The Impact of mHealth Interventions on Breast Cancer Awareness and Screening: Systematic Review Protocol

Abstract

BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) is the use of mobile communication technologies to promote health by supporting health care practices (eg, health data collection, delivery of health care information). mHealth technologies (such as mobile phones) can be used effectively by health care practitioners in the distribution of health information and have the potential to improve access to and quality of health care, as well as reduce the cost of health services. Current literature shows limited scientific evidence related to the benefits of mHealth interventions for breast cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide and contributes a large proportion of all cancer deaths, especially in developing countries. Women, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), are faced with low odds of surviving breast cancer. This finding is likely due to multiple factors related to health systems: low priority of women’s health and cancer on national health agendas; lack of awareness that breast cancer can be effectively treated if detected early; and societal, cultural, and religious factors that are prevalent in LMICs. The proposed systematic review will examine the impact of mHealth interventions on breast cancer awareness and screening among women aged 18 years and older.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study are to identify and describe the various mHealth intervention strategies that are used for breast cancer, and assess the impact of mHealth strategies on breast cancer awareness and screening.MethodsLiterature from various databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be examined. Trial registers, reports, and unpublished theses will also be included. All mobile technologies such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, and tablets that have short message service, multimedia message service, video, and audio capabilities will be included. mHealth is the primary intervention. The search strategy will include keywords such as “mHealth,” “breast cancer,” “awareness,” and “screening,” among other medical subject heading terms. Articles published from January 1, 1964 to December 31, 2016 will be eligible for inclusion. Two authors will independently screen and select studies, extract data, and assess the risk of bias, with discrepancies resolved by dialogue involving a third author. We will assess statistical heterogeneity by examining the types of participants, interventions, study designs, and outcomes in each study, and pool studies judged to be statistically homogeneous. In the assessment of heterogeneity, a sensitivity analysis will be considered to explore statistical heterogeneity. Statistical heterogeneity will be investigated using the Chi-square test of homogeneity on Cochrane's Q statistic and quantified using the I-squared statistic.ResultsThe search strategy will be refined with the assistance of an information specialist from November 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018. Literature searches will take place from February 20...

Distribution and predictors associated with the use of breast cancer screening services among women in 14 low-resource countries

“…Other interventions in low-resource settings could include community health workers guided by smartphone applications. This model can play an active and significant role in confirming breast health promotion, which contributes to increasing participation in screening services [87][88][89][90][91][92][93]. This study has some limitations.…”

A P5 Approach to m-Health: Design Suggestions for Advanced Mobile Health Technology

“…One of these developments is mHealth, which refers to the implementation of mobile technologies as a tremendous tool to improve health outcomes ( Free et al, 2013 ; Kumar et al, 2013 ; Lee et al, 2017 ) and to facilitate continuous health monitoring individually and from home ( Stephens et al, 2017 ). Moreover, the global availability of mobile technologies and their ease of use have made them accessible to almost all of the population ( Tokosi et al, 2017 ).…”

The Impact of Mobile Health on Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review

“…Some app characteristics of contents and features were categorized according to the functions and impacts: 17 These are providing information (39.1%), 4,9,17,19,21,24,27,29,31 planning (goal-setting) (8.6%), 13,24 positive feedback (17.3%), 14,23,24,31 monitoring and evaluation (8.6%), 9,17 decision-making (26%), 1,9,17,20,21,27 education and training (30.4%), 9,17,20 -22,24,28 health awareness information (8.6%), 4,24 remote clinical diagnosis (30.4%), 9,15,22,26,30,32,33 feasibility in low-resource setting or countries (30.4%), 15,16,20,21,25,26,32 early detection (34.7%), 4,15,18,22,25,26,30,32 efficacy (30.4%), 9,13,20,28,29,…”

“…It could be also used in a clinical setting to avoid unnecessary biopsies and decrease the risk of prostate cancer, and as a result, it can diminish overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Furthermore, Tokosi et al 4 reported that the screening system has increased attendance at breast cancer clinics and promoted early detection and screening. In the present research, half of the studies showed great effectiveness (47%).…”

“… 1 Besides, mHealth applications contribute to improving healthcare through monitoring, diagnoses and treatment. 4 The advent of smartphone technologies that empower quick and easy access, transfer and tracking of data and information, as well as sharing, interactive displays and interventions that can be highly engaging, has promoted adoption. Furthermore, mHealth has increased accessibility to healthcare provider and services, improved quality of healthcare and reduced cost of healthcare.…”