Purpose: There is an increasing interest in studying the potential of mobile health (mHealth) technologies, such as smartphone apps and wearables, as monitoring tools for patients with cancer during or after their treatment. However, little research is dedicated to exploring the opinions and concerns of patients regarding the adoption of these technologies. This study aimed to gain insight into patients' perspectives and preferences for participating in mHealth-based monitoring in cancer care.
Methods: A qualitative study comprising semistructured interviews was conducted in the Netherlands between April and June 2023. Participants were eligible if they were 18 years or older with a current or past diagnosis of cancer. The interview guide was developed on the basis of the technology acceptance model, with main themes being use, communication, trust, privacy, and expectations.
Results: Thirteen participants with urologic primary cancer were interviewed. Most patients had already some familiarity with the use of digital monitoring devices or wearables. Main barriers included persistent reminders of the illness, receiving notifications deemed unnecessary or unwanted, and the acknowledgment that mHealth technology does not serve as a substitute for human doctors. Conversely, patients recognized the potential for time-savings through the utilization of mHealth, viewed active monitoring as nonburdensome, considered mHealth a tool for reducing the communication threshold with their doctor, and expressed willingness to adopt such a platform if they perceived personal or societal relevance.
Conclusion: This study has elucidated which factors are important for successful development of mHealth for patients with cancer. While both barriers and facilitators play a role, patients' attitudes were positive toward the implementation of remote digital monitoring, showing promising prospects for future research of mHealth in oncology.
