OBJECTIVES:

To develop a cancer-focused smartphone app- OncoNurse Practice for oncology nurses for the purpose of drug administration and safe handling of hazardous drugs (chemotherapeutics) and also to assess the acceptability and usage of the app.

METHODS:

The smartphone app, OncoNurse Practice was designed and developed over a period of 6 months using the Android mobile platform. A multi-centre survey was conducted among 106 oncoNurses working across South India through structured questionnaires.

RESULTS:

Approximately, 92.5% perceived the need to access cancer-focused smartphone apps and online tools such as drug references. Of these, 18.9% had previously used smartphone apps. This showed that the highest need for its implementation was perceived in cities (62.3%) and villages (47.2%). After installing app into their devices for a month, majority stated the app was good (76.4%), user-friendly (88.7%) and was useful in patient education (95.3%). 99.1% of the surveyed nurses were satisfied with the app. 97.2% recommended its use . 56.6% of the nurses had used the app at least twice per day. Safe handling of chemotherapy was the most frequently searched information.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study found that the app was widely accepted among oncoNurses. Majority of them accessed the app more than once daily to enhance their knowledge on hazardous drugs and ensure effective handling. It further enabled them to provide improved quality of care for the cancer patients.