The research found that digital health coaching could provide a new opportunity for those with prostate cancer to manage their condition.
Leading patient engagement platform, Pack Health, today announced the publication of their recent study manuscript, “A Pilot Feasibility Study of Digital Health Coaching for Men with Prostate Cancer” in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) Oncology Practice. Pack Health collaborated with the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health (SKCC) on this research. The study detailed in the publication examined the feasibility of digital health coaching (DHC) for men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer within an ambulatory setting.
Individuals with prostate cancer can experience challenges while managing their diagnosis and treatment within the community setting, including discussing potentially sensitive topics with their care team. Prior research suggests that digital health coaching is a viable intervention for patients with cancer diagnoses to measure patient-reported outcomes, address patient self-efficacy, and work beyond ambulatory settings.
A total of 100 men, age 18 and older, living within the greater Philadelphia area received 12 weeks of access to a digital health coaching program developed for individuals with prostate cancer immediately following enrollment. In order to be eligible, participants must have actively received treatment for a prostate cancer diagnosis within the past two years. The program included access to a Health Advisor from Pack Health. Participants and their Health Advisors spoke weekly by phone call, text, or email to discuss topics related to prostate cancer care, including fatigue, pain management, sexual health, and stress and anxiety.
Feasibility of the digital health coaching intervention was achieved with 63 of the 88 eligible participants who enrolled completing the program (71.5%). Additional outcome measures also demonstrated improvement in other areas, including health self-efficacy and physical health.
“This research suggests that digital health coaching could be a promising patient support intervention to enhance outcomes for men with prostate cancer during and beyond the treatment period. We are grateful to work with our collaborators at Jefferson Health and to those men who consented to participate in this study, without whom these insights would not have been possible,” says Kelly Brassil, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Director of Clinical Research at Pack Health.
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