Aims: Patients receiving systemic anticancer therapy often experience treatment-related side effects and may be unsure when, who, or how to contact their healthcare team. Symptom-related telephone calls in outpatient oncology are often reactive, with patients and carers frequently uncertain about when to contact the oncology team, use existing resources, or seek emergency care. This service provision project aimed to develop a simple digital navigation tool to support early symptom escalation, reinforce the symptom helpline as first point of contact, reduce uncertainty around preventable acute care presentations, and improve access to trusted multilingual information.
Methods: A mobile-friendly prototype was developed using plain-language content, clinician review, and service-based workflow mapping, for patients and carers receiving systemic anticancer treatment. It includes language selection, common symptom prompts, escalation guidance, emergency safety-netting, and links to trusted resources, including multilingual cancer information. The tool is accessed via QR code and intended for use alongside, not in place of, existing clinical advice and assessment by the treating team.
Results: The prototype provides a structured pathway for patients and carers to identify symptoms, recognise when early contact is needed, and access reliable supportive care information. It offers a practical mechanism for standardising patient-facing advice across common treatment-related concerns and may reduce uncertainty about accessing timely support.
Conclusions: The Cancer Treatment Symptom Navigator is a low-cost, scalable digital support tool for outpatient oncology services. Planned next steps include local governance review, clinician feedback, and evaluation of usability, acceptability, and impact on symptom-related helpline activity.