Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is tapping wearable sensors and mobile tools to better understand the impact cancer treatments have on patients' quality of life.
The health center will use a cloud platform to track patient movement data during treatment for multiple myeloma, according to an announcement. The effort will take into account quality of life aspects such as fatigue, appetite, patient activity and sleep quality via a smartphone app and a fitness tracking device worn days prior to treatment and then for four months during therapy.
“All cancer patients face health challenges from the disease as well as the side effects of treatment. But the challenges are particularly acute for those who suffer from multiple myeloma, a painful blood cancer that affects the bones,” Neha Korde, M.D., assistant attending for the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering, said in the announcement. “We will be able to use mHealth technologies to gauge how patients sleep, how they move, and how they feel with greater precision.”
Providers increasingly are turning to digital technologies for clinical research and understanding surrounding cancer. California, for instance, has kicked off a data collection initiative via electronic forms, in a quest for more consistent information in a real-time approach.
At Sloan Kettering, technology will provide caregivers with real-time, daily insight compared to feedback that often is weeks old, according to the announcement.
For more information: