Cancer treatment is an extremely stressful life experience that is accompanied by a range of psychological, social, physical, and practical difficulties. Cancer patients need to receive information that helps them to better understand the disease, assists them in decision-making, and helps them deal with treatment. Patients are interested in receiving such information. The degree of satisfaction with the information received has been associated with positive health outcomes, specifically regarding quality of life, severity of side effects, and psychological well-being. This study investigates a method of guiding cancer patients, in relation to outpatient chemotherapy treatment, using SMS (short message service) text messaging. A smartphone application called cHEmotHErApp was developed, and its primary function is to send out SMS text messages with guidance for self-care and emotional support for oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy. Thus, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the acceptance and perception of patients of the receipt of these SMS messages, as well as to evaluate the possible benefits reported by the participants. Adult patients diagnosed with cancer, who started the first outpatient chemotherapy treatment scheme between August and November 2016 at the School Hospital (HE) of the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), were invited to participate in this pilot study. In total, 14 cancer patients were adherent to this study. Each of these patients received a daily text message on their cell phone with some guidance on encouraging self-care and emotional support. Patients reported that, because of the SMS text messages they received, they felt more confident in their treatment, felt more supported and encouraged, and that the text messages facilitated self-care. In addition, patients reported that the SMS text messages they received helped them to take better care of themselves and to continue further treatment.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10916-017-0831-3 | DOI Listing |
Cancers (Basel)
January 2025
Computational Neuroscience Outcomes Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Background: The digital phenotyping tool has great potential for the deep characterization of neurological and quality-of-life assessments in brain tumor patients. Phone communication activities (details on call and text use) can provide insight into the patients' sociability.
Methods: We prospectively collected digital-phenotyping data from six brain tumor patients.
Top Stroke Rehabil
January 2025
Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA.
Background: Self-management interventions empower individuals to manage their chronic conditions and daily life after stroke. However, traditional in-person self-management interventions often face transportation and geographical barriers. Digital interventions may offer a solution to address this gap.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Public Health Surveill
January 2025
School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Background: High response rates are needed in population-based studies, as nonresponse reduces effective sample size and bias affects accuracy and decreases the generalizability of the study findings.
Objective: We tested different strategies to improve response rate and reduce nonresponse bias in a national population-based COVID-19 surveillance program in England, United Kingdom.
Methods: Over 19 rounds, a random sample of individuals aged 5 years and older from the general population in England were invited by mail to complete a web-based questionnaire and return a swab for SARS-CoV-2 testing.
PLOS Glob Public Health
January 2025
Research Care Training Program, Centre for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya.
Structural, psychological, and clinical barriers to HIV care engagement among adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYAH) persist globally despite gains in HIV epidemic control. Phone-based peer navigation may provide critical peer support, increase delivery flexibility, and require fewer resources. Prior studies show that phone-based navigation and automated text messaging interventions improve HIV care engagement, adherence, and retention among AYAH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
Breastfeeding (BF) is vital for maternal and infant health, yet post-hospital discharge support remains a challenge. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides BF peer counseling prenatally and up to 1-year postpartum among low-income women in the United States. The Lactation Advice Through Texting Can Help (LATCH) intervention is an evidence-based two-way text messaging intervention that provides BF education and support in the WIC peer counseling program.
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