing applications in healthcare. Despite their convenience, cost-effectiveness, and constantly improved accuracy, research shows that the use of MT tools in medical or healthcare settings poses risks to vulnerable populations.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to develop machine learning classifiers (MNB and RVM) to forecast nuanced yet significant MT errors of clinical symptoms in Chinese neural MT outputs.

METHODS

We screened human translations of MSD Manuals for information on self-diagnosis of infectious diseases and produced their matching neural MT outputs for subsequent pairwise quality assessment by trained bilingual health researchers. Different feature optimisation and normalisation techniques were used to identify the best feature set.

RESULTS

The RVM classifier using optimised, normalised (L₂ normalisation) semantic features achieved the highest sensitivity, specificity, AUC, and accuracy. MNB achieved similar high performance using the same optimised semantic feature set. The best probability threshold of the best performing RVM classifier was found at 0.6, with a very high positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 27.82 (95% CI: 3.99, 193.76), and a low negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.08, 046), suggesting the high diagnostic utility of our model to predict the probabilities of erroneous MT of disease symptoms to help reverse potential inaccurate self-diagnosis of diseases among vulnerable people without adequate medical knowledge or an ability to ascertain the reliability of MT outputs.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated the viability, flexibility, and efficiency of introducing machine learning models to help promote risk-aware use of MT technologies to achieve optimal, safer digital health outcomes for vulnerable people.

Shared decision-making in the ICU from the perspective of physicians, nurses and patients: a qualitative interview study

OBJECTIVE

To identify views, experiences and needs for shared decision-making (SDM) in the intensive care unit (ICU) according to ICU physicians, ICU nurses and former ICU patients and their close family members.

DESIGN

Qualitative study.

SETTING

Two Dutch tertiary centres.

PARTICIPANTS

19 interviews were held with 29 participants: seven with ICU physicians from two tertiary centres, five with ICU nurses from one tertiary centre and nine with former ICU patients, of whom seven brought one or two of their close family members who had been involved in the ICU stay.

RESULTS

Three themes, encompassing a total of 16 categories, were identified pertaining to struggles of ICU physicians, needs of former ICU patients and their family members and the preferred role of ICU nurses. The main struggles ICU physicians encountered with SDM include uncertainty about long-term health outcomes, time constraints, feeling pressure because of having final responsibility and a fear of losing control. Former patients and family members mainly expressed aspects they missed, such as not feeling included in ICU treatment decisions and a lack of information about long-term outcomes and recovery. ICU nurses reported mainly opportunities to strengthen their role in incorporating non-medical information in the ICU decision-making process and as liaison between physicians and patients and family.

CONCLUSIONS

Interviewed stakeholders reported struggles, needs and an elucidation of their current and preferred role in the SDM process in the ICU. This study signals an essential need for more long-term outcome information, a more informal inclusion of patients and their family members in decision-making processes and a more substantial role for ICU nurses to integrate patients' values and needs in the decision-making process.

Characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised adults with COVID-19 in a Global Health Research Network: a cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine age, gender, and temporal differences in baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of adult patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

DESIGN

A cohort study using deidentified electronic medical records from a Global Research Network.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

67 456 adult patients hospitalised with COVID-19 from the USA; 7306 from Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific between February 2020 and January 2021.

RESULTS

In the US cohort, compared with patients 18-34 years old, patients ≥65 had a greater risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.73, 95% CI 1.58 to 1.90), acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)/respiratory failure (aHR 1.86, 95% CI 1.76 to 1.96), invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV, aHR 1.93, 95% CI, 1.73 to 2.15), and all-cause mortality (aHR 5.6, 95% CI 4.36 to 7.18). Men appeared to be at a greater risk for ICU admission (aHR 1.34, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.39), ARDS/respiratory failure (aHR 1.24, 95% CI1.21 to 1.27), IMV (aHR 1.38, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.45), and all-cause mortality (aHR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.24) compared with women. Moreover, we observed a greater risk of adverse outcomes during the early pandemic (ie, February-April 2020) compared with later periods. In the ex-US cohort, the age and gender trends were similar; for the temporal trend, the highest proportion of patients with all-cause mortality were also in February-April 2020; however, the highest percentages of patients with IMV and ARDS/respiratory failure were in August-October 2020 followed by February-April 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided valuable information on the temporal trends of characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised adult COVID-19 patients in both USA and ex-USA. It also described the population at a potentially greater risk for worse clinical outcomes by identifying the age and gender differences. Together, the information could inform the prevention and treatment strategies of COVID-19. Furthermore, it can be used to raise public awareness of COVID-19's impact on vulnerable populations.

