title: The performance of mHealth in cancer supportive care: a research agenda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since the advent of smartphones, mHealth has risen to the attention of the health care system as something that could radically change the way health care has been viewed, managed, and delivered to date. This is particularly relevant for cancer, as one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and for cancer supportive care, since patients and caregivers have key roles in managing side effects. Given adequate knowledge, they are able to expect appropriate assessments and interventions. In this scenario, mHealth has great potential for linking patients, caregivers, and health care professionals; for enabling early detection and intervention; for lowering costs; and achieving better quality of life. Given its great potential, it is important to evaluate the performance of mHealth. This can be considered from several perspectives, of which organizational performance is particularly relevant, since mHealth may increase the productivity of health care providers and as a result even the productivity of health care systems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper aims to review studies on the evaluation of the performance of mHealth, with particular focus on cancer care and cancer supportive care processes, concentrating on its contribution to organizational performance, as well as identifying some indications for a further research agenda.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a review of literature, aimed at identifying studies related to the performance of mHealth in general or focusing on cancer care and cancer supportive care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our analysis revealed that studies are almost always based on a single dimension of performance. Any evaluations of the performance of mHealth are based on very different methods and measures, with a prevailing focus on issues linked to efficiency. This fails to consider the real contribution that mHealth can offer for improving the performance of health care providers, health care systems, and the quality of life in general.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research should start by stating and explaining what is meant by the evaluation of mHealth's performance and then conduct more in-depth analysis in order to create shared frameworks to specifically identify the different dimensions of mHealth's performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Policy Analysis and Public Management, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy. greta.nasi@unibocconi.it.
authors.forename: Greta
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6587-4943
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nasi
authors.forename: Maria
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8942-0412
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cucciniello
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8020-1202
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guerrazzi
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D017216:Telemedicine
keywords: clinical effectiveness; effectiveness; efficiency; mHealth; organizational performance; performance; quality of life