Feasibility of a mobile and web-based intervention to support self-management in outpatients with cancer pain. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hochstenbach, Laura M.J.; Zwakhalen, Sandra M.G.; Courtens, Annemie M.; van Kleef, Maarten; de Witte, Luc P.
• Is Part Of: European journal of oncology nursing. Volume 23(2016)
• Page Start: 97
• Page End: 105
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: Neoplasms -- Pain -- Outpatients -- Self-management -- Nursing -- eHealth -- Feasibility; Cancer -- Nursing -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Research -- Periodicals; Oncology -- Periodicals; Oncology Nursing -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- nursing -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Soins infirmiers -- Périodiques; Cancer -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Cancérologie -- Périodiques; Verpleegkunde; Kanker; Cancer -- Nursing; Cancer -- Research; Oncology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9940231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2016.03.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-3889

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose: Cancer pain is a prevalent and distressing symptom. To enhance self-management in outpatients, a multi-component intervention was developed, integrating patient self-management and professional care through healthcare technology. This article describes feasibility of the intervention in everyday practice. Method: Patients with moderate to severe cancer pain (n = 11) and registered nurses specialized in pain and palliative care (n = 3) participated in a four-week study. The intervention involved daily monitoring, graphical feedback, education, and advice by means of a mobile application for patients and a web application for nurses. Learnability, usability and desirability were measured in patients with a 20-item questionnaire (1–5 scale), higher scores indicating better feasibility. Patients' adherence was based on completion rates from server logs. Single semi-structured interviews with patients and a focus group interview with nurses provided insight into experiences. Results: Questionnaire findings confirmed learnability (4.8), usability (4.8) and desirability (4.6) of the application for patients. Average completion rates were 76.8% for pain monitoring, 50.4% for medication monitoring and 100% for education sessions. Interviews revealed that patients were pleased with the simplicity of the mobile application and appreciated different components. Nurses agreed upon the added value and were mostly positive about the possibilities of the web application. Patients and nurses provided ideas for improvements relating to the content and technical performance of the intervention. Conclusions: Study results demonstrate feasibility of the intervention in everyday practice. Provided that content-related and technical adjustments are made, the intervention enables patients with cancer pain to practice self-management and nurses to remotely support these patients. Highlights: We evaluated the feasibility of a cancer pain self-management support intervention. The mobile and web-based intervention involves monitoring, feedback, education, and advice. Results confirmed feasibility of the application for outpatients in everyday practice. Remotely monitoring outpatients involves new tasks and responsibilities for nurses. Small-scale feasibility evaluation is important before large-scale effect evaluation.