EHealth support for mental health of oncology patients – is there patient interest? Summary of the first year with the MOÚ MindCare mobile application

Czech version

Authors: Z. Barešová ¹; M. Lekárová ¹; M. Světlák ¹; D. Vigašová ¹; J. Halámková ²; J. Šedo ²
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav lékařské psychologie a psychosomatiky, LF MU Brno ¹; Klinika komplexní onkologické péče LF MU a MOÚ Brno ²
Published in: Klin Onkol 2023; 36(Supplementum 1): 119-122
Category: Article
doi: https://doi.org/10.48095/ccko2023S119

Overview

Background: The MOÚ MindCare mobile application has completed its first year of operation at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (MMCI) as part of a randomized controlled trial evaluating its effectiveness. The aim of this contribution is to summarize the first results stemming from the patient recruitment process and to highlight the challenges of implementing an eHealth program to support mental health in routine practice.

Methods: Patient recruitment for the MOÚ MindCare study has been conducted at the MMCI since June 2022. The recruitment strategies involve several levels. For media promotion, the following communication channels were chosen: advertising banners in waiting rooms, podcasts, radio broadcasts, websites, social media, and approx. 5,000 leaflets. The second level of communication involves active engagement with patients by study coordinators directly at the MMCI. As of June 30, 2023, a total of 408 patients have been registered in the study. Data collection includes recording basic patient information (demographics, clinical stage of illness, treatment intentions, etc.), as well as reasons for study refusal and premature termination in various study phases.

Results: The results show that patients diagnosed with breast cancer show higher adherence to study participation. The most common reasons for study refusal include disinterest in psychological intervention, lack of time, absence of a smartphone, or insufficient technical ability. From conversations with approached patients, it is evident that mental health, particularly self-care, remains an insufficiently comprehensible topic, even though we know that a considerable number of individuals undergoing cancer treatment experience distress at some stage of the illness. Conclusion: Based on our first experiences, recruitment methods, study context, respondents’ gender, and their diagnosis have a significant impact on program adherence and study drop-out rates.

Keywords:

psycho-oncology – eHealth – mobile applications – treatment adherence

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