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Silva ASC da, Ramos EP, Silva RMRCA et al. Health information technology in young...

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH
OSTEOSARCOMA
TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMAÇÃO EM SAÚDE EM JOVENS COM OSTEOSSARCOMA
TECNOLOGÍA DE LA INFORMACIÓN EN SALUD EN JÓVENES CON OSTEOSARCOMA
Alexsandro Santos Crespo da Silva1, Eliane Pereira Ramos2, Rose Mary Rosa Costa Andrade Silva3
ABSTRACT
Objective: to register the receptivity of patients with osteosarcoma in using the interactive virtual
application. Method: it is a quantitative, descriptive, exploratory study, with the empirical incursion among
20 patients with osteosarcoma. The questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument. The data was
presented in two stages: the profile of patients with osteosarcoma assisted in the INCA II in the first and
second with reference to the acceptance of IT as a tool for the practice of health education in the health-
disease process. Results: it was observed that the analysis resulted in the agreement of patients with
osteosarcoma to use a virtual application for the practice of health education. Conclusion: it was found that
the acceptance of content ideas for the application established that the patients demonstrated the existence
of a vast field for the practice of health education at the informational level to confront osteosarcoma. It is
seen, therefore, that the application of information technology was effective in health education and this
study brings contributions to future discussions and research in the area. Descriptors: Osteosarcoma;
Information Technology; Health Education; Biomedical Tecnology; Comunication; Neoplasm.
RESUMO
Objetivo: registrar a receptividade dos pacientes com osteossarcoma em usar o aplicativo virtual interativo.
Método: trata-se de estudo quantitativo, descritivo, exploratório, com a incursão empírica junto a 20
pacientes com osteossarcoma. Usou-se o questionário como instrumento de coleta de dados. Apresentaram-se
os dados em duas etapas: perfil dos pacientes com osteossarcoma assistidos no INCA II na primeira e a segunda
com referência à aceitação da TI enquanto ferramenta para a prática da educação em saúde no processo
saúde-doença. Resultados: observou-se que a análise resultou no assentimento dos pacientes com
osteossarcoma em usar um aplicativo virtual para a prática da educação em saúde. Conclusão: constatou-se,
ao se estabelecer a aceitação de ideias de conteúdos para o aplicativo, que os pacientes demonstraram a
existência de um campo vasto para a prática da educação em saúde no âmbito informacional para o
enfrentamento do osteossarcoma. Vê-se, assim, que a aplicação de tecnologia da informação teve efetividade
na educação em saúde e este estudo traz contribuições para futuras discussões e pesquisas na área.
Descritores: Osteossarcoma; Tecnologia da Informação; Educação em Saúde; Tecnologia Biomédica;
Comunicação; Neoplasia.
RESUMEN
Objetivo: registrar la receptividad de los pacientes con osteosarcoma en usar la aplicación virtual interactiva.
Método: se trata de estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, exploratorio, habiendo incursión empírica junto a 20
pacientes con osteosarcoma. Se utilizó el cuestionario como instrumento de recolección de datos. Se
presentaron los datos en dos etapas: perfil de los pacientes con osteosarcoma asistidos en el INCA II y la
segunda con referencia a la aceptación de la TI como herramienta para la práctica de la educación en salud
en el proceso salud-enfermedad. Resultados: se observó que el análisis resultó en el asentimiento de los
pacientes con osteosarcoma en usar una aplicación virtual para la práctica de la educación en salud.
Conclusión: se constató, al establecerse aceptación de ideas de contenidos para aplicación, que los pacientes
demostraron la existencia de un campo vasto para la práctica de la educación en salud en el ámbito
informativo para el enfrentamiento del osteosarcoma. Se ve así, que la aplicación de tecnología de la
información tuvo efectividad en la educación en salud y este estudio trae contribuciones para futuras
discusiones e investigaciones en el área. Descriptores: Osteosarcoma; Tecnología de la Informacíon;
Educación en Salud; Tecnología Biomédica; Comunicación; Neoplasía.
