Remote COVID-19 Symptom Tracking and Improved Cancer Symptom Control for Cancer Patients at Home During the Pandemic

PROJECT SUMMARYIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity to rapidly flex platforms for remote cancersymptom tracking and management to incorporate COVID-19 symptom monitoring and reinforce risk-reducingprecautions. It is critical for cancer patients at home to monitor early indications of COVID-19 symptoms, toadhere to mitigation strategies, as well as to manage their cancer-related symptoms so that they can decreasethe need to utilize the emergency department or unplanned hospitalizations for symptom care, which is acommon occurrence during cancer care. Remote monitoring adds a layer of home-based support which canbenefit all cancer patients and is not restricted to geographic proximity to oncology providers or distance from acancer center. Our Symptom Care at Home (SCH) system, utilized for our currently funded R01CA206522project to monitor and manage patient-reported (PRO) cancer symptoms, includes these necessary elements:remote PRO symptom monitoring, patient self-management information, and oncology provider (nursepractitioner) notification of symptoms exceeding pre-set thresholds. We propose adding two aims toR01CA206522 in response to PA-18-935 Urgent Competitive Revision to an Existing NIH Grant. The overallpurpose of this supplement is to describe the impacts of COVID-19 on cancer patients' well-being at home andevaluate, through a randomized clinical trial, if a systematic patient-reported outcomes (PRO) reportingprocess improves cancer care during a pandemic as compared to usual care. Specific Aims include: 1)describe patient-reported COVID-19 and cancer symptom trajectories over time, COVID-19 social distancingand hygiene practices, and COVID-19 related cancer treatment and daily living impacts on cancer patientsreceiving the SCH-COVID intervention and 2) compare the SCH-COVID intervention to enhanced usual careon health care utilization, COVID-19 diagnosis and outcomes, cancer treatment delays or changes, andpatient-reported global health, anxiety, mood, and feelings of social isolation.