Mobile Health Interventions for Cancer Care and Support: The Next Level of Digitalization in Healthcare?

Abstract

Academic research has brought attention to the utility of mobile health (mHealth) interventions for assisting cancer patients and survivors in managing their medication, symptoms, and well-being. This is a vital research area, as cancer is the second main cause of death for the global populace. However, the knowledge on mHealth interventions for cancer is distinctly fragmented and there is a lack of clarity on its boundaries, which hinders identification of existing gaps and valuable areas in which to advance future research. Our study addresses this gap and provides a comprehensive review of extant literature to determine the core areas of discourse. This systematic literature review (SLR) amalgamates the extant findings related to users' (cancer patients, cancer survivors, healthcare providers, and clients) experiences of mHealth interventions. Following rigorous protocols, we reviewed pertinent literature from Scopus and Web of Science databases to curate 78 studies. Grounded theory was adopted as an analytical framework and content analysis was used to explicate state-of-the-art insights. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive SLR on this topic. The findings revealed four themes and incumbent gaps: (i) intervention targets and affordances, (ii) individual outcomes, (iii) methodological approaches, and (iv) intervention resistance or adoption. Our findings contribute to theory by proposing key areas for meaningful future research. Additionally, our findings provide crucial inputs to practitioners, such as app developers and healthcare personnel, to improve user engagement with mHealth interventions.