Feasibility and Acceptability Evaluation of a Digital Therapeutic Program for Improving Cancer Prevention: A Quasi-experimental Pre-post Interventional Pilot Study

• Published in: Journal of cancer education Vol. 39; no. 5; pp. 520 - 529
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xianwei, Zhang, Sheng, Zhang, Haiyan, Xiong, Ziyou, Li, Yi, Li, Lufeng, Pi, Xitian, Liu, Hongying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.10.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Advisors; Aged; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cancer; Cancer Research; Diet; Disease prevention; Education; Exercise; Feasibility Studies; Female; Health Behavior; Health surveys; Humans; Intervention; Life Style; Lifestyles; Likert scale; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - prevention & control; Nutrition research; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Physical fitness; Pilot Projects; Questionnaires; Retention; Self evaluation; Sleep; Smartphones; Smoking; Software; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telemedicine; Tumors; User behavior; Smartphones; Self-management; Behavior change; DTx; Cancer prevention; Mobile applications
• ISSN: 0885-8195; 1543-0154; 1543-0154
• DOI: 10.1007/s13187-024-02431-y

Previous studies have proved that healthy behaviors hinder the onset and progression of tumors. Digital therapeutics (DTx), playing a pivotal role in facilitating behavioral adjustments through educational interventions, lifestyle support, and symptom monitoring, contribute to the goal of tumor prevention. We aim to optimize the evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of DTx for cancer prevention. This involves assessing AITI’s daily activity rates and user feedback, and comparing changes in behavioral habits and differences in SF-36 before and after the intervention. In a 4-week trial with 57 participants engaging actively, we found both the average daily activity rate and 4-week retention rate at 35 (61.4%). The USE Questionnaire scores (validity, ease of use, acquisition, and satisfaction) ranged from 68.06 to 83.10, indicating AITI’s user-friendliness and acceptability. Furthermore, positive habit changes were noted among participants in exercise and diet ( p  < 0.0001), suggesting the effectiveness of the DTx approach in modifying behavioral habits related to physical activity and nutrition. This pilot study underscores the potential of DTx in advancing cancer prevention. However, larger and longer studies are needed to comprehensively assess its impact.