Purpose: The long-term management of childhood cancer survivors is
complex. Electronic health (eHealth) technology has the potential to
significantly improve the management of late effects for childhood
cancer survivors and assist their General Practitioners (GP) to
coordinate their care. We assessed the acceptability of and perceived
benefits and barriers to eHealth use amongst survivors, parents, and
GPs. Methods: We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with
survivors of childhood cancer, parents of childhood cancer survivors and
their nominated GP. We described a hypothetical eHealth tool and asked
participants how likely they would use the tool to manage their
survivorship care and their perceived benefits and concerns for use of
the tool. We used content analysis to synthesise the data using QSR
NVivo12. Results: We interviewed 31 survivors (mean age: 27.0), 29
parents (survivors’ mean age: 12.6) and 51 GPs (mean years practising:
28.2). Eighty-five percent of survivors and parents (n=51), and 75% of
GPs (n=38) indicated that they would be willing to use an eHealth tool.
Survivors and parents reported that an eHealth tool would increase their
confidence in their ability, and their GP’s ability, to manage their
survivorship care. GPs agreed that an eHealth tool would provide easier
access to survivors’ medical information and increase their capacity to
provide support during survivorship. 7% of GPs (n= 4) and 43% of
survivors (n=26) reported being hesitant to use eHealth tools due to
privacy/security concerns. Conclusion: Overall, eHealth tools were
reported to be acceptable to childhood cancer survivors, their parents,
and their GPs.
Impact of the COVID pandemic on survivors of childhood cancer and survivorship care: lessons for the future
