title: Probing the benefits of real-time tracking during cancer care.
abstract: People with cancer experience many unanticipated symptoms and struggle to communicate them to clinicians. Although researchers have developed patient-reported outcome (PRO) tools to address this problem, such tools capture retrospective data intended for clinicians to review. In contrast, real-time tracking tools with visible results for patients could improve health outcomes and communication with clinicians, while also enhancing patients' symptom management. To understand potential benefits of such tools, we studied the tracking behaviors of 25 women with breast cancer. We provided 10 of these participants with a real-time tracking tool that served as a "technology probe" to uncover behaviors and benefits from voluntary use. Our findings showed that while patients' tracking behaviors without a tool were fragmented and sporadic, these behaviors with a tool were more consistent. Participants also used tracked data to see patterns among symptoms, feel psychosocial comfort, and improve symptom communication with clinicians. We conclude with design implications for future real-time tracking tools.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Rupa A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Predrag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Klasnja
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartzler
authors.forename: Kenton T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Unruh
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pratt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D040421:Cell Phone; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care; D057566:Self Report; D013812:Therapeutics / Q000009:adverse effects