Artificial intelligence and the future of life sciences

Over the past few decades, the number of health and 'omics-related data' generated and stored has grown exponentially. Patient information can be collected in real time and explored using various artificial intelligence (AI) tools in clinical trials; mobile devices can also be used to improve aspects of both the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In addition, AI can be used in the development of new drugs or for drug repurposing, in faster diagnosis and more efficient treatment for various diseases, as well as to identify data-driven hypotheses for scientists. In this review, we discuss how AI is starting to revolutionize the life sciences sector.

Evaluation and Management of Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disturbance in Cancer

OPINION STATEMENT

Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbance are among the most commonly experienced symptoms in patients with cancer. These disturbances occur throughout the spectrum of cancer care from diagnosis, treatment, and long into survivorship. The pathogenesis of these symptoms and disturbances is based on common inflammatory pathways related to cancer and its' treatments. The evaluation of sleep and circadian disorders requires an understanding of how these symptoms cluster with other cancer-related symptoms and potentiate each other. A thorough evaluation of these symptoms and disorders utilizing validated diagnostic tools, directed review of clinical information, and diagnostic testing is recommended. Treatment of sleep and circadian disturbance in cancer patients should be based on the findings of a detailed evaluation, including specific treatment of primary sleep and circadian disorders, and utilize integrative and personalised management of cancer-related symptoms through multiple pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities. Recognition, evaluation, and treatment of sleep and circadian rhythm disturbance in cancer may lead to improved symptom management, quality of life, and outcomes.

Prediction of Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Chronic Kidney Disease: The Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in CKD and associated with poor kidney and cardiovascular outcomes. Prediction models developed using novel methods may be useful to identify patients with CKD at highest risk of incident AF. We compared a previously published prediction model with models developed using machine learning methods in a CKD population.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

We studied 2766 participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study without prior AF with complete cardiac biomarker (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T) and clinical data. We evaluated the utility of machine learning methods as well as a previously validated clinical prediction model (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology [CHARGE]-AF, which included 11 predictors, using original and re-estimated coefficients) to predict incident AF. Discriminatory ability of each model was assessed using the ten-fold cross-validated C-index; calibration was evaluated graphically and with the Grønnesby and Borgan test.

RESULTS

Mean (SD) age of participants was 57 (11) years, 55% were men, 38% were Black, and mean (SD) eGFR was 45 (15) ml/min per 1.73 m2; 259 incident AF events occurred during a median of 8 years of follow-up. The CHARGE-AF prediction equation using original and re-estimated coefficients had C-indices of 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.71) and 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.70), respectively. A likelihood-based boosting model using clinical variables only had a C-index of 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.70); adding N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T, or both biomarkers improved the C-index by 0.04, 0.01, and 0.04, respectively. In addition to N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T, the final model included age, non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity, Hispanic race/ethnicity, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, height, and weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Using machine learning algorithms, a model that included 12 standard clinical variables and cardiac-specific biomarkers N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T had moderate discrimination for incident AF in a CKD population.

Next-Generation Implementation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy Using Digital Health

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is a paradigm-shifting immunotherapy modality in oncology; however, unique toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome limit its ability to be implemented more widely in the outpatient setting or at smaller-volume centers. Three operational challenges with CAR-T therapy include the following: (1) the logistics of toxicity monitoring, ie, with frequent vital sign checks and neurologic assessments; (2) the specialized knowledge required for toxicity management, particularly with regard to CRS and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome; and (3) the need for high-quality symptomatic and supportive care during this intensive period. In this review, we explore potential niches for digital innovations that can improve the implementation of CAR-T therapy in each of these domains. These tools include patient-facing technologies and provider-facing platforms: for example, wearable devices and mobile health apps to screen for fevers and encephalopathy, electronic patient-reported outcome assessments-based workflows to assist with symptom management, machine learning algorithms to predict emerging CRS in real time, clinical decision support systems to assist with toxicity management, and digital coaching to help maintain wellness. Televisits, which have grown in prominence since the novel coronavirus pandemic, will continue to play a key role in the monitoring and management of CAR-T-related toxicities as well. Limitations of these strategies include the need to ensure care equity and stakeholder buy-in, both operationally and financially. Nevertheless, once developed and validated, the next-generation implementation of CAR-T therapy using these digital tools may improve both its safety and accessibility.

