Co-design of an immunotherapy remote monitoring system
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Co-designing a remote monitoring and support system for people receiving immunotherapy and their significant others
IRAS ID
355067
Contact name
Roma Maguire
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Strathclyde
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 27 days
Research summary
Immunotherapy is transforming cancer treatment, helping the body’s immune system to fight cancer. However, it comes with a unique set of side-effects that can be difficult to manage, unpredictable and sometimes serious.
This project aims to develop a new immunotherapy-specific component for a tried-and-tested remote monitoring system – The Advanced Symptom Management System (ASyMS). A remote monitoring system provides a way to keep an eye on how someone is feeling and doing without them needing to go to the hospital or the clinic all the time. It can let people report symptoms from home, using a phone or tablet, answering questions regularly about how they’re feeling (like if they have a rash, feel tired or in pain), and the system uses this information to spot any signs that something might be wrong. If the system notices a worrying change, it can send an alert to a nurse or doctor, so they can get in touch quickly. It can also give advice to the person straight away, such as what they can do to feel better or when they need to seek help.This study will co-design such a system through workshops with people with lived experience — patients receiving immunotherapy, their significant others and the health professionals who support them. Workshops will explore what side-effects should be monitored, the best ways to assess side-effects and what self-care advice should be provided. The information gathered will also allow the development of a clinical risk algorithm, that will ensure that health professionals are alerted to any serious issues early, allowing them to step in quickly and prevent complications.
By involving those directly affected, this project will co-create a final test system that is practical, supportive and meets real-world needs. This will then be tested in a later project.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
25/SS/0039
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion