PhD Scientific Days 2025

Pathological and Oncological Sciences II.

Comparing the Effect of Digital Health Interventions on the Quality of Life of Individuals Facing Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Name of the presenter

Aljomaa Seba

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Centre for Translational Medicine

Authors

Seba Aljomaa¹, Mark Hernadfoi¹, Miklos Bartok¹, Mira Szoke², Tamas koi¹, Reka Toth¹, Miklos Garami^1,3

1: Semmelweis university, Centre for Translational Medicine
2: Semmelweis university, Medical School
3: 2 Pediatric Center at Semmelweis University

Text of the abstract

Introduction: Digital health is an emerging approach in oncological care that can potentially improve health outcomes. The types of these interventions varied and were grouped under different categories, such as games, virtual reality (VR), mobile applications, and web-based platforms.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the effect of these interventions on quality of life (QoL), anxiety, fatigue, and depression in cancer patients during active treatment by reviewing current published research.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was performed to identify peer-reviewed journal articles that evaluated the use of digital health interventions, including games, virtual reality, mobile applications, and web-based platforms, among patients undergoing different cancer treatments. The search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library.

Results: Changes in quality of life in mobile application groups compared to standard care controls across five analyzed studies improved the QoL of cancer patients significantly (SMD=0.36, CI [0.04, 0.68]). Our findings showed a positive effect of the VR, mobile applications, and web-based platforms on anxiety; no significant effects were found on fatigue or depression by using VR and web-based interventions.

Conclusion: Digital health interventions are promising tools to improve cancer
patients' mental and physical aspects during their treatment.

Funding: This study was funded by the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship and the SE 250+ Excellence PhD Scholarship Program