A Mobile Application (AYABytes) Co-created by Physicians and Patients to Improve Access to Cancer-related Resources and Reduce Distress: A Protocol Development Study (Preprint)
Authors: Wong Evelyn Yi Ting , Woon Brian Shao Tian , Goh Wei Lin , Binte Abdul Latif Sir Nur Quriany , Bte Mohd Shahrudin Nurulshazwani , Wong Victoria Hwei May , Quah Daniel Song Chiek , Tan Yee Pin , Tan Yung Ying , Chan Selene Tze Ling , Poon Eileen Yi Ling , Bin Harunal Rashid Mohamad Farid 
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer require dedicated management that includes both adult and paediatric cancer services. 40% of newly diagnosed AYA patients at the National Cancer Centre Singapore report significant distress levels triggered by uncertainty surrounding prognosis, therapy and disruptions to personal life. Lack of access to updated, age-appropriate and accurate information has been identified as an unmet need. Multiple cross-sectional reviews have successfully shown that digital technology can be used to disseminate information to AYA patients. We aim to develop a mobile application (app) incorporating user preferences to empower and provide curated age-appropriate care resources to AYA patients.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this paper is to describe the protocol for the evaluation of the AYABytes app. This is a mobile app that is co-created by patients and healthcare professionals to support and improve health-related quality of life(QoL) for AYA patients. An iterative information gathering process was conducted including: 1) semi-structured interviews with clinicians (n=2), cancer survivors (n=3) and care partners (n=3) to co-create this mobile app. AYABytes is an interactive phone-based intervention designed to engage AYA patients with personalised education, mood and symptom self-management resources with an inbuilt algorithm that responds to patient-reported questionnaires.

METHODS

The app will be evaluated in two phases: a pilot test and an implementation test. In the pilot test, the app will be launched to a test group of 20 AYA patients, aged 16 to 45, selected for representation among the age group and their malignancies. Patients will be allowed to utilize the app for 1 month. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed via a semi-structured survey. In the implementation stage, 200 patients will be allowed to utilize the app over 6 months and will complete a EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire at baseline, at 1- month and at 6-month. Evaluation of the mobile app was performed via the mHealth app usability questionnaire (MAUQ) at similar intervals.

RESULTS

Pilot testing has been completed as of May 2024 with and implementation testing has been initiated since June 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that AYABytes, as a novel eHealth mobile application, will be both a beneficial and an easily utilized application for AYA patients. By evaluating the app and its quantifiable impact on improving the quality of life of AYA patients, will help enrich the evidence for mHealth interventions. It will also validate new digital approaches to help AYA patients reduce distress and address their unmet needs and concerns.