Insight

Miguel Bronchud: Can Digital Health Improve Therapeutic Compliance in Oncology?

Miguel Bronchud/bellmuntoncologia.com

Oct 31, 2024, 15:14

Miguel Bronchud: Can Digital Health Improve Therapeutic Compliance in Oncology?

Miguel Bronchud, Co-Founder of Regenerative Medicine Solutions, shared on LinkedIn:

“Can Digital Health Improve Therapeutic Compliance in Oncology?

Six years on from 2018 tools are more mature and rapidly evolving with generative AI as well as neural models but honestly we still need more evidence, protocols and institutional experience?

Therapeutic compliance, or adherence, is critical in oncology because of the complexity and duration of cancer treatment regimens.

Nonadherence can lead to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes, increased disease progression, higher mortality rates, and elevated health care costs.

Traditional methods to enhance compliance, such as patient education and regular follow-ups, have shown limited success.

A recent ASCO Oct 2024 review examines the potential of digital health technologies to improve adherence in oncology.

Various studies and trials are analyzed to assess the effectiveness of these technologies in supporting patients with cancer.

Results

mHealth applications have been shown to improve medication adherence through features like medication reminders and symptom tracking.

Telemedicine facilitates continuous care and reduces the need for travel, significantly improving adherence and patient satisfaction.

Patient-reported outcome measures enhance clinical decision making and personalized treatment plans by incorporating patient feedback.

Electronic medical records and patient portals improve compliance by providing easy access to medical information and fostering better patient-provider communication.

Connected pillboxes aid in consistent medication intake and reduce dispensing errors.

Conclusion

Digital health technologies offer significant benefits in oncology by enhancing patient engagement, improving adherence to treatment protocols, and enabling comprehensive cancer care management.

However, challenges such as the digital divide, data privacy concerns, and the need for tailored interventions must be addressed.

Future research should focus on evaluating the safety and effectiveness of digital interventions and developing personalized digital health tools to maximize therapeutic compliance.

Comparative prospective randomized trials should also be useful to better determine indications and limitations.

For more posts like this, visit oncodaily.com