Geriatric assessment in cancer, and digital health
Cancer care demands a thorough understanding of each individual patient’s status and peculiarities. When it comes to caring for the elderly, the situation is even more challenging, as these patients are often faced with multiple chronic conditions, have weaker overall health or immune system, or may experience mental and other challenges.
More digital tools have emerged to support the evaluation and understanding of each cancer patient’s needs. This is critical for both the patient’s own self-assessment and self-care, as well as the possible adjustments and adaptations of the total care of each patient by their medical team.
Data collection services, including those utilising Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs), are an important part of the landscape. These can incorporate symptom tracking and even some Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solutions.
The focus on the elderly, however, necessitates a customised approach. Specifically, geriatric assessments are critical for understanding the patient status in a uniform, evidence-based way. One such tool is the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA).
Impact for patients
Patients with cancer who are of older age have an increasing array of services catering to their unique needs. As with many challenges, a first step is to evaluate the patient situation, and this is where the incorporation of the relevant tools is critical. Patients stand to benefit from these assessments – however, they should be aware that this is not a threat but an opportunity to help their clinical team to individualise their care. Every such opportunity is one to be leveraged, especially in the resource-strained environments and clinical settings we are all facing.
Impact for clinicians
Cancer care is personal. Caring for the elderly patient is uniquely challenging. It is important to incorporate the appropriate evaluation and adaptation methods to help individualise care in a systematic, evidence-based manner. The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is one such tool to consider.
The IMPORTANT study
One of the driving forces behind the IMPORTANT project and study has been the necessity to adjust the approach not only for the age but also for the frailty of cancer patients. This is indicative of the study’s relevance in an environment where not only the medical care is becoming complicated, but treatments may also have very different impact and side-effects on patients’ quality of life. Such a pragmatic approach is illustrative of patients’ needs today and tomorrow.
Summary
When it comes to cancer care, one size does not fit all, including ages. Even when considering patients of the same exact age, their health status (physical and beyond) is an important input to adjust the medical approach accordingly. Geriatric assessments can be part of the methodologies employed.