Longitudinal assessment of real-world patient adherence: a 12-month electronic patient-reported outcomes follow-up of women with early breast cancer undergoing treatment

Journal article

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) assess patients’ health status and quality of life, improving patient care and treatment effects, yet little is known about their use and adherence in routine patient care.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Aims</jats:title> <jats:p>We evaluated the adherence of invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients to ePROs follow-up and whether specific patient characteristics are related to longitudinal non-adherence.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>Since November 2016, the Breast Center at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has implemented an ongoing prospective <jats:italic>PRO routine</jats:italic> program, requiring patients to complete ePROs assessments and consent to email-based follow-up in the first 12 months after therapy starts. Frequencies and summary statistics are presented. Multiple logistic regression models were performed to determine an association between patient characteristics and non-adherence.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Out of 578 patients, 239 patients (41.3%, 95%CI: 37.3–45.5%) completed baseline assessment and all five ePROs follow-up during the first 12 months after therapy. On average, above 70% of those patients responded to the ePROs follow-up assessment. Adherence to the ePROs follow-up was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the time periods before (47.4% (111/234) vs. 33.6% (71/211)). Factors associated with longitudinal non-adherence were younger age, a higher number of comorbidities, no chemotherapy, and a low physical functioning score in the EORTC QLQ-C30 at baseline.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>The study reveals moderate adherence to 12-month ePROs follow-up assessments in invasive early breast cancer and DCIS patients, with response rates ranging from 60 to 80%. Emphasizing the benefits for young patients and those with high disease burdens might further increase adherence.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

Authors: Gebert, P; Hage, AM; Blohmer, J-U; Roehle, R; Karsten, MM

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Supportive Care in Cancer
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 344-344
• Article number: 344
• Publication date: 2024-05-14
• DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08547-7
• EISSN: 1433-7339
• ISSN: 0941-4355
• Language: English
• Keywords: Nursing research; Cancer; Logistic regression; Medicine; Internal medicine; Pain medicine; Breast cancer; Anesthesiology; Quality of life (healthcare); Physical therapy; Prospective cohort study