1671P - Impact of online delivery of potentially sensitive test results on patients with breast cancer's emotional health

Background

The rise of the internet has transformed communication and healthcare, allowing easy access to sensitive medical test results. However, this practice lacks regulation. Breast cancer, the most common cancer in women, has seen improved survival rates, leading to more individuals living with the disease. Patients accessing their results online can pose challenges for oncologists due to the anxiety stemming from this constant access. Studies show conflicting outcomes regarding the emotional impact of this access, ranging from increased patient engagement to heightened anxiety. This study aims to investigate whether online receipt of sensitive results can worsen the emotional health of oncology patients, for instance, by intensifying anxiety symptoms.

Methods

This cross-sectional study employed a questionnaire with four sections to assess patients diagnosed with breast cancer within five years. The questionnaire covered demographic information, online test result access habits, anxiety levels during result anticipation, and validated screening tools for personality disorders (PID-5-BF), anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9). Sample size estimation for confidence interval calculations targeted 385 patients. The current analysis includes data from 198 respondents.

Results

Among the 198 participants, 196 (99%) were female, with only 2 (1%) being male. The majority (75.3%) received their breast cancer diagnosis within the past 1 to 5 years. In terms of cancer staging, 41.4% had early-stage disease (Stages I-III), while 57.6% had advanced-stage disease (Stage IV). Concerning online result access, 25.3% reported infrequent online result checks, while 74.2% confirmed habitual checking. During result anticipation, 64.6% expressed anxiety, primarily described as mild (62.2%). Statistical analyses indicated no significant association between online result access behavior and anxiety levels (p=0.609), anxiety disorders (p=0.411), or depressive disorders (p=0.484).

Conclusions

This interim analysis did not reveal a correlation between receiving potentially sensitive test results online and patient anxiety. Recruitment is ongoing and on target to produce a final analysis in the near future.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.