Developing & integrating a mobile application tool into a survivorship clinic for esophageal cancer patients.
Mohamad K Abou Chaar, Kathleen J Yost, Minji K Lee, Linda L Chlan, Karthik Ghosh, Luke A Hudspeth, Aminah Jatoi, Kathryn J Ruddy, Lee Ann Santore, Shanda H Blackmon
Author Information
Mohamad K Abou Chaar: Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Kathleen J Yost: Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Minji K Lee: Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Linda L Chlan: Department of Nursing, Division of Nursing Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Karthik Ghosh: Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine & Integrative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Luke A Hudspeth: Digital Health Research Student, Georgetown Post-Baccalaureate Program Summer Internship, Washington, DC, USA.
Aminah Jatoi: Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Kathryn J Ruddy: Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Lee Ann Santore: Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Shanda H Blackmon: Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Esophageal cancer (EC) patients are living longer due to enhanced screening and novel therapeutics, however, the post-esophagectomy long-term management remains challenging for patients, caregivers, and providers. Patients experience significant morbidity and have difficulty managing symptoms. Providers struggle to manage symptoms, affecting patients' quality of life and complicating care coordination between surgical teams and primary care providers. To address these patient unique needs and create a standardized method for evaluating patient reported long-term outcomes after esophagectomy for EC, our team developed the Upper Digestive Disease Assessment tool, which evolved to become a mobile application. This mobile application is designed to monitor symptom burden, direct assessment, and quantify data for patient outcome analysis after foregut (upper digestive) surgery, including esophagectomy. It is available to the public and enables virtual and remote access to survivorship care. Patients using the Upper Digestive Disease Application (UDD App) must consent to enroll, agree to terms of use, and acknowledge use of health-related information prior to gaining access to the UDD App. The results of patients scores can be utilized for triage and assessment. Care pathways can guide management of severe symptoms in a scalable and standardized method. Here we describe the history, process, and methodology for developing a patient-centric remote monitoring program to improve survivorship after EC. Programs like this that facilitate patient-centered survivorship should be an integral part of comprehensive cancer patient care.
