The e-Symptom Management using Advanced Symptom Management System Remote Technology (eSMART) is funded by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme (Project N° 602289). Τhe clinical trial aims to evaluate the impact of a mobile phone-based, remote monitoring, symptom management intervention (Advanced Symptom Management System, ASyMS) on the delivery of care to people diagnosed with non metastatic breast, colorectal or haematological cancer during chemotherapy and for one year after treatment.
Patients have a prominent co-researcher role in eSMART and participate in all project activities from project concept to implementation. ECPC, in its patient representative role participates equally with other researchers within the eSMART Project Technical Management Board, the Publications Committee, and the Exploitation Committee, offering advice and feedback to ensure that the trial is designed and conducted in line with patients’ needs and preferences.
Cancer patients can greatly benefit from mobile information and communication technology in healthcare (mhealth). It is particularly important to develop mhealth tools in supportive cancer care: patients often find out that they need advice and support, between one round of chemotherapy and the other, to cope with the symptoms and/or adverse events of chemotherapy. Often it is difficult or not possible to get in contact with their physician, when they most need his/her advice. Mobile technology can offer new possibilities in cancer supportive care and improve cancer care delivery, while reducing health care costs and improving patients quality of life.
eSMART (Randomized controlled trial to evaluate electronic Symptom Management using the Advanced Symptom Management Systemt (ASyMS) Remote Technology for patients with cancers) is a pioneering research project that could transform cancer care and significantly reduce healthcare costs by enabling cancer care clinicians to monitor patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast, bowel and blood cancers via mobile phone. The eSMART researchers believe that through mhealth, the identification and treatment of life-threatening side effects will be quicker when compared to current care systems.
For this reason, the eSMART partners will organise a Public Seminar to raise awareness on the reliability of mhealth and its powerful means. “Giving Control to Patients: mhealth technology in cancer supportive care” will be held in Athens, Greece on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at the auditorium of the Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens.
The event takes place within the Annual Technical Meeting of the eSMART, hosted this year in Greece and co-organized by the Faculty of Nursing of the University of Athens and the European Cancer Patient Coalition.
For any additional information on the eSMART Seminar in Athens you may contact: