Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40859061›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Development of an electronic system for self/proxy symptom tracking alongside children with cancer and their caregivers: a co-design exemplar.

Stacey Crane, Aaron Ganci, Sheri L Robb, Karen DiValerio Gibbs, Rebecca Nosich, Andrew D Miller

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Stacey CraneCizik School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. stacey.crane@uth.tmc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3092-7256
Aaron GanciHerron School of Art and Design, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7121-559X
Sheri L RobbSchool of Nursing, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8499-0934
Karen DiValerio GibbsCizik School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4283-4241
Rebecca NosichTexas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Andrew D MillerLuddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6152-6968

Funding

Interdisciplinary Training in Cancer Prevention and ControlT32CA117865 · NCI · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI Victoria Lee Champion, Catherine E Mosher · 2016 to 2026
$2.4M
Facilitating Comprehensive Self and Proxy Symptom Assessments for Children with CancerK23NR019294 · NINR · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI CRANE, STACEY · 2021 to 2023
$445k
NCI NIH HHS T32 CA117865NINR NIH HHS K23 NR019294St. Baldrick's Foundation 712343
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSymptom tracking systems are essential for identifying symptoms in patients, prompting timely clinical intervention to reduce suffering and improve outcomes for children with cancer. Electronic patient-reported outcome tools have been designed to assess the presence and severity of symptoms and notify clinicians of the patient's condition, facilitating quick and effective symptom management. Utilizing co-design methods allows end user input in the tool development process. This manuscript describes how we used a co-design process to develop an electronic system for tracking the symptoms of children with cancer and their caregivers.

methodsCollaborative co-design sessions were conducted using a Future Workshop format. Participants were six children with cancer and seven caregivers. Co-design activities were used to gather insights into current symptom reporting practices and to envision an ideal system. Data from these sessions were analyzed using Braun and Clark's method for descriptive thematic analysis.

resultsKey themes identified during data analysis included the importance of relationships and interactions with the health care team, miscommunication in symptom reporting, and the need for centralized information storage and timely clinician response. Children in particular indicated challenges with finding the words to share how they are feeling, while caregivers expressed constant worry and the burden of advocating on their child's behalf.

conclusionsCo-design is a powerful method for envisioning solutions to clinical problems. By involving end users in key stages of the creative process, it is possible to develop solutions that better address underlying challenges and are more enticing for users to adopt. In this study, we successfully used co-design to identify key features for an electronic system intended to improve symptom tracking, facilitate communication with clinicians, and allow for better symptom management. Barriers to consistent electronic system use were also identified, emphasizing the need for simplicity in system design, an engaging interface, and a clear benefit for users.

Indexed as

CaregiversNeoplasmsPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolCommunicationFemaleHumansMaleSymptom AssessmentCo-designOncologyPediatricSymptom assessmentSystem design

Identifiers

PMID40859061
PMCPMC12571928

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.