Researchers from Lancaster University have found many currently available breast cancer symptom-management apps do not meet important clinical or user needs.
With many early-stage breast cancer patients now following self-managed care pathways, the role of mobile health apps has become increasingly important. Patients are expected to monitor their symptoms from home and seek specialist clinical advice only when necessary. While this model reduces the burden on healthcare services, researchers say it also creates a gap in real-time clinical oversight.
Lancaster academics Dr Amjad Fayoumi, Senior Lecturer in Information Systems, and Dr Emily Winter, Lecturer in Computer Science, along with Master's student Xinyi Huang and Dr Anas Najdawi from Abu Dhabi University, undertook a comprehensive review of the clinical literature and mobile health trials to identify key app features that support effective symptom management. These include symptom tracking, educational content, mental health support, personalised feedback and integration with local hospital systems. Five apps available from the Apple store were assessed against these criteria.
To structure their evaluation, the team developed a formal set of requirements based on previous clinical studies and trials. These were then used to score each app. The highest-performing app met just over 70% of the total criteria, with critical shortcomings in areas such as clinician communication and psychological support. No app included all the recommended features, and some lacked even basic usability enhancements like multilingual content or caregiver access.
Most of the evaluated apps did perform well in basic areas, such as symptom logging and providing general information; however, few apps included mental health features like guided mindfulness or cognitive behavioural support, or real-time alerts to clinicians. Only one app was able to integrate with electronic health records, and most made only limited use of artificial intelligence, despite growing evidence predictive tools can anticipate symptom escalation and support treatment decisions. Similarly, the use of virtual reality, which has shown promise in reducing pain and anxiety, was not included in any of the reviewed apps.
Dr Winter said of the research: "This work shows there is a significant gap between the support that these apps should offer to breast cancer patients and the support that is actually present. There is clear room for improvement in this space."
Overall, the study showed a need for more integrated apps that do more than just record symptoms. The team now plans to focus on developing an app that includes the identified missing features, with the goal of turning breast cancer self-management apps into smarter, more supportive companions.
The full paper, 'Design Requirements of Breast Cancer Symptom-Management Apps' published in Informatics, can be found here