1
Masters student, Fluminense Federal University/ UFF. Niterói (RJ), Brazil. E-mail: sandercrespo@gmail.com ORCID iD:
https://www.orcid.org/0000-0002-8067-7411; 2PhD, Fluminense Federal University / UFF. Niterói (RJ), Brazil. E-mail:
elianeramos.uff@gmail.com ORCID iD: https://www.orcid.org/0000-0002-6381-3979 3PhD, Fluminense Federal University / UFF. Niterói
(RJ), Brazil. E-mail: roserosauff@gmail.com ORCID iD: https://www.orcid.org/0000-0002-4310-8711

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INTRODUCTION
It is believed, when one imagines the
usefulness of health education, that it is
common to think of disease prevention.
However, health education also covers disease
coping and is very important in promoting the
well-being of patients with chronic diseases.
Health education was emphasized to confront
osteosarcoma as a way to reach the patient's
quality of life.1 Thus, the study explored the
Information Technology (IT) bias as an
information exchange tool in a health
education environment where IT is presented
through software engineering that creates
communication programs transformed into
learning objects about information about a
certain disease.2
It is stated, according to the World Health
Organization (WHO), that cancer is the second
most common non-communicable disease in
Brazil, after cardiovascular diseases, 3 with
osteosarcoma being considered as a primary
malignant neoplasm of in children,
adolescents and young adults. It was reported,
by the National Cancer Institute (INCA), that
highlighted the occurrence of 12,600 new
cases of cancer in 2016 among young people
aged one to 19 years.4
Osteosarcoma is found among the cancers
that most affect young people.5 The incidence
of osteosarcoma can be as high as eight to 11
cases per million young individuals per year.6
The occurrence of osteosarcoma in young
people are more frequent in the second
decade of life, equivalent to 5% of the
malignancies that occur during this period of
life.5
The involvement of osteosarcoma is more
frequent in the appendicular skeleton, with
75% of cases being due to the metaphysis of
the long bones adjacent to the epiphyseal
plate, predominating in the distal femur. As
regards the causes of osteosarcoma, it can be
seen that there are no direct descriptions
except for the relation of the disease to the
genetic predisposition.1,5
The symptoms of osteosarcoma are
presented as pain and increased volume at the
affected site.3,5 The time between the onset
of symptoms and the diagnosis of
osteosarcoma is assessed at five months.5
Survival is defined as up to 70% in five years,
for non-metastatic patients, with a global
survival of up to 80%. With relapse, survival
reaches 20% in one year, reaching 40% in five
years, when it is possible the complete
resection of the pulmonary metastasis. In the
treatment of osteosarcoma, the use of
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surgeries (conservative or not) and
chemotherapy are included. The quality of life
of patients with osteosarcoma is related to
the use of prostheses in place of amputated
limbs and the adequacy of the patient to the
disease, adopting care with food and
maintaining medical follow-up to observe the
possibility of recurrence.3,5,7
The aim of this study is to investigate the
acceptance of the patient with INCA
osteosarcoma in using an educational
application about the disease. In particular, it
was intuited about the use of IT to increase
knowledge about osteosarcoma among INCA
patients. The following questioning was
adopted in the investigation: are the patients
with INCA osteosarcoma receptive to the use
of a virtual application for the exchange of
knowledge about the disease? It is considered,
therefore, that this study explores the reality
before the implementation of the health
education application using the measurement
of its attractiveness to patients with
osteosarcoma.
