The Effect of the Mobile Application-Based Symptom Monitoring Process on the Symptom Control and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients.

Abstract

Patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy experience many symptoms. This study set out to determine the effect of the mobile application-based symptom monitoring process on symptom control and quality of life in breast cancer patients. The research sample consisted of 57 patients who applied to an outpatient chemotherapy unit of a university hospital. The patients in the intervention group reported symptoms starting from the first day when they received chemotherapy with Msemptom and until the 15th day after chemotherapy. After evaluation of the daily symptom reports of the patients, the patients were instructed via text message to report symptoms as moderate, severe, or very severe symptoms. After the application, the median of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS)-physical subscale score of the patients in the control group was found to be statistically significantly higher than in the intervention group (P = .028). It was also found that after application, the medians of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life (EORTC-QLQC30), symptom scale and nausea-vomiting score (P = .012), QLQ-BR23 Module sexual function (P = .024), and sexual pleasure subscale score (P = .026) were statistically significantly higher than patients in the intervention group. The process of symptom monitoring with mobile applications is especially effective in controlling physical symptoms. It is recommended to expand mobile application-based symptom monitoring process in breast cancer patients and to support the patients in using this application-based process.