A Mobile App to Help Children with Cancer Share Their Symptoms
mHealth Intervention to Support Symptom Communication for Children with Cancer
This project is creating a mobile app called Color Me Healthy to help children with cancer communicate their symptoms to their parents and care team during early treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11139443 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Children with cancer often experience difficult symptoms from their illness and treatments, which can affect their quality of life and even survival if not managed well. Sharing these symptoms effectively with parents and the medical team is crucial for getting the right care. This project is developing a child-friendly mobile app, Color Me Healthy, designed with input from children, parents, and clinicians, to make it easier for young patients to report how they are feeling. The goal is to integrate this information directly into their medical records, helping doctors and nurses respond quickly to their needs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project is designed for school-age children (6-12 years old) who are receiving early cancer treatment and their parents.
Not a fit: Patients who are not within the specified age range or are not undergoing active cancer treatment may not directly benefit from this particular app.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this app could lead to better symptom management, improved quality of life, and potentially better health outcomes for children undergoing cancer treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Digital health tools and mobile apps are an emerging area, and while some have shown promise in supporting health communication, this specific child-centric approach for pediatric cancer symptom reporting is being developed and tested.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Linder, Lauri a — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Linder, Lauri a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.