Findings of mobile based palliative care system: towards formulating a generic framework for measuring QoL

Abstract

Here we present the final analysis result of e-ESAS, a mobile based symptom monitoring and management system for terminally ill breast cancer (BC) patients in rural Bangladesh. These patients need palliative care support whose goal is to meet patients' social, spiritual and psychological needs as well as alleviating pain and other symptoms. But in the context of rural Bangladesh, doctors find it very difficult to control even the most significant symptom 'pain' due to a lack of history of symptom data. In this scenario we have deployed e-ESAS which has been used by 10 patients to submit symptom values from their home for 10 months (Nov '11- Sep '12). Our results show how e-ESAS with motivational videos not only helped the patients to have a 'dignified' life but also helped the doctors to achieve the goals of palliative care. Also the analyzed results are shown in 4 categories to appropriately measure the contribution of e-ESAS in improving the quality of life (QoL) of the patients.