Enhancing wellbeing in cancer care: Engagement in smart-messaging programmes for symptom management

作者：C. Boutry, Chloe Mays, Anika Kochar, Nima Moghaddam, Priya Patel, Emily Watson, Matthew Dicks, Felicity Gibbons, Sam Malins, James Rathbone · 发表于：Digital Health · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1177/20552076251330383 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Cancer survivorship and care、Digital Mental Health Interventions、Mobile Health and mHealth Applications

Background: Despite improved survival rates, cancer patients often face physical and mental health challenges during and post-treatment. With cancer care services under pressure, these issues may go unnoticed. Holistic Needs Assessments attempt to address such problems but can have limited impact, necessitating corresponding interventions. Automated, personalised text-messaging interventions, successful in health monitoring, may be an effective solution but evidence is lacking on their integration into cancer care settings. Objective: To explore the feasibility and engagement in personalised smart-messaging programmes to manage common cancer-related issues. Methods: Recruitment occurred via clinician referrals and flyers in cancer care services. Qualitative and quantitative methods explored engagement data, clinical outcome measures, and qualitative interviews. A workshop involving patients and referring staff explored factors affecting programme implementation. Results: Twenty-seven patients enrolled, exhibiting varied engagement levels. Some participants reported symptom reduction particularly linked to higher engagement. The analysis of qualitative interviews on participant experience of the programmes resulted in themes related to enrolment rationale, sustaining engagement, and participation outcomes; and factors facilitating engagement included the practical and psychological dimensions of programme delivery. Twenty-seven participants responded to 49.95% of messages wher...