title: Leveraging iPads to introduce meditation and reduce distress among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a promising approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Distress is common among cancer patients. Regular meditation practice has the potential to mitigate this distress and improve quality of life for this population. Introducing meditation to cancer patients can be particularly challenging given the demands on patients' time from treatment and normal life events. This internal process improvement study examined the potential benefit of utilizing iPads during chemotherapy sessions to introduce meditation and reduce distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients undergoing chemotherapy infusion were offered iPads with various meditation videos and audio files during the session. Levels of distress were measured using the distress thermometer at the beginning of chemotherapy and at the conclusion of chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three patients accepted the meditation iPads during the chemotherapy session. Among those who accepted the iPads, average distress dropped 46% by the end of the session (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of iPads during chemotherapy is a potentially effective way to introduce meditation as a stress management tool for people with cancer.
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., San Diego, CA, 92134, USA. jeffrey.h.millegan.mil@mail.mil.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Millegan
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., San Diego, CA, 92134, USA.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manschot
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., San Diego, CA, 92134, USA.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dispenzieri
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., San Diego, CA, 92134, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., San Diego, CA, 92134, USA.
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., San Diego, CA, 92134, USA.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raulston
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., San Diego, CA, 92134, USA.
authors.forename: Yojana
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Khatiwoda
authors.forename: Marlo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D063731:Mobile Applications; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Chemotherapy; Distress; Meditation; Mindfulness; iPads