App helps HNC patients with swallowing impairments

A new app is being developed to make therapy more accessible for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients with swallowing impairments.

The portable swallowing therapy unit, which is being developed at the Misericordia Community Hospital's Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine (iRSM) and the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, will help patients understand what their muscles are doing while they swallow and help them complete therapy at home, according to the university.

The app will take two years to develop and will be funded with a $1.9 million Canadian ($1.7 million U.S.) contribution by the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

After life-saving treatment, patients with head and neck cancer require reconstructive surgery to restore their appearance and the essential functions that most people consider natural, such as the ability to speak, chew well enough to eat, and swallow their food. Swallowing impairments often lead to nutritional deficiencies or tube-feeding dependencies, and rehab for these patients can include countless hours and trips to clinics for assessments, according to Jana Rieger, PhD, a University of Alberta scientist and research director at iRSM.

Rieger and her team will use the Alberta Cancer Foundation investments to test the app that can be used remotely and comfortably in a patient's home. The app will give patients more independence in their rehabilitation, compared with traditional therapy, according to the researchers.

The app monitors an adhesive sensor under the jaw and a pendant that rests on the patient's chest. The pendant communicates wirelessly to the app and sends the patient's data to healthcare professionals.

The technology has a few settings that the patient can set to motivate them to complete therapy, such as progress bars and goal setting, which show how many times a day the patient has swallowed.