The Development of a Digital Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement for Adults With Chronic Disease (The Parsley Symptom Index): Prospective Cohort Study

Background

The monitoring and management of chronic illness has always been a challenge. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can be powerful tools for monitoring symptoms and guiding treatment of chronic diseases, but the available PROM tools are either too broad or too disease specific for the needs of a primary care practice focused on longitudinal care.

Objective

In this study we describe the development and preliminary validation of the Parsley Symptom Index (PSI).

Methods

This prospective cohort study took place from January 5, 2018, to June 05, 2020, among a sample of 4621 adult patients at Parsley Health. After a review of literature, followed by binning and winnowing of potential items, a 45-item PROM that also served as a review of systems (ROS) was developed. The PSI was deployed and completed by patients via an online portal. Construct and face validity was performed by clinicians, tested on patients, and feasibility was measured by response rate, completion rate, and percentage of missing data.

Results

The response rate for 12,175 collected PSIs was 93.72% (4331/4621) with a 100% item completion rate. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the model structure was satisfactory by a Comparative Fit Index of 0.943, Tucker–Lewis index of 0.938, and root mean square error of approximation of 0.028.

Conclusions

A 45-item ROS-style PROM designed to capture chronic disease symptoms was developed, and preliminary validation suggests that the PSI can be deployed, completed, and helpful to both patients and clinicians.

Translational precision medicine: an industry perspective

In the era of precision medicine, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, drug discovery and development face unprecedented opportunities for product and business model innovation, fundamentally changing the traditional approach of how drugs are discovered, developed and marketed. Critical to this transformation is the adoption of new technologies in the drug development process, catalyzing the transition from serendipity-driven to data-driven medicine. This paradigm shift comes with a need for both translation and precision, leading to a modern Translational Precision Medicine approach to drug discovery and development. Key components of Translational Precision Medicine are multi-omics profiling, digital biomarkers, model-based data integration, artificial intelligence, biomarker-guided trial designs and patient-centric companion diagnostics. In this review, we summarize and critically discuss the potential and challenges of Translational Precision Medicine from a cross-industry perspective.

Help-seeking behaviour and attitudes towards internet-administered psychological support among adolescent and young adults previously treated for cancer during childhood: protocol for a survey and embedded qualitative interview study in Sweden

INTRODUCTION

A subgroup of adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors (AYACCS) are at increased risk of psychological distress. Despite this, AYACCS experience difficulties accessing psychological support. E-mental health (e-MH) may offer a solution to reduce this treatment gap. However, research examining e-MH for AYACCS has experienced difficulties with recruitment, retention and adherence. Such difficulties may relate to: (1) help-seeking behaviour and/or (2) e-MH acceptability. The overall study aims are to: (1) examine potential associations between health service use factors, informed by Andersen's behavioural model of health services use, and help-seeking behaviour; (2) examine attitudes towards e-MH interventions; and (3) explore perceived need for mental health support; past experience of receiving mental health support; preferences for support; and barriers and facilitators to help-seeking.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

An online and paper-based cross-sectional self-report survey (98 items) and embedded qualitative interview study across Sweden, with a target sample size of n=365. Participants are aged 16-39 years, diagnosed with cancer when 0-18 years and have completed successful cancer treatment. The survey examines sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, actual help-seeking behaviour, attitudes towards e-MH, stigma of mental illness, mental health literacy, social support and current symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Survey respondents with past and/or current experience of mental health difficulties are invited into the qualitative interview study to explore: (1) perceived need for mental health support; (2) past experience of receiving mental health support; (3) preferences for support; and (4) barriers and facilitators to help-seeking. Potential associations between health service use factors and help-seeking behaviour are examined using univariable and multivariable logistic regressions. Qualitative interviews are analysed using content analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr: 2020-06271). Results will be disseminated in scientific publications and academic conference presentations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN70570236.

