Why ePROs Are the Future of Supportive Oncology Care

At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology and president of Community Oncology Alliance, discusses how findings from 2 studies presented at ASCO reinforce the expanding role of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) in improving outcomes and shaping the future of oncology care delivery.^1,2

Patt reflected on the growing evidence supporting remote symptom monitoring, highlighting data demonstrating reductions in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and overall healthcare costs among patients receiving active treatment. She noted that these findings, coupled with years of prior research, suggest that continuous symptom monitoring is becoming an increasingly important component of high-quality cancer care.

Patt emphasized that the benefits of ePROs may be especially meaningful for patients receiving therapies associated with rapidly evolving toxicities, including bispecific antibodies, cellular therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. For these patients, she explained, the ability to report symptoms in real time from home enables care teams to identify adverse events sooner and intervene before complications worsen, potentially improving treatment continuity and patient outcomes.

Looking ahead, Patt said she expects more oncology organizations to adopt remote symptom monitoring over the next decade as evidence continues to accumulate. She concluded that sharing implementation experiences and clinical outcomes at meetings such as ASCO will be critical to advancing patient-centered care and helping practices deliver safer, more proactive oncology care across community settings.

REFERENCES

1. Essell JH, Derman BA, Kolodziej MA, et al. Impact of remote therapeutic monitoring with patient-reported outcomes on hospitalization in real-world patients receiving therapy for metastatic solid tumors. J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(16_suppl):11005-11005. doi:10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.11005

2. Basch E, Jansen J, Carr PM, et al. National implementation of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) for remote symptom monitoring in oncology: The OncoPRO initiative. J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(16_suppl):1571-1571. doi:10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.1571