Nova Scotia Health launches scheduling app for cancer patients

Cancer patients in Nova Scotia can now access appointment schedules, reminders and schedule changes through an app called noona.

It's part of a Nova Scotia Health projectintended to increase communication between patients and their health teams, and monitor patients' symptoms remotely.

"It's difficult to reach patients obviously if they're outside of clinic," saidDr. Amanda Caissie, the project's medical lead. "So noona provides the ability to to move forward on that program in a remote way, so reaching out to patients from home."

The scheduling app is the first noona feature to be rolled out in Nova Scotia, a Nova Scotia Health statement said.

Caissie said currently if patientswant to contact their care providers, they have to do it through phone messages. Caissie saidshe hopes the project will decrease emergency room visits and hospital admissions.

People who don't have access to electronic devices don't have to use noona, said Caissie.

The province is alsolooking into alternative options for those people, she said.

Caissie said better communication between the health-care team and patients improves their quality of life. She saidthere's some evidence it can even improve survival rates.

More features to be rolled out soon

"If you look at the difference between patient-reported outcomes and health-care provider toxicities, patients tend to report their symptoms earlier, which allows us in that way to catch issues earlier and and address them," she said.

Caissie said the programis designed to complement in-person care, not replace it.

She said other app features will be rolled out in the near future.

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