During my rotation at the oncology clinic, one of the key issues that stood out to me during this experience was the significant financial burden that cancer patients must bear to access essential treatment. Medical expenses are increasing year by year, particularly in developing countries like India, where a large portion of the population cannot afford expensive healthcare. Cancer treatment, in particular, is costly, involving multiple stages such as diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and follow-up care. Although medical insurance covers a portion of these costs, the out-of-pocket expenses can still be overwhelming for patients. A disease like cancer often requires prolonged treatment courses that may cost several lakhs—or even crores—forcing patients to spend beyond what insurance plans can cover.

It was during this rotation that I had the opportunity to learn about an innovative solution called the Meeval application, developed under the guidance of Dr Aju Mathew and his team. As I explored this platform, I realised how it could help address the immense burden that cancer patients face, both financially and clinically. Meeval is a patient-centred digital platform that allows cancer patients to log their daily symptoms and health updates. It empowers patients to report any new or worsening symptoms at any time of day using a simple interface. Symptoms can be rated on a 0–10 scale based on severity. These entries are then monitored by healthcare providers, who receive alerts if any symptoms cross a predefined severity threshold. This allows timely medical intervention, improving patient outcomes and reducing unnecessary hospital visits.

How does this work in real-life clinical settings? When patients report symptoms that require medical attention, the healthcare team can take appropriate actions—ranging from prescribing symptom-relief medications to adjusting existing prescriptions/ medication reconciliation. In many cases, symptoms may result from drug interactions, overdosing, or under-dosing, and these issues can be resolved through timely medication reconciliation. In more severe cases, providers can direct patients to the nearest clinic or emergency department for examination. For nonemergency issues, patients can be advised to use over-the-counter (OTC) medications. This reduces the financial burden of repeated hospital visits and improves the efficiency of care delivery. The application not only supports early intervention but also plays a critical role in preventing unnecessary emergency department visits, which are both costly and taxing on the healthcare system.

In India, many patients visit the emergency department for non-urgent issues due to the lack of timely outpatient support. Meeval addresses this gap by enabling clinicians to monitor patients remotely and advise accordingly, thereby preventing emergency-room overcrowding and helping distribute healthcare resources more effectively. One of the most important features of Meeval is its role in improving clinical decision-making during follow-up visits. In chronic conditions like cancer, patients often experience numerous side effects from chemotherapy or immunotherapy. However, it is difficult for patients to remember every symptom they’ve experienced since their last visit. There’s a high likelihood of recall bias, where patients tend to report only the most frequent or recent symptoms, potentially overlooking rare but serious complications. Meeval provides a continuous log of symptom trends, allowing clinicians to identify patterns, monitor adverse effects, and better assess the impact of treatment over time. Another important advantage of Meeval is the potential to reduce clinician fatigue. Emergency departments are often overwhelmed with noncritical cases that could have been addressed at the primary care level. By actively managing symptoms through the application, clinicians can reduce unnecessary patient load, improve workflow efficiency, and focus on patients who truly require urgent care. This ultimately contributes to a higher quality of care and better allocation of healthcare resources.

However, like any system, Meeval also presents challenges. One potential concern is alert fatigue. Different patients have different pain and symptom tolerances. A patient with low tolerance might rate their symptom severity as very high, generating frequent alerts that can desensitise healthcare providers over time. This could result in a situation where a critical symptom is overlooked. A possible solution to this problem is to personalise alert thresholds based on the patient’s baseline tolerance and clinical history, thereby reducing false alarms while still ensuring critical symptoms are addressed promptly.

Meeval is particularly relevant in oncology, where continuous monitoring is vital—not only during active treatment but also during follow-up and palliative care. Cancer is a chronic condition that requires long-term care and careful symptom management. By preventing unnecessary hospital admissions, reducing dependency on emergency services, and providing a platform for real-time symptom tracking, Meeval significantly reduces the financial and clinical burden faced by patients and their families. Additionally, by minimising frequent hospital visits, Meeval reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infections, which is especially important for immunocompromised cancer patients, such as those undergoing chemotherapy who may be neutropenic. Avoiding unnecessary hospital exposure can be life-saving in such cases.

In conclusion, Meeval represents a promising advancement in patient-centered care. It bridges the gap between hospital visits, ensures continuous symptom monitoring, supports clinical decision-making, and helps reduce costs—both for patients and the healthcare system. I believe that such digital tools should be widely implemented across India’s healthcare system, not just in oncology but in other chronic disease specialties as well. By reducing avoidable healthcare expenditures, improving follow-up care, and enhancing resource utilisation.