Web-based system helps doctors track outpatients' chemotherapy toxicity

Web-based system helps doctors track outpatients’ chemotherapy toxicity

According to the December 1st issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, doctors from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York are finding success with online self-reporting of chemotherapy toxicity symptoms by outpatients suffering from lung cancer.

A study was conducted with 107 outpatients using the Web-based system to determine if the system would be useful in improving communications between doctors and patients. Ten-minute tutorials on how to use the system were given to the patients, who could then access the system online from home or at computers set up in clinic waiting areas. The patients could report symptoms such as dyspnea, anorexia, vomiting, and cough through the Web-based system. They were reminded to update their information in the system during clinic visits.

The doctors believe that this program could improve the efficiency of conducting trials. There would be no need for clinicians and data managers to be involved, interpreting and reporting this information to doctors because the system could handle this process. Doctors could access this information immediately after patients update it. They hope to use it to detect symptoms early in the process and treat them before they become more severe and lead to greater risks.

The study, which had an average length of participation of 42 weeks, resulted in 179 alerts being raised because of severe or disabling toxicity symptoms reported by 57 outpatients.

Of the patients that responded to the post-study survey, 90% thought the system was useful and 98% said it was easy to use; however, only slightly more than half, 51%, believed that communications had been improved.

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