 Education in health
In a succinct way, it is possible to explain
health education as a methodological aspect
that excels in promoting and preserving the
well-being of people. It is observed that,
through the learning of scientific knowledge,
that people put them into practice, bringing
well-being into their lives, and health
education is a practical field in the working
environment of health professionals.1,6
It is inferred, therefore, that health
education is a tool for social transformation
since it encourages individuals to assimilate
and practice new values in the daily
development of their activities. It can be seen
that, based on a wealth of knowledge, health
education can be, in a figurative sense,
characterized as a product that can be
transmitted individually or in a group.1,8 It is
considered that the knowledge base for a
health education action, it is a message that
needs an emitter and a receiver (or
receivers), the emitter must be the stimulus-
providing agent and the receiver, the
response agent.6,8
In this way, it is possible to establish that
health education is a uni-linear event of
communicational practice, encompassing the
triad emitter, message and receiver. In order
to put health education into practice, the
agents involved in the issue of the message
must choose a phenomenon in health to
overcome it. Subsequently, the scientific
knowledge that corroborates the conduction
of overcoming the phenomenon should be
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compiled. After structuring the phenomenon
and its baggage of scientific knowledge, it is
time to elect the group of receivers to better
choose the tool or form of communication
with it.1,2,8
It is understood, therefore, that a
successful educational health enterprise is one
that transforms the future of the people
through learning in the case of a non-static
educational process, because the messages of
scientific knowledge are linked to the dynamic
environment of development and discoveries.
It is noticed that emitter and receivers need a
continuous process of health education so that
the message in question does not lose its
validity.1
They are considered great allies of the
communication, with dynamism in the offer of
the message, the tools related to the IT. It is
shown that communication, through IT, can
encompass different approaches in both
writing and audiovisual formats, ranging from
discourse to literature.2
 Information technology
The designation IT was adopted after its
use by Laevitt and Whisler. Initially, this was a
way of indicating the use of computers as a
start in decision support and organizational
information processing. Indicates the
denomination encompasses a broader
definition as it aggregates the data processing
capabilities of the computer and also the
human and managerial skills related to its use.
It covers any other technology and the
emergence of new practices involving the use
of computer media, such as the internet.2
It is therefore considered that IT is broad,
referring to the wide range of technologies,
increasingly convergent and interconnected,
information processing. It is in this context, in
addition to computers, [...] data recognition
equipment, communications technologies,
industrial automation and other types of
hardware and services involved.9 Noteworthy,
such as variants of equipment, computers,
laptop, notebook, mobile phones and tablets.2
The functionality of IT equipment is
supported in hardware and software
structures: the first relates to the physical
gear and the second to the data processing
system (program). It is called so-called
software engineering software, such as:
mobile applications; text editors or
calculators; publishing platforms for social
networking sites, among others.9
From the IT environment, a line of action
known as Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) is broken out, which is
present in the health environment, especially
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supported by the evolution of software
engineering. It is reported that ICT favors
reach in the quality of patient care, allowing
healthcare establishments to manage their
information and promote interaction with
their professionals and their patients. It
should be emphasized that ICT has become a
tool for the "intelligent use of available
information" in the health area.10
In 2013, a study was conducted by the
Internet Governance Committee in Brazil
(CGI.br) called ICT Health Research 2013. A
study aimed at assessing the penetration of
ICT in Brazilian health care establishments
was verified, from the management of
records, to the provision of on-line patient
services. As a part of the sample, the study
included 1,685 health facilities surveyed with
interviews with 4,180 professionals (doctors
and nurses). It was found that the primary
information of the study is that health
facilities are in line with the use of ICT, since
most of them use the computer (94%) and use
the internet (91%), as well as almost all
professionals consulted in the study (99%) use
the internet in their daily lives. It is stated
that in the work environment, this use falls,
and doctors have less access (60%) to the
