Effectiveness of mobile based monitoring system in the management of chemotherapy-related symptoms

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the ONKOSIS mobile application developed as part of the study on the management of chemotherapy-related symptoms and quality of life. This single-blind, randomised, controlled experimental design study was conducted with the participation of 199 patients at Kocaeli University Semahat Aracı Oncology and Palliative Care Center, Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit. In the study, which used simple randomisation, the intervention group consisted of 98 patients and the control group consisted of 101 patients. During chemotherapy, the intervention group used the ONKOSIS mobile application in addition to standard care for symptom management, while the control group used a demo mobile application. Data were collected using the diagnostic form, the Nightingale Symptom Assessment Scale, chemotherapy symptom management and a patient satisfaction survey. The frequency of follow-up was planned according to the type of treatment protocol applied to the patients. Patients who received four cycles of treatment were followed up after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th cycles, while patients who received six cycles of treatment were followed up after the 2nd, 4th and 6th cycles, for a total of three follow-up visits. The study group consisted of patients with a mean age of 47.18±13.83 years, of whom 41.7% had completed primary school, 74.4% were female, 81.1% were married, 38.2% were housewives and 74.4% lived in Kocaeli. 26.6% of the patients were being treated for gastrointestinal cancer, 21.6% for breast cancer and 17.1% for lung cancer, with treatment cycles of 2, 3 or 4 weeks. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients in the intervention and control groups were similar. During treatment, the use of the ONKOSIS mobile application was found to improve patients' quality of life, improve symptom management, and positively affect patient satisfaction, but did not reduce the number of healthcare visits outside of follow-up. In conclusion, the ONKOSIS mobile application was found to be an effective tool in supporting symptom management and improving quality of life for cancer patients during the treatment process. It was found that widespread use of the mobile application in cancer care could contribute to improved patient outcomes and quality of care. This study was funded by Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Rectorate. Project number: TDK-2022-36349 Keywords: Cancer, Chemotherapy, Mobile Application, Symptom Management, Quality of Life