OBJECTIVES: Digital tools can play an important role in personal monitoring and symptom management in prostate cancer (PC), which can reduce the strain on healthcare systems. This study aimed to explore patient engagement with digital tools and how to optimize their functionalities to better support PC care.

METHODS: A literature review of real-world use of digital tools was conducted in PC care published within the last 5 years. The target database was Embase, supplemented with handsearching of PC congresses. The search strategy used keywords such as “telemedicine”, “app”, and “self-management”.

RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included (1193 participants). Identified digital tools and their engagement rates (ie patients who used the digital tool/patients that were provided with the tool) were: apps (n=8, 43–88%), web-based platforms (n=7, 24–93%), wearable devices (n=4, 63–96%) and telephone (n=3, 71–93%). The most common functionality identified was symptom reporting (n=13), which was often combined with healthcare provider (HCP) monitoring (n=10). Other common functionalities included access to health/lifestyle records (N=8), direct communication with HCPs (n=10), digitized PC information (N=6), mental health support (N=6) and physical activity tracking (n=3). Functionality-specific engagement was 66–83%, the lowest being associated with HCP monitoring (range=24–93%) and the highest being associated with physical activity tracking (range=63–96%). Engagement rate was negatively correlated with patient age and disease stage.

CONCLUSIONS: Digital tool engagement in PC was generally high and not tool-specific. Personal monitoring and symptom management showed the highest engagement – these are probably the most effective functionalities in enhancing PC care and should be implemented in future tools. With the advent of AI, there is great potential for improving outcomes and reducing healthcare burden across cancer care. Further research is required to determine the most effective digital tool design for older users and those with advanced disease.