computer and the internet than the nurses
(72%), and the use of ICT by professionals to
consult clinical data.10
In 2012, a study by the Center for the Study
of Information and Communication
Technologies in Brazil (CETIC.br) found a
strong presence of the Internet in the life of
Brazilians (49%), being the largest coverage in
socioeconomic class A by classes B, C, D and
E. It is noted that virtual informational traffic
is voluminous and grows exponentially every
year.10
It is verified that there is, therefore,
favorable environment, on the part of the
Brazilians, for the communication practice
through virtual means, according to study of
the CETIC.br. It is certified that there is the
same favorable environment, on the part of
the health professionals (doctors and nurses),
according to the study of CGI.br. One can
have the virtual environment as a functional
tool for the practice of ICT between the
population in patient condition and the health
professionals expanding the range of
communication tools in the scope of health
education. It is emphasized that an adequate
visualization of data is a type of narrative that
offers a clear answer to a question that
contains a set of details that needs to be
analyzed.10 It is determined that the
visualization of data, in a virtual environment,
is equivalent to the informational screening
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because there is greater precision in its
search. It is reported that it would be as if
there were subareas of information in this
virtual environment, which creates a
precedent for the choice of visualization of a
given data directing the choice of data
between those who are interested and those
who do not. It is understood that such
subareas are functional to the ICT, being able
to use statistical, literary and documentary
information, as well as content (texts, videos
and images) published in social networks. It is
known that, in this way, whoever searches for
information in a subarea in the virtual
environment interacts with it by visualizing it,
gathering the understanding of the message
contained in the data consulted. One must
choose an efficient way to offer the
visualization of the data, being this
imperative for the success of the capture of
the message. It is stated that the success of
the message in virtual environment occurs
when, after the visualization, there is the
extraction of values where information is
captured, processed and understood.10
It is, therefore, a viable way to offer data
in a virtual environment, from the adoption of
applications for computer equipment,
especially the cellular ones. It is revealed that
there are already some in use in Brazil, such
as: Daily Headache, aimed at creating reports
on headache; Pillboxie, which reminds the
user about the times for taking medications;
Cardiograph, which records the cardiac
history, measuring the heart rate with the
camera of the cell; Generic BR, which lists the
generic medicines approved by the National
Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA) until
2012 and Medicine, which is a communication
tool between the health professional and the
patient, similar to WhatsApp, but with
security guarantee of the information
exchanged.11 It should be noted that there
are, hospital applications, case of the Albert
Einstein Hospital, which offers the Einstein
Vaccines, which helps patients to remember
to keep the vaccination up to date.9 It is
revealed that the use of applications as a
communication tool in health, it is an
adaptation to the IT transformations inherent
in contemporary society. It is described that,
in order to have effect, health education
needs to evolve by absorbing new strategies
to interact with the reality of the world
today. It is reported that the health
professional, who emits the message, should
take advantage of all possible resources for
the offer of learning in order to be closer to
the recipients of the message.5-6,8
 Confrontation of osteosarcoma
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In the treatment of osteosarcoma,
orthopedic oncological surgery (resection) is
included in the concomitance with the use of
chemotherapy (adjuvant). It is the approach
of a way to avoid patient limb amputation,
treatment situation taken as a last resort. It
should be emphasized that the treatment does
not cover the use of radiotherapy, established
as inefficient to combat osteosarcoma. It
should be noted that, as with other types of
oncology, precocity at diagnosis is important
to slow the severity of the treatment. It is
reported that, even after successful
treatment, the patient should preserve
vigilance to control recurrences by
maintaining the continuous measurement of
health changes at periodic visits.5,9,11 Thus,
patients with metastatic and recurrent
osteosarcoma by means of differentiation:
those that have the potential to cure by
chemotherapy, surgery or long relapse
interval and those that rapidly evolve to
death.2,12
It is known that, certainly, the treatment
of osteosarcoma goes beyond the medical-
hospital intervention, a fact that can directly
influence the way of life of the patient
interfering in his emotional balance. It is thus,
"a curative process, which does not depend on
