Perceived usefulness, benefits, and needs of patient-generated health data among older adults after lung cancer surgery

Abstract

This study explored the usefulness, benefits, disadvantages, and implementation needs of patient-generated health data (PGHD) among older adults after lung cancer surgery. Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, a self-administered survey was completed by 220 patients aged >_ 65 years, and semi-structured interviews were held with 20 of them. Survey analysis identified lung function, blood pressure, and heart rate as the most useful PGHD parameters. Higher perceived usefulness was associated with younger age (65-74 years), higher income and education, fewer than three years since surgery, and greater digital literacy. Wrist-worn devices were the preferred data-collection modality. Qualitative content analysis revealed three themes: (1) benefits of PGHD for patients, healthcare providers, and family members; (2) disadvantages related to devices and data; and (3) PGHD-related needs concerning content and delivery platforms. Together, the findings indicate that older postoperative lung cancer patients value real-time physiological and activity data but face usability and trust barriers. Designing secure, user-friendly PGHD systems and providing tailored education and technical support are essential to maximize their benefits in postoperative care for this population. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)