A new app that was launched Tuesday morning for a pilot group of 30 MD Anderson breast cancer patients aims to increase patient engagement through daily check-ins. Watch video
CAMDEN -- Depression, stress and anxiety are foes nearly every cancer patient faces when the diagnosis comes through and treatment begins.
But too often, the span between mental health appointments leaves care providers "putting out fires" the conditions cause, instead of preventing them, said MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper's Director of Behavioral Medicine, Cori McMahon.
A new app that was launched Tuesday morning for a pilot group of 30 MD Anderson breast cancer patients aims to change disconnect.
Dubbed emPower, the app links up with patients' Apple Watches to track their mood, stress level, medical issues and symptoms every day for the next nine months as part of a brand new feasibility study conducted by app creator Polaris Health Directions and MD Anderson. Polaris provided the Apple Watches and an iPhone to pilot group members free of charge at Tuesday's kick off, where they were introduced to the study and what it aims to accomplish.
"If we can [engage] more with patients and respond efficiently, it gives the patients a much better tool," said McMahon, who oversees how the app is put into use by patients alongside MD Anderson care.
Through a series of easy-to-answer questions that pop up on the watch daily and can be answered in about 30 seconds, patients are asked to rate their quality of sleep, distress, pain and depression or anxiety on a numerical scale through the app, whether on the watch or phone.
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When the self-reported data is paired with the physiological metrics such as heart rate that's recorded via the Apple Watches' health monitoring technology, researchers said they'll be able to paint a comprehensive picture of a patient's health and wellness on a day-to-day basis.
"You can start seeing all the little dots," said Tina Harralson, the science director of the innovation lab at Polaris who created the app concept. "We're trying to get them engaged in their symptoms and how it relates to their behaviors."
Through engagement, Harralson said patients and care providers can notice patterns, like if a patient routinely sleeps better at night after getting in a walk during the day or is hit with anxiety attacks the mornings of treatment days.
Not only will this data help the patients who are in the study -- their daily reports are linked to their care providers so any issues requiring quick attention are addressed immediately -- Harralson said the ultimate aim is to use the pilot group's experience to shape how Polaris expands the emPower app and Apple Watch technology to address the needs of patients dealing with other cancers as well as various long-term conditions.
"There are plenty of chronic diseases that require monitoring," said Harralson, noting diabetics, as well as people with cardiovascular or other conditions requiring daily medication could benefit from a constant check-in that is linked up with their health care providers.
The ability to report the data as soon as the patients experience it will allow the providers to "bridge the gap" between appointments and allow them to improve their quality of life, MacMahon said. It will also provide a crucial service by giving patients a sense of agency, something she said is often lacking when their worlds are dictated by circumstances beyond their control.
"You move from being a passive recipient in medical care to an active participant in it," said McMahon. "We hope to give them a sense of control."
That control -- in addition to the aim of helping other patients -- is exactly why Ellen McMillian of Pine Hill agreed to be a part of the study.
McMillian was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in September, and while it wasn't entirely a surprise given her family history of the disease, she said that dealing with the side effects from the four types of chemotherapy treatment she's undergoing has left her struggling with depression.
"The symptoms are taking me down," McMillian said just before one of the dozen Apple representatives on hand showed her the ins-and-outs of Apple Watch ownership. She smiled as she saw what it could do.
"I'm hoping with it, I'll be able to control my emotions," said McMillian, adding that her main focus after that will be to share what she's learned to the patients who face the diagnosis next. "Maybe I'll be able to tell someone else how I went through it."
Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.