biology or medical outcome, but which
reflects the quality of life. It is the experience
of living with, for or beyond cancer”.13-5
It is added that, above all, the possibility
of relapse causes the survivor of successful
treatment of osteosarcoma to be enveloped
by the disease for years. It is observed that
there is a division in the definition of survival
of the disease: some scholars consider that
this begins with the diagnosis; others after the
end of treatment; others, only when the
individual is out of treatment for two years
and others, when the individual has no
symptoms for five years.5,16
It is precisely the relationship between the
emotional balance of the patient and the
osteosarcoma with the improvement in their
quality of life. It is known that the search for
the quality of life of the patient is intrinsically
related to the fear of the disease itself, linked
to the incidence of death and treatment with
side effects ranging from loss of appetite, hair
loss, to amputation of a member. It is noticed
that, even the connotation of the word cancer
has the pecha of disease without cure and
death suffered. It is known that the patient
always has the impression that something bad
will happen to him. It is emphasized that, in
addition to fear, the patient needs to be able
to harmonize with some limitations caused by
the treatment, such as relearning to walk
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using a prosthesis. It is indicated that the
treatment interferes directly with the social
life of the patient, who may not be able to
attend school or even play. It is argued that
there is the issue of physical appearance,
modified by loss of hair or limb, affecting the
patient's self-esteem. It is observed that until
the young age, young people, who are more
prone to osteosarcoma, are more afraid of the
disease, an aggravating factor to deal with
severe pain, surgery, chemotherapy, limb
amputation and prosthesis use. It is
emphasized that it is common for young
patients to become irritated and their families
anxious, creating an environment of tension in
the health-illness process.3,6-7,15,17 "Not
infrequently, psychological disorders such as
depression and anxiety are diagnosed in the
patient, in their relatives, in all phases of the
treatment”.2,12,18
It becomes a factor driving the
improvement of your quality of life the
patient achieve emotional stability. Diverse
ways are adopted in the search for emotional
stability, while there is the confrontation of
the disease, such as: the search for knowledge
about the disease; psychological care and
religious / spiritual practices or the search for
faith. "It is known that religion and, more
specifically, prayer, are strategies commonly
adopted by cancer patients, and many of
them become more religious after the
diagnosis of the disease." 18 It is noted that in
the case of knowledge, the patient is
protected through health education practices,
allowing him to deal with the discomforts of
osteosarcoma treatment with greater wisdom
and common sense. It is considered that this
emotional stability is subjective, a positive
state of mind or a sense of happiness /
satisfaction.15,17-8 The health professional
(nurses and doctors) can be advised when
offering knowledge about coping with illness
by understanding the patient and assessing
their self-report and their relatives. The
patient and his relatives are strengthened by
the knowledge about the osteosarcoma giving
them greater security to face the treatment.
It is thus affirmed that knowledge about the
disease builds a fruitful environment in the
quest for the quality of life of those involved
in the health-disease process.3,7,16-7
OBJECTIVE
● To record the responsiveness of patients
with osteosarcoma in using interactive virtual
application.
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METHOD
It is a descriptive, exploratory and
quantitative study to treat, in a restricted
way, the phenomenon under study. It is shown
that the study penetrated into the reality of
patients with osteosarcoma by assessing their
receptivity in using IT to acquire knowledge
about the disease. The National Cancer
Institute (INCA), located in the city of Rio de
Janeiro, more specifically INCA II, was
adopted as the setting for the study. INCA is
the reference center for cancer treatment in
Brazil, which has begun its history in 1937.
Currently, INCA has five units in the city of Rio
de Janeiro, and is an advisory body to the
Ministry of Health, working in the prevention
and treatment of cancer as part of the Unified
Health System (UHS)).20
The study was delimited in October 2017,
when the incursion occurred in the scenario
chosen for the research. The study sample
was composed of 20 patients with
osteosarcoma, all undergoing treatment at
INCA II and older than 18 years. A
questionnaire with 15 objective inquiries was
used as a data collection instrument. The
ethical approach was adopted with the
members of the sample using the Free and
Informed Consent Term (FICT) with the
approval of Resolution 510, of 2016.21 The
limitation of the study in regionalization was
found, being a reference for the city of Rio de
Janeiro and not a national catch.
