A pilot study: dose adaptation of capecitabine using mobile phone toxicity monitoring - supporting patients in their homes.

PURPOSE Real time symptom monitoring using a mobile phone is potentially advantageous for patients receiving oral chemotherapy We therefore conducted a pilot study of patient dose adaptation using mobile phone monitoring of specific symptoms to investigate relative dose intensity of capecitabine level of toxicity and perceived supportive care METHODS Patients with breast or colorectal cancer receiving capecitabine completed a symptom temperature and dose diary twice a day using a mobile phone application This information was encrypted and automatically transmitted in real time to a secure server with moderate levels of toxicity automatically prompting self care symptom management messages on the screen of the patient s mobile phone or in severe cases a call from a specialist nurse to advise on care according to an agreed protocol RESULTS Patients n 26 completed the mobile phone diary on 92 6 of occasions Twelve patients had a maximum toxicity grade of 3 46 2 The average dose intensity for all patients as a percentage of standard dose was 90 In eight patients the dose of capecitabine was reduced and in eight patients the dose of capecitabine was increased Patients and healthcare professionals involved felt reassured by the novel monitoring system in particular during out of hours CONCLUSION It is possible to optimise the individual dose of oral chemotherapy safely including dose increase and to manage chemotherapy side effects effectively using real time mobile phone monitoring of toxicity parameters entered by the patient

Keywords

Adult, At risk for a particular disease or infection, Client, Delayed reporting of events, Quality/unreliability of data, Quality of care, Supportive supervision, Alignment with local norms, Planning and coordination, Pilot, Feasibility, Functionality, Usability, Effectiveness, Non-randomized, Cancer, Short-term, Disease management, Internet, Installed application, Digital form