User acceptance of an app-based adherence intervention: Perspectives from patients taking oral anticancer medications

Abstract

Background Widespread adoption by patients is imperative for the success of app-based interventions for enhancing adherence to oral anticancer medications. Patients' attitudes and beliefs should be evaluated to understand determinants of their acceptance and adoption of such interventions. Objective To identify factors that influence cancer patients' intention to adopt an app-based system for enhancing oral anticancer medication adherence. Methods This study was conducted as part of the usability evaluation of an app-based system for enhancing adherence. We followed the grounded theory approach employing audio-recorded face-to-face interviews for data collection from patients taking oral anticancer medications (n = 15) and caregivers of such patients (n = 3). Data analysis involved verbatim transcription of all interviews, coding of the transcripts and field notes, detailed memo writing, and constant comparative evaluation of emergent categories. Results A conceptual framework of facilitating and hindering factors for users' adoption intention for an oral anticancer medication adherence app was developed. Findings suggest that facing difficulties in maintaining adherence and patients' perceived superiority of the app over their current methods facilitate adoption intention. In contrast, having to pay, lack of language options and users' perception of low competence in using an app were the hindrance factors. Conclusion This study showed that adoption of adherence apps could be explained by technology acceptance constructs, such as performance expectancy. Adoption intention was also facilitated by patients perceived vulnerabilities in maintaining adherence to their medications, which was a health behaviour construct. Implementation of app-based programs should address patients' perceived vulnerabilities and relative advantage of the app over their current methods. Clinicians and app developers should also consider the financial, technological and language barriers for end users.

Management of Adverse Events During Rucaparib Treatment for Relapsed Ovarian Cancer: A Review of Published Studies and Practical Guidance

“…Follow-up may be achieved through direct interactions with treating clinicians, interactions with other members of a multidisciplinary team (e.g., nurses and pharmacists), or through web-based applications [22][23][24][25]. Notably, recent surveys indicate that patients taking oral anticancer medications are interested in technologies to help them manage their treatment, such as pill reminders and apps that allow reporting of symptoms to physicians [24,26]. Electronic medication reminders have been shown to encourage adherence [27,28], and the ability to report symptoms to clinicians or other healthcare team members via the internet has been associated with improvements in patient quality of life, better management of AEs, decreased hospitalizations, and longer overall survival [27,[29][30][31][32].…”

“…Although generally low grade, diarrhea often occurs when patients initiate rucaparib (median time to onset [95% CI], 29 [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] days) [21]. Clinicians should exclude other causes (e.g.…”

Impact of mobile applications on adherence to cancer treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

“…The primary outcome will be to assess the improvement in treatment adherence 17. The secondary outcomes will be to assess the improvement in overall survival and life expectancy, improved quality of life and control of cancer-related symptoms 9–11…”

“…A variety of education, symptom management and reminder-based interventions, which involve face-to-face interactions, phone calls and texting short message service (SMS) have been developed and tested. However, the effectiveness of these interventions remains inconclusive 9–11…”

“…Adherence remains a complicated issue in the treatment of chronic diseases 8–14 16–18. In this context, the benefits of using technology, even in the form of a simple text message, have been recognised 19.…”