Clinical Summary

• An APP-led telehealth symptom education and monitoring intervention increased patient engagement in cancer symptom self-management.
• Patients receiving telehealth education made 74% more symptom support calls than those receiving standard education.
• The intervention did not significantly reduce emergency department utilization overall, and GI cancer patients in the intervention group had higher odds of ED visits.

Advanced practice provider (APP)-led telehealth education may improve patient engagement in cancer symptom management, according to a retrospective study presented at the 2026 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress. Although the intervention did not reduce emergency department (ED) visits overall, it significantly increased proactive symptom self-management behaviors among patients receiving cancer treatment.

The quasi-experimental cohort study included 120 patients with gastrointestinal (GI), lung, or sarcoma cancers treated at a single academic institution. Patients in the intervention arm (n = 61) received tailored telehealth symptom education and monitoring (TSEM) from specialized oncology APPs within seven days of treatment initiation. The control group (n = 59) received standard patient education.

Researchers evaluated ED utilization and patient engagement in symptom self-management, measured through documented patient-initiated symptom support calls in the medical record. Statistical analyses included multivariable logistic, linear, and negative-binomial regression models adjusted for demographic and clinical variables.

Overall, the intervention did not significantly reduce ED utilization. In fact, patients with GI cancers in the TSEM group demonstrated increased odds of ED visits compared with controls. However, the intervention significantly increased symptom self-management engagement. Patients receiving APP-led telehealth education made 74% more symptom support calls than those receiving standard education.

The increase in proactive symptom communication was especially notable among patients with GI cancers, suggesting that telehealth-based education may encourage earlier reporting and management of treatment-related symptoms.

Investigators emphasized the central role of oncology nurse practitioners within APP teams in delivering individualized cancer education to patients and caregivers. Telehealth also expanded access by enabling family members to participate more easily in educational sessions.

Clinically, the findings suggest that APP-led telehealth interventions may strengthen patient self-efficacy and encourage earlier symptom recognition, even if reductions in acute care utilization are not immediately observed. Increased patient-initiated communication may support timely interventions and ongoing monitoring during active cancer treatment.

The study also highlights the growing role of telehealth in oncology supportive care, particularly for complex symptom management. Personalized, cancer-specific education delivered early in treatment may help patients and caregivers better navigate side effects and seek assistance sooner.

Researchers concluded that early, personalized APP-led telehealth education may empower patients to engage more actively in symptom management throughout treatment. They recommended future prospective, multisite studies to evaluate long-term effects on emergency care utilization, patient-reported outcomes, and quality of oncology care across diverse patient populations.

Source:

Ruegg T, Zhao X, Smith M, Henry K, Koru-Sengul T. Can APP-Led Telehealth Improve Patient Engagement in Cancer Symptom Care? Presented at the Oncology Nursing Society Annual Congress; May 13-17, 2026. San Antonio, TX.