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Patient Experiences of Rehabilitation and the Potential for an mHealth System with Biofeedback After Breast Cancer Surgery: Qualitative Study
Date Issued
2020-07-29
Date Available
2020-10-20T11:30:48Z
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Physiotherapy-led home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery can protect against the development of upper limb dysfunction and other disabling consequences of surgery. A variety of barriers can limit physical rehabilitation outcomes, and patients may benefit from more support during this time. Mobile health (mHealth) systems can assist patients during rehabilitation by providing exercise support, biofeedback, and information. Before designing mHealth systems for a specific population, developers must first engage with users to understand their experiences and needs. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to explore patients' rehabilitation experiences and unmet needs during home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery and to understand their experiences of mHealth technology and the requirements they desire from an mHealth system. METHODS: This was the first stage of a user-centered design process for an mHealth system. We interviewed 10 breast cancer survivors under the two main topics of "Rehabilitation" and "Technology" and performed a thematic analysis on the interview data. RESULTS: Discussions regarding rehabilitation focused on the acute and long-term consequences of surgery; unmet needs and lack of support; self-driven rehabilitation; and visions for high-quality rehabilitation. Regarding technology, participants reported a lack of mHealth options for this clinical context and using non-cancer-specific applications and wearables. Participants requested an mHealth tool from a reliable source that provides exercise support. CONCLUSIONS: There are unmet needs surrounding access to physiotherapy, information, and support during home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery that could be addressed with an mHealth system. Breast cancer survivors are open to using an mHealth system and require that it comes from a reliable source and focuses on supporting exercise performance.
Sponsorship
European Commission Horizon 2020
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
JMIR
Journal
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Volume
8
Issue
7
Copyright (Published Version)
2020 the Authors
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2291-5222
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
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22 Brennan- Patient Experiences of Rehabilitation and the Potential for an mHealth System with Biofeedback After Breast Cancer Surgery A Qualitative Study.pdf
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310.19 KB
Format
Owning collection
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