Supporting cancer patients to self-manage: Extent of use and perceptions of "trusted" online self-management resources.

Objectives: Online resources can support patient self-management practices, but are not systematically used in routine clinical practice. We evaluated cancer patients' satisfaction with, and use of, tailored online resources.

Methods: Patients completed monthly validated electronic patient reported outcome measures (ePROMs) of distress, unmet needs and symptoms. Patients with ePROM scores above pre-determined thresholds received an email directing them to relevant online self-management resources. Perceptions and experiences with these resources were evaluated via an online survey 3, 6 and 9 months after their initial monthly ePRO; and a subset of patients was also interviewed. Webpage use was monitored through Google Analytics and ClickMeter.

Results: Overall, 221 patients completed evaluation surveys and 31 completed interviews. Patients spent 0-10 min on average accessing resources, with 93% indicating they would reuse them. The most viewed page was physical wellbeing (n = 680); exercise and nutrition resources were most popular; and 69% of patients were satisfied with information content, reporting resources were easy to understand and navigate.

Conclusions: Online resources are perceived as acceptable and useful. Design and delivery recommendations can improve their support of self-management.

Practice Implications: Incorporating automated online self-management resources into routine clinical workflows is a viable model to support routine follow up care.