Feasibility and acceptability of a game-based symptom-reporting app for children with cancer: perspectives of children and parents. Support Care Cancer 2021 Jan;29(1):301-310
Date
05/03/2020Pubmed ID
32358779Pubmed Central ID
PMC7606212DOI
10.1007/s00520-020-05495-wScopus ID
2-s2.0-85085149133 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 21 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Children with cancer have difficulty identifying and describing the multiple symptoms they experience during hospitalization and between clinical encounters. Mobile health resources, including apps, are potential solutions to support child-centric symptom reporting. This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a newly developed game-based symptom-reporting app for school-age children with cancer.
PROCEDURE: Nineteen school-age children (6-12 years of age) receiving treatment for cancer at a COG institution in the Intermountain West of the United States used a game-based symptom-reporting app between clinical visits. Feasibility was evaluated through a summary of actual days of app use and interaction with each of the app's features. Children and their parents participated in interviews regarding the app's acceptability.
RESULTS: Children used the app a median of 4 days (range 1-12) and interacted most frequently with the symptom reporting and the drawing features. Children enjoyed aspects of the app that supported their creativity and provided choices. Parents endorsed the interactive nature of the app and the value of the child providing his/her own report. Both children and parents identified additional opportunities to enhance the child's user experience.
CONCLUSION: Study results support the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of the app. Children's and parents' responses supported the developmental relevance of the app and its role in enhancing the child's autonomy and serving as an outlet for creativity. Future directions include optimizing the child user's experience and investigating the app's role as a resource to enhance shared decision-making for symptom management.
Author List
Linder LA, Newman AR, Stegenga K, Chiu YS, Wawrzynski SE, Kramer H, Weir C, Narus S, Altizer RAuthors
Amy R. Newman PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, CPHON Assistant Professor in the Marquette University College of Nursing department at Marquette UniversityAmy R. Newman NP APP Hybrid in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
ChildFeasibility Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Mobile Applications
Neoplasms
Parents
Symptom Assessment
Telemedicine
Video Games
