Gynecological Cancer Survivors' Experiences Using a Supportive Care Application During Posttreatment Follow-up: A Qualitative Study.

Gynecological cancer survivors often report unmet needs during follow-up, highlighting the necessity for innovative support approaches. Mobile health technologies, including smartphone applications, offer promising solutions to meet the needs of survivors and support them through follow-up. However, there is limited knowledge regarding cancer survivors' experiences with these technologies as part of posttreatment follow-up. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of gynecological cancer survivors using the Lifestyle Empowerment Techniques in Survivorship of Gynecologic Oncology (LETSGO) app as a supportive care tool for symptom self-assessment, physical activity goal setting, and encouraging a healthier lifestyle during follow-up. A qualitative exploratory design was employed using individual semistructured interviews with 20 women at 5 Norwegian hospitals who had access to the LETSGO app during follow-up. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clark's thematic analysis approach. The LETSGO app contributed to an increased sense of safety by facilitating symptom monitoring and offering easy access to healthcare providers. It also motivated survivors to adopt a healthier lifestyle, including physical activity, and offered valuable, easily accessible, evidence-based knowledge, as described in the main themes: feeling safe, motivation for adopting a healthier lifestyle, and fostering health engagement through knowledge. The findings suggest that gynecological cancer survivors experienced the LETSGO app as a supportive tool in managing their health by enhancing safety, encouraging healthier lifestyle behaviors, and providing relevant, evidence-based knowledge. Integrating lifestyle and empowerment applications, such as the LETSGO app, into routine survivorship care could contribute to addressing the unmet needs of gynecological cancer survivors and enhance patient-centered follow-up support.