Text Messaging (SMS) Helping Cancer Care in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment: a Pilot Study
Abstract
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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Infectious diseases and chronic diseases were the second most prevalent health outcomes, each with a frequency of 8 of 30 articles (27%).
“Infectious diseases and chronic diseases were the second most prevalent health outcomes, with a frequency of each of 8 of 30 (27%) articles [36,39-44,49-51].”
From Barriers to the Use of Mobile Health in Improving Health Outcomes in Developing Countries: Systematic Review (2019) · cites this paper as [50]
Mobile phone apps have been shown to prevent health complications, thus helping improve preventive medicine.
“Moreover, apps have been shown to prevent health complications, thus helping improve preventive medicine [50].”
From Barriers to the Use of Mobile Health in Improving Health Outcomes in Developing Countries: Systematic Review (2019) · cites this paper as [50]
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- Authors
- Rico, T. M., dos Santos Machado, K., Fernandes, V. P., Madruga, S. W., Noguez, P. T., Barcelos, C. R. G., Santin, M. M., Petrarca, C. R., & Dumith, S. C.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (BR)
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas (BR)
- Corresponding author
- Rico, Timóteo Matthies
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Medical Systems
- Published
- 2017-10-09
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 181-181
- ISSN
- 0148-5598 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-689X
- OpenAlex
- W2761428193
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 5.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Medical Systems (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Mobile Learning in Education
- Keywords
- text messaging, short message service, cancer patients, chemotherapy, self-care, emotional support, mobile health, mobile application, patient acceptance, patient perspectives, quality of life, psychological well-being
- MeSH terms
- Smartphone, Adult, Aged, Appointments and Schedules, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Patient Education as Topic, Patient Participation, Perception, Pilot Projects, Quality of Life, Self Care, Reminder Systems, Patient Satisfaction, Text Messaging, Mobile Applications
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