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Cited by 14Mobile Health and mHealth ApplicationsCancer survivorship and careTelemedicine and Telehealth Implementation

The Personal Health Network Mobile App for Chemotherapy Care Coordination: Qualitative Evaluation of a Randomized Clinical Trial

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Ngo, Victoria, Matsumoto, Cynthia G, Joseph, Jill G, Bell, Janice F, Bold, Richard J, Davis, Andra, Reed, Sarah C, Kim, Katherine K·2020·JMIR mHealth and uHealth
DOI 10.2196/16527PMC PMC7284410

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Abstract

Background: Cancer care coordination addresses the fragmented and inefficient care of individuals with complex care needs. The complexity of care coordination can be aided by innovative technology. Few examples of information technology-enabled care coordination exist beyond the conventional telephone follow-up. For this study, we implemented a custom-designed app, the Personal Health Network (PHN)—a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant social network built around a patient to enable patient-centered health and health care activities in collaboration with clinicians, care team members, caregivers, and others designated by the patient. The app facilitates a care coordination intervention for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Objective: This study aimed to understand patient experiences with PHN technology and assess their perspectives on the usability and usefulness of PHNs with care coordination during chemotherapy. Methods: A two-arm randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare the PHN and care coordination with care coordination alone over a 6-month period beginning with the initiation of chemotherapy. A semistructured interview guide was constructed based on a theoretical framework of technology acceptance addressing usefulness, usability, and the context of use of the technology within the participant’s life and health care setting. All participants in the intervention arm were interviewed on completion of the study. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A summative thematic analysis was completed for the transcribed interviews. Features of the app were also evaluated. Results: A total of 27 interviews were completed. The resulting themes included the care coordinator as a partner in care, learning while sick, comparison of other technology to make sense of the PHN, communication, learning, usability, and usefulness. Users expressed that the nurse care coordinators were beneficial to them because they helped them stay connected to the care team and answered their questions. They shared that the mobile app gave them access to the health information they were seeking. Users expressed that the mobile app would be more useful if it was fully integrated with the electronic health record. Conclusions: The findings highlight the value of care coordination from the perspectives of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and the important role of technology, such as the PHN, in enhancing this process by facilitating better communication and access to information regarding their illness.

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  • Digital personal health network systems supported chemotherapy patients by enhancing communication with providers and improving care coordination, while usability studies identified needed refinements in data entry and connectivity.

    “digital personal health network systems supported chemotherapy patients by enhancing communication with providers and improving care coordination, while usability studies identified needed refinements in data entry and connectivity [9,19].”

    From User-Centered Design for Digital Patient-Navigation Tools in Oncology: Scoping Review (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

    The Discussion > Conclusions (page not provided) says participants believed the PHN could enhance chemotherapy care coordination through better communication and access to information. The Discussion > Principal Results reports internet-connectivity problems and suggested usability improvements, but does not identify data entry as an area needing refinement. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

  • User-Centered Design for Digital Patient-Navigation Tools in Oncology: Scoping Review

    Kheirinejad, S., White, B. M., Kheirkhah Rahimabad, P., Zink, J. A., Hashtarkhani, S., Kumsa, F. A., Rashid, R., Chinthala, L., Brett, C. L., Davis, R. L., et al. (2026) · JMIR Human Factors · doi:10.2196/87686

    “Similarly, digital personal health network systems supported chemotherapy patients by enhancing communication with providers and improving care coordination, while usability studies identified needed refinements in data entry and connectivity [9,19].”

Authors
Ngo, V., Matsumoto, C. G., Joseph, J. G., Bell, J. F., Bold, R. J., Davis, A., Reed, S. C., & Kim, K. K.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Davis (US)
  • University of California Davis Medical Center (US)
  • Washington State University Vancouver (US)
  • California State University, Sacramento (US)
Corresponding author
Kim, Katherine K
ORCID
Venue
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Publisher
JMIR Publications Inc.
Published
2020-05-26
Volume
8
Issue
5
Pages
e16527
ISSN
2291-5222 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2196/16527
PMC
PMC7284410
OpenAlex
W3031570634
Cited by
14
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1
FWCI
1.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • JMIR mhealth and uhealth (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U54EB015403)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
Keywords
mobile health apps, cancer care coordination, patient experience, technology acceptance, usability, usefulness, patient-clinician communication, electronic health record integration, patient-centered care
MeSH terms
Communication, Humans, Neoplasms, Surveys and Questionnaires, Electronic Health Records, Mobile Applications

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