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Using digital technology to support wellbeing and independence among people living with incurable cancers: a systematic review

Curry, Jordan; Caperchione, Cristina; Greenley, Sarah; Dennis, Elizabeth; Forbes, Cynthia

Authors

Cristina Caperchione

Elizabeth Dennis



Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this systematic review is to summarise and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of using digital technology to deliver physical activity and/or nutrition interventions to promote wellbeing and independence among adults with advanced or incurable cancer.
Methods
Systematic structured searches for any experimental study exploring physical activity and/or nutrition intervention delivery with digital technology were conducted in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. All records were screened, extracted, and quality assessed by two authors. Main outcomes were feasibility and acceptability of using technology to help deliver interventions, with secondary outcomes of potential efficacy in any measure of quality of life, wellbeing, or function.
Result
Twenty-nine eligible studies were included. Digital interventions were mostly feasible and acceptable, with high retention rates and participant satisfaction. Many participants expressed willingness to recommend the interventions to others or continue use. Engagement rates were generally high, although fewer studies addressed diet and nutrition than exercise and physical activity interventions.
Conclusion
Digital supportive care interventions may be feasible, well-accepted, and tolerated by individuals with incurable cancer. These platforms could effectively improve this population’s support for physical activity and symptom management. However, the heterogeneity in study designs highlights the exploratory nature of these interventions. To advance the field, future research should focus on adequately powered studies, improved generalisability, and standardised tools for measuring outcomes.

Citation

Curry, J., Caperchione, C., Greenley, S., Dennis, E., & Forbes, C. (2025). Using digital technology to support wellbeing and independence among people living with incurable cancers: a systematic review. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 33, Article 699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09759-1

Journal Article Type Review
Acceptance Date Jul 7, 2025
Online Publication Date Jul 18, 2025
Publication Date Jul 18, 2025
Deposit Date Jul 22, 2025
Publicly Available Date Jul 22, 2025
Print ISSN 0941-4355
Publisher Springer Verlag
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 33
Article Number 699
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09759-1
Keywords Digital interventions; Incurable cancer; Wellbeing; Feasibility; Physical activity; Exercise; Acceptability
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/5288976

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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2025.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.




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