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BACKGROUND Virtual community, as a platform providing social connections, has received research attention in the medical field. However, there is currently no virtual community tailored for outpatient cancer patients. This study presents preliminary data on a customized virtual community designed to offer companionship and sharing for outpatient cancer patients. OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess the feasibility and initial effectiveness of a newly developed virtual community application in improving the quality of life (QOL) among cancer patients. METHODS A phase 2 intervention-only design was implemented to evaluate the acceptance, compliance, and preliminary efficacy of a virtual community for outpatient cancer patients. The study involved cancer patients participating in a 4-week virtual community support intervention through a mobile app. Patients completed a QOL questionnaire at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks to assess primary outcomes. Task engagement, task completion rates, and daily community logins were also monitored to evaluate intervention feasibility. RESULTS Baseline assessments were conducted on 30 patients, with 25 patients assessed at T1 and 22 at T2. The average daily login rate was 60.37%, with daily participation and community activity completion rates reaching 42.25% and 22.38%, respectively. Patients actively engaging in community activities showed significant improvements in global health status (QL) (P=0.004), emotional function (EF) (P=0.035), and constipation (CO) (P=0.005) after 4 weeks compared to less active patients. CONCLUSIONS The virtual community intervention, emphasizing companionship and sharing, proved feasible for enhancing the QOL among cancer patients. Future validation of its effectiveness will require well-designed randomized controlled trials. Continued optimization tailored to specific user groups will also be crucial for meeting the community's evolving needs.
He et al. (Thu,) studied this question.