Communication and easy to access information, support and resources are critical components of living with and self-managing a cancer diagnosis. The world of digital applications offers great potential for improving current approaches and supporting cancer survivors as they monitor and self-manage their illness in partnership with health professionals. With a growing demand for digital applications, consumers and health professionals need to be confident that such applications are credible and effective. A roadmap with underlying fundamental principles is needed to ensure that the applications can be assessed, amongst other elements, for their quality, evidence base, fit for purpose and security so that consumers living with cancer can have confidence in using digital technology to monitor progress and self-manage their cancer and be assured this will be of benefit.
This presentation aims to set the scene for development of the Australian Digital Health in Cancer Care Roadmap by introducing issues for the implementation of digital health in cancer care and the need for a digital health roadmap, from the perspective of a consumer living with cancer.