Effects of Patient-Reported Outcome Tracking and Health Information Provision via Remote Patient Monitoring Software on Patient Outcomes in Oncology Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: The authors sought to 1) review the literature on the remote care model that uses remote patient monitoring software (RPMS) as key mechanisms in oncology care for symptom tracking and health information provision and (2) compare the remote care model to standard care in terms of health-related quality of life, symptom burden, health management self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Data Sources: The search was conducted on March 23, 2022, in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases. Results: The primary strategies for applying digital technology in remote care models are patient-reported outcomes (PRO) tracking and health information delivery. Common PRO measurements applied in the RPMS include quality of life, symptom burden, self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Nine randomized controlled trials testing seven RPMS interventions were examined. Compared to standard care, remote patient monitoring via RPMS was related to greater quality of life and lower physical symptom burden during cancer therapy. The RPMS incorporated into routine clinical care with nurses providing remote monitoring performed better on PRO than that not integrated. Conclusion: The RPMS-based remote care model improves patient outcomes during cancer treatment, and it is not inferior to standard care until the RPMS function is more integrated with existing clinical care. Implications for Nursing Practice: Nurses are well-positioned to engage patients in self-care skills via RPMS and can play a vital role in integrating such a model of remote patient care into routine care practices.