The feasibility of applying e-PROMs to identify suboptimal adherence to oral anti-cancer chemotherapy in patients with renal cancer
Fiona Angus, Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Background
Patients with kidney cancer often receive treatment with a class of drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which have been shown to improve clinical outcomes. However, research indicates that some patients struggle to adhere to their TKI treatment due to side effects. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are known as questionnaires for regularly surveying patients’ signs and symptoms to capture some problems that patients may be unable to discuss with doctors at their appointments. PROMs can also allow patients to record the side effects they experience from TKI medication. It has been suggested that monitoring these PROMs could help identify patients who are experiencing difficulties with medication adherence due to side effects.
Aims and objectives
The primary goal of our project is to investigate whether electronic PROMs (e-PROM) can effectively identify kidney cancer patients who are experiencing side effects from TKIs and are also struggling with medication adherence so that we can develop some strategies to help patients prevent serious side effects. Specifically, we aim to:
- Examine the relationship between patient-reported side effects and medication adherence over time using longitudinal e-PROM data and records of medication dispensing.
- Explore patients’ experiences using e-PROMs and gather their perspectives on how this data can facilitate discussions with healthcare providers regarding medication management challenges.
Methods
To achieve our objectives, we will conduct an observational study to determine whether there is a correlation between patients reporting side effects in e-PROMs and instances of non-adherence to TKI medication. We will obtain information about medication adherence from hospital dispensing records and analyse this alongside data from patients’ clinical notes. Statistical analyses will be employed to assess the significance of any observed associations. Additionally, we will organise focus group discussions with two small groups of patients to gather insights into their views on using electronic PROMs to monitor medication side effects and adherence.
How will we use the results?
The findings from our research will have important implications for understanding medication challenges in kidney cancer treatment. If we identify a link between patient-reported side effects and medication non-adherence, e-PROMs could serve as a valuable tool for identifying patients in need of additional support with their medication regimen. This insight will inform the development of interventions to improve medication adherence among kidney cancer patients receiving TKI therapy. We plan to disseminate our results through publication in a scientific journal and presentation at a healthcare conference. Participants in our focus group discussions will also receive feedback on the study findings, ensuring their contributions are valued and acknowledged.
