Journal of Cancer Survivorship

, Volume 11, Issue 4, pp 505–516 | Cite as

Development of a text messaging system to improve receipt of survivorship care in adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer

  • Jacqueline Casillas
  • Anju Goyal
  • Jason Bryman
  • Faisal Alquaddoomi
  • Patricia A Ganz
  • Emma Lidington
  • Joshua Macadangdang
  • Deborah Estrin
Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to develop and examine the acceptability, feasibility, and usability of a text messaging, or Short Message Service (SMS), system for improving the receipt of survivorship care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Methods

Researchers developed and refined the text messaging system based on qualitative data from AYA survivors in an iterative three-stage process. In stage 1, a focus group (n = 4) addressed acceptability; in stage 2, key informant interviews (n = 10) following a 6-week trial addressed feasibility; and in stage 3, key informant interviews (n = 23) following a 6-week trial addressed usability. Qualitative data were analyzed using a constant comparative analytic approach exploring in-depth themes.

Results

The final system includes programmed reminders to schedule and attend late effect screening appointments, tailored suggestions for community resources for cancer survivors, and messages prompting participant feedback regarding the appointments and resources. Participants found the text messaging system an acceptable form of communication, the screening reminders and feedback prompts feasible for improving the receipt of survivorship care, and the tailored suggestions for community resources usable for connecting survivors to relevant services. Participants suggested supplementing survivorship care visits and forming AYA survivor social networks as future implementations for the text messaging system.

Conclusions

The text messaging system may assist AYA survivors by coordinating late effect screening appointments, facilitating a partnership with the survivorship care team, and connecting survivors with relevant community resources.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The text messaging system has the potential to improve the receipt of survivorship care.

Keywords

Survivorship Adolescent and young adult SMS Mobile device Text message Late effects 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

Supported by Administrative Supplement NOT-CA-10-026 from the National Cancer Institute and by a seed grant from UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The UCLA Institutional Review Board approved the study protocol and informed consent was obtained for each subject. Participants received a $40 gift card to offset potential text messaging costs. All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. All procedures were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Jacqueline Casillas
    • 1
    • 2
  • Anju Goyal
    • 3
  • Jason Bryman
    • 4
  • Faisal Alquaddoomi
    • 5
  • Patricia A Ganz
    • 2
    • 3
    • 6
  • Emma Lidington
    • 7
  • Joshua Macadangdang
    • 1
  • Deborah Estrin
    • 8
    • 9
  1. 1.Department of Pediatrics, Hematology-OncologyUCLA David Geffen School of MedicineLos AngelesUSA
  2. 2.Division of Cancer Prevention and Control ResearchUCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer CenterLos AngelesUSA
  3. 3.UCLA David Geffen School of MedicineLos AngelesUSA
  4. 4.University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaPeoriaUSA
  5. 5.Department of Computer ScienceUCLALos AngelesUSA
  6. 6.Department of Health Policy and ManagementUCLA Fielding School of Public HealthLos AngelesUSA
  7. 7.London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
  8. 8.Department of Computer ScienceCornell TechNew YorkUSA
  9. 9.Department of Healthcare Policy and ResearchWeill Cornell Medical College in New York CityNew YorkUSA

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