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09.21.07
Tablet PCs Used By Cancer Patients To Help Doctors Evaluate Symptoms
 By
Chris Crum
The Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer published the results of a study conducted by Thomas Healthcare that found that cancer patients who used handheld computers to record symptoms such as pain, fatigue and depression before doctor visits led to doctors addressing these issues more significantly.
"Many times, chemotherapy-related symptoms and side effects can be prevented or controlled, but they often go untreated because patients don't bring them up and it's challenging for a busy oncology practice to incorporate symptom screening into its daily workflow," commented Tami Mark, Ph.D., who is the associate research director at Thomson Healthcare.
"This study found that the right technology can effectively address the problem without burdening physicians or their staffs," he added.
Mark was also the lead investigator of the study, which was an evaluation of the PACE System (Patient Assessment, Care and Education). In the PACE system, patients are given tablet PCs that include specialized programs and touch-screen technology to record such symptoms as mentioned above.
I can speak from personal experience from having a loved one with cancer that memory loss is a quite possible additional symptom that can be experienced by a patient whether it be from the cancer itself or a side effect of medication ingested. Having a device such as a tablet PC is a good way to keep track of symptoms. As Mark suggested, sometimes patients don't bring certain things up at doctor visits, and memory can certainly play a part in that.
Over half of the patients in the study said the assessment helped them remember symptoms.
According to a press release, during the study, when patients arrived at the doctor's office, they used the tablets to complete "self-assessment" and info from the tablet was uploaded to a wireless network producing a detailed, real-time report of symptoms to be of help to doctors. The release states:
A review of patients' charts concluded that only nine percent were assessed for depression before the symptom-screening system was implemented, compared with 73 percent afterward. The assessment rate for fatigue increased from 63 percent to 92 percent, and the assessment of pain increased from 76 percent to 97 percent...
A majority of physicians in the study reported that the system helped them identify patient problems, focus their patient interviews, track changes in patient symptoms, and document symptoms. Though the system increased the amount of time physicians spent discussing patients' symptoms, they were able to focus on significant side effects and decrease the time spent on unimportant symptoms.
David K. Ahern, Ph.D., the national program director of the Health e-Technologies Initiative, said "This study illustrates the value of health information technology, when properly designed with ongoing input from patients and providers, in improving patient outcomes and overall quality of care."
About the Author:
Chris is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.
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