Patient-empowered Remote Oncology: the Prospective, Multicentre Implementation Study - the PROMISE

With the increase in aging populations and cancer incidence worldwide, the accessibility of cancer care is under high pressure. The higher number of patients requiring cancer care will receive that care from a decreasing number of healthcare workers: the double aging phenomenon. These patients are typically followed up in surveillance protocols for many years after their primary care, impacting their lives and healthcare accessibility. Fundamental action must be taken to adapt healthcare systems to be future-proof. This begs the question of whether an (intensive) in-hospital postoperative surveillance strategy is still warranted from a patient's well-being and a societal healthcare cost perspective.

An optimal follow-up program for cancer (CRC) patients should be patient-centered, adaptive to patients’ needs, and measure objective and subjective cancer-specific and general health. Smart measurement technologies such as smart eHealth are essential in allowing adequate monitoring of patients' well-being in the comfort of their homes.

In collaboration with Erasmus MC and funded by the Dutch Cancer Foundation (KWF), Jacky Bourgeois will develop data-centric methods to explore and evaluate a personalized patient-centered surveillance program after curative intent surgery for.

Stay tuned; we will soon look for talented people for a Ph.D.!