The Sussex Cancer Fund is delighted to have been involved in a project with the Enhanced Supportive Care team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, to remotely collect quality of life data for cancer patients who may require palliative care input and provide them with additional support at an earlier stage. This project is headed by Dr Ollie Minton, Clinical Director for Cancer, and while simple in outline view has far-ranging benefits to patients and their care-givers. Through the digital reporting platform provided by ‘My Clinical Outcomes’ patients are asked to self-report their symptoms, the data collected is then coordinated through the software and available to patients and their care team. Any emerging changes in their symptoms and quality of life data can then be seen quickly and changes in care regimes implemented swiftly.

While this is a relatively simple process the impact of this and other projects like it have been very impressive. for example according to Prof. Ethan Basch, UNC Cancer Centre & ASCO Board of Directors, ASCO 2017

“Patients who self-reported symptoms experience multiple statistically significant clinical
benefits:
• 31% of patients experienced better quality of life and better physical functioning
• 7% reduction in emergency room visits
• Patients were able to remain on potentially life-prolonging chemotherapy for an average of 2 months longer duration
And, most notably:
• Overall survival was 5 months longer (a 20% increase)
• At 5 years 8% more patients were alive in the self-reporting group”

In addition to the benefits seen by patients, the system can also save thousands of pounds, as costly emergency hospital admissions are avoided as any deterioration can be picked up and any required care interventions made sooner. A paper has now been published in the ‘Clinical Oncology’ journal which can be read here: A Short Report Examining the Introduction of Routine Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in a Mixed Oncology Population. 

This explainer video has also been created to give an overview of the project.

We would like to wish Dr Ollie Minton and his team the best of luck with this project and we look forward to hearing more about the positive benefits as the system is adopted more widely through the Trust.