KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to assess adherence to ePROs follow-up among individuals with invasive breast cancer and DCIS, examining associated patient characteristics.
- The study found moderate adherence to ePROs follow-up in patients with breast cancer, suggesting potential improvement strategies.
In routine patient care, the utilization and adherence to electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) remain underexplored, despite their potential to enhance patient care and treatment outcomes.
Pimrapat Gebert and the team aimed to assess the adherence of individuals with invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to ePROs follow-up, examining potential relationships between specific patient characteristics and longitudinal non-adherence.
Since November 2016, the Breast Center at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin had initiated a prospective PRO routine program. Patients were required to complete ePROs assessments and consent to email-based follow-up within the initial 12 months post-therapy. The study presented frequencies and summary statistics. Multiple logistic regression models were employed to ascertain any associations between patient characteristics and non-adherence.
Of 578 patients, 239 individuals (41.3%, 95% CI: 37.3-45.5%) completed baseline assessments and all 5 ePROs follow-ups within the initial 12 months post-therapy. On average, over 70% of these patients responded to the ePROs follow-up assessments. Adherence to the ePROs follow-up was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to periods before (47.4% (111/234) vs. 33.6% (71/211)). Factors associated with longitudinal non-adherence included younger age, a higher number of comorbidities, absence of chemotherapy, and a low physical functioning score in the EORTC QLQ-C30 at baseline.
The study concluded that moderate adherence to 12-month ePROs follow-up assessments was observed among patients with invasive early breast cancer and DCIS, with response rates varying from 60 to 80%. Highlighting the advantages for younger patients and those facing high disease burdens may enhance adherence further.
Open Access funding facilitated and coordinated by Projekt DEAL.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38740611/
Gebert, P., Hage, A.M., Blohmer, JU., et al. (2024). “Longitudinal assessment of real-world patient adherence: a 12-month electronic patient-reported outcomes follow-up of women with early breast cancer undergoing treatment.” Support Care Cancer 32, 344 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08547-7