Digital Health Integration Assessment and Maturity of the United States Biopharmaceutical Industry: Forces Driving the Next Generation of Connected Autoinjectable Devices

Autoinjectable devices continue to provide real-life benefits for patients with chronic conditions since their widespread adoption 30 years ago with the rise of macromolecules. Nonetheless, issues surrounding adherence, patient administration techniques, disease self-management, and data outcomes at scale persist despite product design innovation. The interface of drug device combination products and digital health technologies formulates a value proposition for next-generation autoinjectable devices to power the delivery of precision care at home and achieve the full potential of biologics. Success will largely be dependent on biopharma’s digital health maturity to implement this framework. This viewpoint measures the digital health maturity of the top 15 biopharmaceutical companies in the US biologics autoinjector market and establishes the framework for next-generation autoinjectable devices powering home-based precision care and the need for formal digital health training.

Projecting the prevalence of obesity in South Korea through 2040: a microsimulation modelling approach

OBJECTIVE

To project the prevalence of obesity in 2040 among individuals 19 years and older in South Korea.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Using the 'Population Health Model-body mass index' (BMI) microsimulation model, the prevalence of obesity in Korean adults 19 years and older was projected until 2040. The model integrated individual survey data from the Korea Health Panel Survey of 2011 and 2012, population statistics based on resident registration, population projections and complete life tables categorised by sex and age. Birth rate, life expectancy and international migration were based on a medium growth scenario. The base population of Korean adults in 2012, devised through data aggregation, was 39 842 730. The prediction equations were formulated using BMI as the dependent variable; the individual's sex, age, smoking status, physical activity and preceding year's BMI were used as predictive factors.

OUTCOME MEASURE

BMI categorised by sex.

RESULTS

The median BMI for Korean adults in 2040 was expected to be 23.55 kg/m² (23.97 and 23.17 kg/m² for men and women, respectively). According to the Korean BMI classification, 70.05% of all adults were expected to be 'preobese' (ie, have BMIs 23-24.9 kg/m²) by 2040 (81.23% of men and 59.07% of women) and 24.88% to be 'normal'.

CONCLUSIONS

We explored the possibility of applying and expanding on the concept of microsimulation in the field of healthcare by combining data sources available in Korea and found that more than half of the adults in this study population will be preobese, and the proportions of 'obesity' and 'normal' will decrease compared with those in 2012. The results of our study will aid in devising healthy strategies and spreading public awareness for preventing this condition.

Effectiveness of continuous monitoring by activity tracker of patients undergoing chemotherapy for urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

It is difficult to objectively evaluate chemotherapy-related adverse events early in elderly patients with urothelial carcinoma. A delayed response causes a reduction in quality of life (QoL). Wearable activity systems that objectively record life logs have recently been used.

OBJECTIVES

This study was undertaken to verify the reliability and effectiveness of a wearable activity system (Fitbit) to monitor subjective symptoms in an objective manner during chemotherapy for elderly patients with urothelial cancer (UC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cohort prospective study. Elderly patients with UC were enrolled who received short hydration gemcitabine and cisplatin (shGC) combination therapy at Nagoya City University Hospital from January 2018 to March 2020. A Fitbit was used to monitor heart rate, distance moved, and cardio zone time. Heart rate was also monitored by an oscillometric method. The relationship between Fitbit recordings and perceived adverse events, such as fatigue, constipation and nausea, observed during chemotherapy was investigated using a general linear mixed effects model.

RESULTS

Twenty-one of 28 inpatients were enrolled and observed for a total of 824 days. A significant, moderately strong correlation was found between two measurements of heart rate (Pearson's r = 0.65, p < 0.05). The measurement of fatigue using Fitbit was effective (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Fitbit monitoring can measure the QoL of a patient and was useful for monitoring elderly patients with UC undergoing shGC therapy in an outpatient setting. Fitbit may be useful for monitoring outpatients and their QoL during chemotherapy.