Coronavirus & cancer - why it's never been more important to have support

COVID-19 has changed the landscape of the world in 2020. Everyone has been impacted by the pandemic on some level and especially those going through cancer treatment. Now, more than ever our well-being, health, and mentality need to be a priority.

At Vinehealth, our aim is to provide you with as much support as we can whilst you are undergoing treatment. We want to remove the burden of some everyday tasks and support you in managing your care more easily. Particularly as access to GPs and healthcare has become more limited.

Vinehealth can help to provide a full view of your care, both for yourself and your care team. For instance, our app allows you to log your activity levels and mood on a daily basis. This provides a real-time understanding of your experiences, which is important whilst being considered an ‘at-risk’ individual.

Logging your medication allows us to send you reminders on when and how to take your medication. Symptom logging enables you to talk to your care team about the side-effects you might be experiencing, so they can provide you with the relevant information about how to manage and control those symptoms.

Here are some of our key app features, and how they can help you during these uncertain times-

Real-time medication reminders

Our medication tracker allows you to upload your medication schedule to the app and receive reminders on when and how to take your medication. It is normal to feel overwhelmed and anxious as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why our app will ease the worry of forgetting any of your medication.

Understand symptom trends

It’s important to keep on top of the symptoms you might be experiencing during treatment in case there are any irregularities. By tracking your symptoms, our app will create a comprehensive log of all that you experience, which will help your clinicians to identify any patterns or issues.

Activity suggestions

It can be hard to keep active when you are sheltering and staying at home. However, exercise can really boost your mood, well-being, and mentality. Exercise releases endorphins to the body and encourages you to self-energise. Our app provides you with support on how to keep active in a way that suits you best.

Improving emotional well-being

Being confined to the indoors takes its toll, not only on the body but also on your mental health. Logging your mood provides a real-time record of the ups and downs that you’re going through during treatment so that you can communicate if you’re struggling or need help. It can also help you and your care team understand if there is any correlation between your treatment and your mood levels.

Supportive information

We have a number of coronavirus related articles within the app, provided by NHS England and The Royal Marsden. These articles provide detailed information on NHS guidelines for if you are considered an at-risk individual, as well as things to focus on during this time.

According to NHS guidelines (July 2020), it is important that during this time, you:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or if not immediately available use an alcohol-based hand rub. It is especially important to wash your hands before eating or drinking.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (mobile phone, tables, light switches, door handles, sinks, toilets, any eating surfaces).

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as this can transfer the virus from surfaces.

• If you take prescription or over-the-counter medication, make sure you have enough at home or in a place that you are able to access

• Avoid contact with those who are sick or unwell or have been exposed to the virus or may be at higher risk due to recent travel to a high-risk country.

• Avoid crowds and crowded areas and avoid unnecessary physical contact, such as shaking hands, hugging, or kissing. This is especially important if you are currently having chemotherapy.

The Vinehealth app is available to download now from Google Play and the App Store: https://vinehealth.app.link/A7Pc2Nmu85