Needs for the ICT based personalized health management program and the association among information provision, HRQOL, Decisional Conflict in cancer patients

Abstract

Introduction: ICT (Information and Community Technology) such as web or smartphone based tailored health management program can have a significant health impact to cancer patients. Three parts – health information provision, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) decision conflicts – were examined to see the relationship with needs for web or smartphone based personalized health management program in a Korean sample of diverse cancer survivors

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed health program needs from 625 cancer survivors in two hospitals cancer registries in Korea. Multivariate logistic regression model was conducted to identify factors related with the needs for web-based tailored health management system. Through multivariate logistic regression model, each factors (cancer care information medical experience: EORTC INFO-26, HRQOL: EORTC QLQ-C30 and Decisional conflicts: DCS) association with the highest needs for tailored health management program was found. In addition to level of needs, intention and expectation for web or smartphone based tailored health management program were also investigated.

Results: Cancer survivors responded a high prevalence of personalized health management program needs: for those who had higher income (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR), 1.70, 95% CI, 1.10-2.63), already had been received enough information about things patients can do to help themselves (aOR, 1.71, 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.66), and wished to receive more information (aOR, 1.59, 95% CI, 0.97 to 2.61) reported the big necessity of the tailored health management program. Moreover, participants who had cognitive functioning problems (aOR, 2.87, 95%CI, 1.34 to 6.17) and had appetite lost (aOR, 1.77, 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.93) also replied that they need tailored healthcare program. The person who perceived much more supports from the decision making process also showed positive needs (aOR, 0.49, 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.82).

Conclusions: Taken together, our findings from this study demonstrated that higher income, Information provision experience, problematic HRQOL and decisional conflicts had significant association with the needs for the ICT based tailored self-management program.