WeCanManage: An mHealth self-management tool to empower survivors with disabilities due to the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment
The Story
There are an estimated 16.9 million cancer survivors in the United States. Approximately 40% of cancer survivors live with long-term physical, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of cancer and its treatment, which can in turn lead to long-term disability. Research indicates that self-management interventions can help people, including those with cancer, acquire the knowledge and skills needed to manage symptoms like pain, fatigue, anxiety and decreased mood. Delivering self-management interventions via smartphone applications (also called mHealth apps) can get self-management tools in the hands of people who need them the most, including cancer survivors with disabilities. To date, no mHealth self-management apps have been developed to meet the needs of cancer survivors with disabilities.
What We’re Doing
In this project, we are developing an innovative mHealth app, called WeCanManage (WCM), to empower cancer survivors with disabilities to proactively manage cancer and its consequences as a chronic condition. This rigorous development and evaluation process will lay the foundation for future clinical trial research. People with disabilities are an unrecognized health disparities population and are often excluded from the cancer health equity agenda. Indeed, cancer survivors indicate that their long-term disability needs are inadequately addressed across the cancer care and survivorship continuum.
The WCM research project is an opportunity to enhance the cancer community’s understandings of this population and to develop evidence-informed interventions to better meet the needs of people with the ‘double whammy’ of cancer and disability.
Full Project #1 – Research Team & Partners
- Susan Magasi (UIC)
- David Victorson (NU)
- Rachel Adler (NEIU)
- Tamara Hamlish (UIC)
Study Results
Study is underway. Please check back for study updates and results! Contact us to learn more or to get involved.
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