Testing a Model of Care for Patients on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Based on Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes: Protocol for a Randomized Phase II Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Management of severe symptomatic immune-related adverse events (IrAEs) related to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be facilitated by timely detection. As patients face a heterogeneous set of symptoms outside the clinical setting, remotely monitoring and assessing symptoms by using patient-reported outcomes (PROs) may result in shorter delays between symptom onset and clinician detection. OBJECTIVE: We assess the effect of a model of care for remote patient monitoring and symptom management based on PRO data on the time to detection of symptomatic IrAEs from symptom onset. The secondary objectives are to assess its effects on the time between symptomatic IrAE detection and intervention, IrAE grade (severity), health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, and overall survival at 6 months. METHODS: For this study, 198 patients with cancer receiving systemic treatment comprising ICIs exclusively will be recruited from 2 Swiss university hospitals. Patients are randomized (1:1) to a digital model of care (intervention) or usual care (control group). Patients are enrolled for 6 months, and they use an electronic app to complete weekly Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General questionnaire and PROMIS (PROs Measurement Information System) Self-Efficacy to Manage Symptoms questionnaires. The intervention patient group completes a standard set of 37 items in a weekly PROs version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) questionnaire, and active symptoms are reassessed daily for the first 3 months by using a modified 24-hour recall period. Patients can add items from the full PRO-CTCAE item library to their questionnaire. Nurses call patients in the event of new or worsening symptoms and manage them by using a standardized triage algorithm based on the United Kingdom Oncology Nursing Society 24-hour triage tool. This algorithm provides guidance on deciding if patients should receive in-person care, if monitoring should be increased, or if self-management education should be reinforced. RESULTS: The Institut Suisse de Recherche Expérimentale sur le Cancer Foundation and Kaiku Health Ltd funded this study. Active recruitment began since November 2021 and is projected to conclude in November 2023. Trial results are expected to be published in the first quarter of 2024 and will be disseminated through publications submitted at international scientific conferences. CONCLUSIONS: This trial is among the first trials to use PRO data to directly influence routine care of patients treated with ICIs and addresses some limitations in previous studies. This trial collects a wider spectrum of self-reported symptom data daily. There are some methodological limitations brought by changes in evolving treatment standards for patients with cancer. This trial's results could entail further academic discussions on the challenges of diagnosing and managing symptoms associated with treatment remotely by providing further insights into the burden symptoms represent to patients and highlight the complexity of care procedures involved in managing symptomatic IrAEs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05530187; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05530187. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/48386.

Development of an eHealth-enhanced model of care for the monitoring and management of immune-related adverse events in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

PURPOSE: The use of electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) data in routine care has been tied to direct patient benefits such as improved quality of care and symptom control and even overall survival. The modes of action behind such benefits are seldom described in detail. Here, we describe the development of a model of care leveraging ePRO data to monitor and manage symptoms of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. METHODS: Development was split into four stages: (1) identification of an underlying theoretical framework, (2) the selection of an ePRO measure (ePROM), (3) the adaptation of an electronic application to collect ePRO data, and (4) the description of an ePRO-oriented workflow. The model of care is currently evaluated in a bicentric longitudinal randomized controlled phase II trial, the IePRO study. RESULTS: The IePRO model of care is grounded in the eHealth Enhanced Chronic Care Model. Patients are prompted to report symptoms using an electronic mobile application. Triage nurses are alerted, review the reported symptoms, and contact patients in case of a new or worsening symptom. Nurses use the UKONS 24-hour telephone triage tool to issue patient management recommendations to the oncology team. Adapted care coordinating procedures facilitate team collaboration and provide patients with timely feedback. CONCLUSION: This report clarifies how components of care are created and modified to leverage ePRO to enhance care. The model describes a workflow that enables care teams to be proactive and provide patients with timely, multidisciplinary support to manage symptoms.

Patient-reported outcomes for monitoring symptomatic toxicities in cancer patients treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors: A Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Immune-related adverse events (IrAEs) associated with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may not be fully covered by existing measures like the PRO-CTCAE™. Selecting PRO-CTCAE™ items for monitoring symptomatic adverse events is hindered by the heterogeneity and complexity of IrAEs, and no standardised selection process exists. We aimed to reach expert consensus on the PRO-CTCAE™ symptom terms relevant for cancer patients receiving ICIs and to gather preliminary expert opinions about additional symptom terms reflecting ICI symptomatic toxicities. Additionally, we gathered expert consensus about a core set of priority symptom terms for prospective surveillance and monitoring. DESIGN: This Delphi study involved an international panel of experts (n = 6 physicians; n = 3 nurses, n = 1 psychiatrist and n = 1 patient advocates). Experts prioritised the relevance and importance of symptom terms to monitor in patients treated with ICIs. RESULTS: Experts reached a consensus on the relevance of all (n = 80) PRO-CTCAE™ Symptom Terms. Consensus on the importance of these symptom terms for prospective monitoring in patients receiving ICIs was reached for 81% (n = 65) of these terms. Additional symptoms terms (n = 56) were identified, with a consensus that 84% (47/56) of these additional symptom terms should also be considered when monitoring symptomatic IrAEs. CONCLUSION: This study identified a prioritised list of symptom terms for prospective surveillance for symptomatic IrAEs in patients receiving ICI treatment. Our results indicate the need to strengthen the validity of PRO measures used to monitor patients receiving ICIs. While these results provided some support for the content validity of the PRO CTCAE™ and resulted in a preliminary set of salient symptomatic adverse events related to the use of ICIs, broader international agreement and patient involvement are needed to further validate our initial findings.

[Telephone follow-up of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients at the Oncology Department of Lausanne University Hospital]. / Suivi téléphonique des patients testés positifs au SARS-CoV-2 au Département d'oncologie du CHUV.

Compared with the general population, oncology patients face a higher morbidity and mortality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, health systems had to quickly adapt cancer care in order to maintain the best quality and patient safety. From March to May and from October to December 2020, 254 patients diagnosed with cancer and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 benefited from a tele-health monitoring at the Oncology Department at CHUV. This article describes the key points of the development, implementation and operation of this tele-health monitoring, enabled by an interdisciplinary and inter-professional collaboration between different units and healthcare professionals.

En comparaison de la population générale, les patients oncologiques font face à une augmentation de leur morbimortalité en lien avec la pandémie de Covid-19. Par conséquent, les systèmes de santé ont dû s'adapter rapidement dans ce contexte instable afin de poursuivre des soins de qualité tout en assurant la sécurité des patients. De mars à mai ainsi que d'octobre à décembre 2020, un total de 254 patients oncologiques testés positifs au SARS-CoV-2 ont bénéficié d'un suivi téléphonique au Département d'oncologie du CHUV. Cet article décrit les points clés de l'implantation et du fonctionnement de ce télésuivi, grâce à la collaboration entre différentes unités et une équipe interprofessionnelle.