Research: Remote PROMs Improve Survival in Cancer Patients, June 2017
A team from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre presented a randomised controlled trial that showed a median increase of 5 months survival for patients with advanced cancer who were asked to remotely track their outcomes using a digital platform like 'My Clinical Outcomes'. By comparison, only one of the seven new and very expensive drugs approved for use for advanced cancer patients in the US in 2016 had a greater impact on survival. Potential mechanisms included enabling earlier responsiveness to patient symptoms preventing later adverse consequences and patients being able to tolerate chemotherapy longer than usual. The implication is clear, however, that remote outcomes monitoring should now be a routine part of high quality cancer care.
Click here to see the research and here for the write up in the Washington Post.