Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41217811›Full record

ArticleJMIR human factors2025

Collaborative Design and Development of a Patient-Centered Digital Health App for Supportive Cancer Care: Participatory Study.

Sonia Difrancesco, Matthia Martina Bauert, Claude Lehmann, Steven Häsler, Yi Zhang, Sven Hirsch, Philipp Ackermann, Kurt Stockinger, Monika Reif, Sunjoy Mathieu and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR human factors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

14 authors.

Sonia DifrancescoDepartment of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-7254-3686
Matthia Martina BauertDepartment of Health Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0003-4085-9231
Claude LehmannInstitute of Computer Science, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-4693-0444
Steven HäslerInstitute of Computer Science, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-4430-0510
Yi ZhangInstitute of Computer Science, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0000-9031-1897
Sven HirschInstitute of Computational Life Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-5678-4110
Philipp AckermannInstitute of Computer Science, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-4607-7620
Kurt StockingerInstitute of Computer Science, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-4034-4812
Monika ReifInstitute of Applied Mathematics and Physics, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0005-7924-4298
Sunjoy MathieuInstitute of Computational Life Sciences, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0005-3142-5794
Anna GötzDepartment of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-1856-1191
Andreas WickiDepartment of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-2924-8080
Michael KrauthammerDepartment of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-4808-1845
Claudia M WittInstitute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-5440-7805

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDigital health tools such as smartphone apps have the potential to improve supportive cancer care. Although numerous smartphone apps for supportive care are available, few are designed using a user-centered approach. Such an approach is crucial for successful implementation, as it may improve user engagement, usability, and adoption in clinical settings.

objectiveThis study aimed to co-design and develop a digital health app for supportive cancer care in collaboration with patients with cancer and health care professionals and to explore factors influencing its future acceptance.

methodsWe conducted a participatory study with the major stakeholders at the University Hospital Zurich. Workshops, individual qualitative interviews, and focus groups were held with health care professionals, survivors of cancer, and patients with cancer. The co-design process was divided into 3 phases: predesign, generative phase, and prototyping. User-centered design methods included scoring cards and think-aloud protocols to co-create design ideas, identify important functionalities, and test usability. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

resultsPatients and health care professionals emphasized the need for a digital health app to improve patient-healthcare professional communication, digitalize supportive care screening and processes, and enhance self-efficacy. The resulting app, OncoSupport+, was co-designed and integrated into the clinical workflow for supportive cancer care. It consists of (1) a patient dashboard to record patient-reported outcome measures and to provide access to personalized supportive care information and contact details, and (2) a nurse dashboard to visualize patient data, which can be used during nursing consultations. Potential facilitators for adoption included ease of use, workflow integration, introduction by health care professionals, and technical support, whereas internet anxiety may be a potential barrier.

conclusionsCollaborative development with patients and health care professionals is crucial for creating digital health tools that can be implemented successfully. Future research should evaluate the feasibility of long-term implementation and the real-world usability and effectiveness of OncoSupport+ for improving communication, self-efficacy, and quality of life.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsNeoplasmsPatient-Centered CareUser-Centered DesignAdultCooperative BehaviorDigital HealthFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative Researchcancerdigital healthmHealthpatient-reported outcome measuressupportive care

Identifiers

PMID41217811
PMCPMC12648126

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.