Morgantown-based West Virginia University Medicine will begin enrolling select cancer patients in a National Institutes of Health Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative trial, WV News reports.
During the trial, which kicks off Oct. 25, patients will have access to a mobile-based application designed to help them report and better manage their cancer treatment symptoms. WVU is one of six organizations that received funding from the Moonshot Initiative to develop, implement and assess the app.
The project aims to determine how real-time feedback from patients can help providers enhance symptom management and decrease the need for hospital readmissions, according to the report. WVU Medicine worked with Epic to create the app, called eSyM, through its MyWVUChart online patient portal.
Patients eligible to participate in the trial will receive a notification within MyWVUChart. ESyM will be housed within the patient portal, which will allow patients' responses to be logged into Epic. This will give providers access to patients' reported symptoms and the ability to react if patients report severe symptoms.
"These patients often have to drive hours to reach our facilities," said Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, MD, a surgical oncologist at WVU Cancer Institute and co-principal investigator on the project, according to the report. "This trial will allow us to learn how we can implement technology to help them manage their symptoms and prevent complications during their recovery at home, possibly preventing the need for emergency room visits or hospital admissions."