Probing the benefits of real-time tracking during cancer care.
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Date
2013-01-10
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Abstract
People with cancer experience many unanticipated symptoms and struggle to communicate them to clinicians Although researchers have developed patient reported outcome PRO tools to address this problem such tools capture retrospective data intended for clinicians to review In contrast real time tracking tools with visible results for patients could improve health outcomes and communication with clinicians while also enhancing patients symptom management To understand potential benefits of such tools we studied the tracking behaviors of 25 women with breast cancer We provided 10 of these participants with a real time tracking tool that served as a technology probe to uncover behaviors and benefits from voluntary use Our findings showed that while patients tracking behaviors without a tool were fragmented and sporadic these behaviors with a tool were more consistent Participants also used tracked data to see patterns among symptoms feel psychosocial comfort and improve symptom communication with clinicians We conclude with design implications for future real time tracking tools