A Symptom Management Application for Children at the Early Stage of Cancer Survivorship and Their Caregivers

Launched by CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG · Feb 24, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at a mobile health app designed to help children who have recently finished cancer treatment and their caregivers manage the symptoms they may experience as they recover. The app aims to improve various aspects of life for these young survivors, such as physical ability, anxiety, fatigue, and relationships with friends, while also helping their parents or guardians feel better overall. The main goal is to see if using the app for three months can lead to noticeable improvements in these areas.

To participate, children aged 9 to 16 who can read and communicate in Chinese and have completed their cancer treatment within the last two years are eligible, as long as they have a smartphone or tablet to use the app. Their primary caregiver, like a parent, must also be able to read and communicate in Chinese and have a device for the app. Participants will use the app for 12 weeks with support from nurses and will fill out questionnaires at different times to track their progress. This trial is not yet recruiting participants, but it’s an important step in finding effective ways to support young cancer survivors and their families during this challenging time.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Chinese paediatric cancer survivors will be included if they
• • are aged 9 to 16 years,
• • are able to read Chinese and communicate in Chinese,
• • have completed active cancer treatment (within the previous 2 years), as early symptom management support is crucial to reduce the symptom burden in survivors and their caregivers throughout their survivorship, and
• • have a smartphone or tablet and are willing to install the mHealth app.
• • The primary caregiver of the paediatric cancer survivors (either the mother or father)
• • are able to read Chinese and communicate in Chinese, and
• • have a smartphone or tablet and are willing to install the mHealth app with their children surviving cancer.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Chinese paediatric cancer survivors will be excluded if they
• • have cognitive impairments or psychiatric illnesses
• • are currently participating in other symptom management studies, or
• • have evidence of secondary malignancy or recurrence
• • The primary caregivers of the paediatric cancer survivors (either the mother or father) will be excluded if they have cognitive impairments or psychiatric illnesses.