RESULTS
The results found in the study were divided
into two stages. The first one regarding the
profile of patients with osteosarcoma seen at
INCA II and the second with reference to the
acceptance of TI as a tool for the practice of
health education in the health-disease
process. Table 1 shows the variables related
to the profile of patients with osteosarcoma
of the sample.
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Table 1. Profile of patients in the sample. Rio de Janeiro (RJ),

Brazil, 2017.
Variables n (20) %
Age
18-21 5 25%
22-25 14 70%
Above 26 1 5%
Sex
Male 15 75%
Female 5 25%
Type of personal relationship that is
involved in
Single/separated 10 50%
Married/stable union 4 20%
Dating 6 30%
Education
None 1 5%
Elementary school 16 80%
Highschool 3 15%
Higher education 0 -
Lives
Alone 0 -
With family 17 85%
Other people 3 15%
Is being treated at INCA
Less than 1 year 6 30%
2-3 year 13 65%
Over 4 years 1 5%
Type of treatment at INCA
Chemotherapy 10 50%
Surgery 2 10%
Chemotherapy and surgery 8 40%
User of orthopedic prosthesis
Yes 11 55%
No 9 45%
Has support from family and friends
A lot 13 65%
A little 7 35%
None 0 -

As a profile of the majority of the patients

in the sample, 22- to 25-year-old males and
single / separated individuals were found.
Other characteristics were found, for the most
part: with Elementary School; lives with
relatives; is in treatment between two and
three years; does chemotherapy; uses
prosthesis and has a lot of support from family
and friends.
Minority data are noteworthy, however,
that call attention, such as: a patient over 26
years; a patient on treatment for more than
four years; no patient lives alone and no
patient reports lacking support from family
and friends.
Regarding the use of IT as a tool for health
education, the opinions of patients in the
sample about the use and need of knowledge
about osteosarcoma.
Inquiries about the positioning of patients
with osteosarcoma of the sample with the
respective results were shown in table 2.

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Table 2. Positions of the patients of the sample. Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil,
2017.
Positions n (20) %
What is your need for information about your
disease (osteosarcoma)?
I do not know anything and I want to continue 0 -
without knowing
I do not know anything, but I would like to learn 1 5%
about the disease.
I know something, but I would like to learn more 19 95%
about the disease.
I know a lot and I have no doubts. 0 -
Do you believe that having extensive knowledge
about your disease (osteosarcoma) can help
you?
Yes, because I learn to live with the effects of
chemotherapy, with post-surgical limitations or 20 100%
with the possibility of relapse
No, I lack interest to know more, I just follow the
guidelines of health professionals 0 -
What is your primary source of information
about the disease (osteosarcoma)?
Nurses 9 45%
Doctors 4 20%
Internet related sources 7 35%
Printed matter (newspapers, magazines, scientific 0 -
articles etc.)
Do you feel safer about receiving information
about the disease directly from health
professionals (doctors and nurses)?
Yes 20 100%
No 0 -
If there was a mobile application related to
osteosarcoma, what would be more important in
it?
A synthesis of questions and answers on key 1 5%
information about the disease
A social network type tool for the exchange of 19 95%
information (educational and personal) with
health professionals (nurses and doctors) and
other patients using text, photo, video
A WhatsApp-type tool for direct communication 0 -
with health professionals and other patients
A three-hour alert to remind me to feed myself 0 -
If you used a osteosarcoma-related mobile
application, what would be its appeal?
Interaction with health professionals (nurses and 0 -
doctors)
Interaction with health professionals (nurses and
doctors) and other patients 8 40%
Only query information on how to deal with the
disease without interactivity 0 -
Interaction with cured patients, spiritual and 12 60%
religious support group

Despite the preponderant results, two

caveats about the results are emphasized. It is
the first of the sources of information
gathering on the disease where internet data
are the second most commonly used resource
for patients to acquire them after the
resource nurses and before the medical
resource. The second caveat is the positioning
on the possible attractiveness of a mobile
application, when there was no demonstration
of interest in the exclusive interaction with
health professionals (nurses and physicians).
