Description of Session
In collaboration with the Maine Medical Center and Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Dimagi has developed mobile-Palliative Care Link (mPCL), a novel mobile application to improve symptom control and information exchange among specialists and local health workers treating late-stage cancer patients, the first digital health app in Tanzania to address palliative cancer care. The African Palliative Care Association Palliative Care Outcome Scale (APCA POS), a validated symptom control assessment to better manage patient symptoms and needs, was adapted for mobile delivery and symptom control management by nurses, oncology specialists and local health workers (LHWs) using a user-centered design framework. The mPCL application is a patient- and provider-facing application built on Dimagi’s CommCare platform. mPCL supports the entry of POS responses by patients or caregivers, facilitating timely review and tracking of patient responses and care information, and enabling more supportive follow up by specialists and local health workers. Preliminary results from a pilot study with patients served by LHWs in and around Dar es Salaam show high user acceptance and engagement, with patient and caregiver feedback indicating interest in expanding the scale and scope of the system. The design of mPCL and supporting feedback and usage data collected from end users offer insight and learnings that can inform the development and adoption of mobile tools designed to improve patient care in palliative care settings as well as the management of other noncommunicable diseases in low resourced areas.
