Design, Development, Piloting, and Evaluation of Smart, Digital Health Applications to Tackle Urgent Cancer Priorities
摘要
The current landscape in cancer care, especially for older adults, presents numerous challenges. With a significant increase in cancer incidence among those aged 65 and older, healthcare systems face the complex task of managing multiple comorbidities, frailty, and the psychosocial needs of this vulnerable population. Traditional episodic care models often fall short in providing the continuous and personalized care necessary for improving the quality of life (QoL) and health outcomes in older cancer survivors. Digital health platforms offer a promising opportunity to address these gaps in cancer care. By integrating advanced technologies such as wearable devices, home sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) models, these platforms can provide real-time health monitoring, personalized care, and enhanced clinical decision-making. Such innovations have the potential to transform geriatric oncology by enabling earlier detection of health deterioration, reducing hospitalizations, and supporting a more holistic approach to patient care. The LifeChamps project exemplifies this potential through the development of an intelligent digital health platform tailored to the needs of older cancer survivors. By combining continuous monitoring, AI-driven predictive models, and a user-centered approach, LifeChamps aims to enhance the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older cancer patients. The platform integrates diverse data sources, including patient-reported outcomes, electronic health records, and data from IoT devices, to provide a comprehensive and proactive care solution. This chapter presents a detailed overview of the design, development, piloting, and evaluation of the LifeChamps platform. By providing a comprehensive case study of the LifeChamps project, this chapter aims to highlight the transformative potential of digital health technologies in enhancing cancer care for older adults.