Evidence mapPaperPMID 42579605Full record

Observational studyJMIR cancer2026

Feasibility of Implementing an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome-Based Digital Health Platform in Pediatric Oncology and Palliative Care: Insights From the MyPal4Kids Multicenter Observational Study.

Marcel Meyerheim, Lenka Radová, Anna Burns-Gebhart, Marvin Mergen, Pantelis Natsiavas, Panos Bonotis, Christina Karamanidou, Sheila Payne, Julia Downing, Julie Ling and 7 more

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in JMIR cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Marcel MeyerheimDepartment of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University, Building 9, Homburg, 66421, Germany, 49 68411628045.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9294-9445
Lenka RadováCenter of Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8103-148X
Anna Burns-GebhartDepartment for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-6374-2419
Marvin MergenDepartment of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University, Building 9, Homburg, 66421, Germany, 49 68411628045.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3891-580X
Pantelis NatsiavasInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4061-9815
Panos BonotisInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9317-547X
Christina KaramanidouInstitute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2849-3690
Sheila PayneInternational Observatory on End of Life Care, Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6982-9181
Julia DowningInternational Children's Palliative Care Network, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3450-785X
Julie LingEuropean Association for Palliative Care, Vilvoorde, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6187-8253
Annette SanderDepartment for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8937-7485
Kasra MirzaieDepartment for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-7996-1144
Susan DokuturDepartment for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-2724-1831
Jana VaculíkováDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-6607-351X
Petr LokajDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3326-8519
Ondřej RohlederDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2869-3019
Norbert GrafDepartment of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University, Building 9, Homburg, 66421, Germany, 49 68411628045.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2248-323X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Digital health solutions that incorporate electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) hold promise for enhancing communication and patient engagement in pediatric oncology and palliative care. While ePROs are increasingly used in adult populations, their use in children, especially when combined with gamification, remains underexplored. Objective: This MyPal4Kids study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and user engagement of a digital health platform that integrates ePROs and a serious game, designed for pediatric oncology patients aged 6-17 years and their caregivers. Methods: A multicenter observational feasibility study was conducted between December 2020 and September 2022 at 3 clinical sites in Germany and the Czech Republic. A total of 83 children and adolescents with cancer, their parent or legal guardian, as well as 10 health care professionals (HCPs) participated. Primary outcomes included platform acceptability and engagement, assessed through recruitment, participation, and attrition rates, adherence, and usability ratings. Secondary outcomes focused on the feasibility of ePRO-based data capture and the perceived impact on HCP workflows and communication. A mixed methods design was used, combining in-app data and surveys with qualitative insights from focus groups. Results: The recruitment rate was 55%, with an attrition rate of 18%. Usability was rated positively, with most users finding the platform intuitive. Sustained engagement declined over time, particularly among older children who found the serious game insufficiently engaging. Adherence varied by age group and HCP involvement. Participants reported increased motivation when symptom reports were acknowledged by HCPs, although the impact on communication was perceived inconsistently. Conclusions: The developed platform shows potential for use in clinical care and research. However, maintaining long-term engagement remains a challenge. Tailoring content to different age groups and strengthening feedback mechanisms from HCPs are critical for improving the user experience. Successful implementation in routine clinical practice will require integration into existing workflows and digital infrastructure, along with ongoing user-driven development.

Indexed as

Medical OncologyNeoplasmsPalliative CarePatient Reported Outcome MeasuresAdolescentChildDigital HealthFeasibility StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansMalePatient Participationdigital healthelectronic patient-reported outcomesgamificationmHealthmobile healthpalliative carepatient engagementpediatric oncologyserious game

Identifiers

PMID42579605
PMCPMC13460066

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.