Evaluation of mobile health applications to track patient-reported outcomes for oncology patients: A systematic review

Abstract Introduction In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rapid growth in the use of telehealth/telemedicine that will likely be sustained in the post-pandemic setting. Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) can be utilized as part of the telehealth encounter to monitor patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and enhance patient-provider communication. Methods A systematic review was performed of mHealth apps that include symptom trackers. We searched the iOS App Store and Andriod Google Play using the words “cancer,” “oncology,” and “symptom tracker.” Apps were included if they incorporated a symptom tracking function that could allow cancer patients to record symptoms and PROs. Apps were evaluated using the Mobile Apps Rating Scale (MARS), which includes engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information, and app subjective quality. Results The initial search yielded 1189 apps, with 101 apps eligible after title and description screening. A total of 41 apps met eligibility criteria and were included in this study. The majority of apps (73%, n=30) were general health/pain symptom trackers, while 27% (n=11) were cancer-specific. The app quality mean scores assessed using MARS ranged from 2.43 to 4.23 (out of 5.00). Only one app has been trialed for usability among cancer patients. Conclusion While various symptom tracking apps are available, cancer-specific apps remain limited. Future collaboration between oncologists, app developers, and patients to optimize PROs assessment and integration with telehealth/telemedicine encounters to increase symptom recognition and enhance patient-provider communication is urgently needed.