Physicians' Perceptions of Clinical Utility of a Digital Health Tool for Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Monitoring in Real-Life Hematology Practice. Evidence From the GIMEMA-ALLIANCE Platform

Fabio Efficace; Andrea Patriarca; Mario Luppi; Leonardo Potenza; Giovanni Caocci; Agostino Tafuri; Francesca Fazio; Claudio Cartoni; Maria Teresa Petrucci; Ida Carmosino; Riccardo Moia; Gloria Margiotta Casaluci; Paola Boggione; Elisabetta Colaci; Davide Giusti; Valeria Pioli; Francesco Sparano; Francesco Cottone; Paolo De Fabritiis; Nicolina Rita Ardu; Pasquale Niscola; Isabella Capodanno; Anna Paola Leporace; Sabrina Pelliccia; Elisabetta Lugli; Edoardo La Sala; Luigi Rigacci; Michelina Santopietro; Claudio Fozza; Sergio Siragusa; Massimo Breccia; Paola Fazi; Marco Vignetti

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.826040

Physicians' Perceptions of Clinical Utility of a Digital Health Tool for Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Monitoring in Real-Life Hematology Practice. Evidence From the GIMEMA-ALLIANCE Platform

Front Oncol. 2022 Mar 17:12:826040. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.826040. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Fabio Efficace¹, Andrea Patriarca², Mario Luppi³, Leonardo Potenza³, Giovanni Caocci⁴, Agostino Tafuri⁵, Francesca Fazio⁶, Claudio Cartoni⁶, Maria Teresa Petrucci⁶, Ida Carmosino⁶, Riccardo Moia², Gloria Margiotta Casaluci², Paola Boggione², Elisabetta Colaci³, Davide Giusti³, Valeria Pioli³, Francesco Sparano¹, Francesco Cottone¹, Paolo De Fabritiis⁷, Nicolina Rita Ardu⁷, Pasquale Niscola⁷, Isabella Capodanno⁸, Anna Paola Leporace⁵, Sabrina Pelliccia⁵, Elisabetta Lugli⁸, Edoardo La Sala¹, Luigi Rigacci⁹, Michelina Santopietro⁹, Claudio Fozza¹⁰, Sergio Siragusa¹¹, Massimo Breccia⁶, Paola Fazi¹, Marco Vignetti¹

Affiliations

¹ Data Center and Health Outcomes Research Unit, Italian Group for Adult Hematologic Diseases (GIMEMA), Rome, Italy.
² Division of Hematology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy.
³ Hematology Unit and Chair, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Modena, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
⁴ Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Businco Hospital, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
⁵ Azienda Ospedaliera Sant'Andrea, Rome, Italy.
⁶ Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁷ Hematology Unit, Sant'Eugenio Hospital, Rome, Italy.
⁸ Hematology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
⁹ U.O. di Ematologia e Trapianti di cellule Staminali. A.O.S. S. Camillo-Forlanini, Rome, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
¹¹ Policlinico Paolo Giaccone, Unit of Haematology, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (ProMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

Abstract

Digital health tools are increasingly being used in cancer care and may include electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) monitoring systems. We examined physicians' perceptions of usability and clinical utility of a digital health tool (GIMEMA-ALLIANCE platform) for ePRO monitoring in the real-life practice of patients with hematologic malignancies. This tool allows for the collection and assessment of ePROs with real-time graphical presentation of results to medical staff. Based on a predefined algorithm, automated alerts are sent to medical staff. Participating hematologists completed an online survey on their experience with the platform. Of the 201 patients invited to participate between December 2020 and June 2021 (cut-off date for current analysis), 180 (90%) agreed to enter the platform and had a median age of 57 years. Twenty-three hematologists with a median age of 42 years and an average of 17 years of experience in clinical practice were surveyed. All hematologists agreed or strongly agreed that the platform was easy to use, and 87%, agreed or strongly agreed that ePROs data were useful to enhance communication with their patients. The majority of physicians (78%) accessed the platform at least once per month to consult the symptom and health status profile of their patients. The frequency of access was independent of physician sex (p=0.393) and years of experience in clinical practice (p=0.404). In conclusion, our preliminary results support the clinical utility, from the perspective of the treating hematologist, of integrating ePROs into the routine cancer care of patients with hematologic malignancies.

Keywords: digital health; hematology; leukemia; lymphoma; multiple myeloma; patient-reported outcomes (PROs); quality of life; symptoms.

Copyright © 2022 Efficace, Patriarca, Luppi, Potenza, Caocci, Tafuri, Fazio, Cartoni, Petrucci, Carmosino, Moia, Margiotta Casaluci, Boggione, Colaci, Giusti, Pioli, Sparano, Cottone, De Fabritiis, Ardu, Niscola, Capodanno, Leporace, Pelliccia, Lugli, La Sala, Rigacci, Santopietro, Fozza, Siragusa, Breccia, Fazi and Vignetti.