Background: Physical activity levels typically decline during cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy and often fail to return to pre-diagnosis or minimum recommended levels. This presents a challenge for health professionals to increase physical activity levels in cancer populations through behaviour change programs. Interventions to promote physical activity are needed. Digital health tools may be helpful in this situation.Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, usability and effects of an interactive web-portal developed to support patients with cancer to increase daily physical activity levels
Methods: A web-portal for supportive cancer care was developed to act as a patient-clinician information and coaching tool, focused on integrating wearable device data and remote symptom reporting. Patients currently receiving, or who had completed intensive anti-cancer therapy were recruited to three cohorts and given access to the web-portal and an activity monitor over a 10-week period. Cohort 2 received additional summative messaging and Cohort 3 received additional personalised messaing.The primary outcome was feasibility of the use of the portal assessed as both the number of symptom logs on the portal and the completion of post-program questionnaires.
Results: Forty-nine people were recruited. Forty participants completed the intervention. Engagement was highest in cohort 3, increasing with more health professional contact. The intervention was found to be acceptable by participants.
Conclusions: The portal was an acceptable tool for a group of cancer patients. Interaction improves engagement of interventions. Further research is needed to determine optimal coaching methods.