Effect of Mobile Health Interventions for Side Effects Management in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the role of mHealth interventions in cancer patients under radiation therapy. Studies were obtained from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and web of science databases on Aug 01, 2022. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Out of the 7 included studies, 4 studies had a control group as opposed to an intervention group. In two of these studies, no significant difference was observed in the quality of life, symptoms, and side effects of radiation therapy.  However, in two of the other included studies, there was a significant improvement in the quality of life, improvement in the symptoms and complications caused by radiation therapy, and a significant improvement in the performance of patients in the intervention group was observed compared to the control group. In 3 other cases included studies, the feasibility of mobile health interventions in patients undergoing radiotherapy was discussed, and in all 3 studies, patients were highly satisfied with the use of these types of programs. The results of our systematic review showed that mobile health interventions are at least as safe, effective, and feasible as traditional care sessions in reducing radiation-related complications and symptoms. This study was approved by the ethical committee of MUMS (approval number IR.MUMS.REC.1398.047).