Patients want to interact with other patients
wanting information about the disease, but
also, emotional support.
DISCUSSION
The profile of patients with osteosarcoma
of the sample is in agreement with the
literature, since 70% of the sample is in its
second decade of life (22 and 25 years) and
75% of the sample is male as well as praising
this. 4-5 It is stated that, because they are
young, the patients in the sample are
compatible with people who live with
relatives, are single and cared for by their
relatives. It should be emphasized that, in
terms of schooling, the second decade of life
would be compatible with individuals with a
higher education, but 80% of the sample have

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Silva ASC da, Ramos EP, Silva RMRCA et al.
Primary School and 15%, High School and none
of the sample has Higher Education.
It is also evidenced that the profile of the
sample highlights that the treatment is
delayed: 65% of the sample are being treated
at INCA between two and three years; 50%
doing chemotherapy; 40%, chemotherapy and
surgery and 10%, surgery. It was checked that
55% of the sample made use of orthopedic
prosthesis due to limb amputation during the
treatment. It is emphasized that such
statistical positions share with the
3,5
explanations of some authors.
It was observed that, in the context of the
health education settings, the patients in the
sample are interested in learning about
osteosarcoma. It is reported that 95% of the
sample, even knowing something about the
disease, wish to learn more, meaning
receptivity to receive messages about the
disease.
Knowledge is valued by the sample as a
product for the search for well-being and
quality of life in the course of coping with
osteosarcoma, where 100% of the sample
emphasizes that learning about the disease
can assist in coping with the effects of
chemotherapy, surgical limitations and
possibilities of relapses. It should be noted
that 45% of the sample places nurses as the
main source of information collection and
100% of the sample emphasize that they feel
more secure in receiving information from
health professionals. It is observed that, based
on the propensity for social transformation of
health education, patients can benefit from
learning, as explained.1,2,6,8
It opens up a possibility for the creation of
a dynamic health education environment,
which would allow the development and
personal discoveries for the well-being and
quality of life of the patients, as explained.1 It
is possible to increase this dynamism through
the use of IT by covering different formats in
the approach of health education, from
writing to audiovisual, as highlighted.2
Considering that 35% of the sample uses the
internet as source to capture information
about osteosarcoma, the use of software
engineering can be a viable way to explore
health education, 10 being already a reality the
use of cellular applications to advise health as
they stand out.5,11
The study sample was based on the use of a
mobile application related to osteosarcoma
subjects, 95% of the sample favoring the
creation of a social network type mobile
application to exchange information with
health professionals and others patients. It
was emphasized that 60% of the sample
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J Nurs UFPE online., Recife, 12(10):2717-26, Oct., 2018
https://doi.org/10.5205/1981-8963-v12i10a237462p2717-2726-2018
Health information technology in young...
considered that the interaction with cured
patients and religious groups is attractive for
the cellular application, ie: patients wish to
interact with professionals and other patients
to not only promote health education, but
also , create an environment of emotional
support. It stands out because the treatment
of osteosarcoma creates an instability in the
emotional balance of the patient being a
severe process that involves chemotherapy,
surgery, amputation and surveillance to
control relapses.5,13,19
It is added that osteosarcoma, in addition
to being associated with severe treatment, is
also a disease related to death, and both
factors that affect the patient's emotional
balance and can lead to depression and
anxiety, as explained.13,15,18 It is, if emotional
support complements health education.
It is thus believed that a cellular
application aimed at providing information
about osteosarcoma and the emotional
support of the patient can transform their life
posture by strengthening it in coping with the
disease and improving their quality of life.3,7-
8,16-7
CONCLUSION
Through the study undertaken, the
possibility of using IT in the process of health
education within the scope of osteosarcoma
was explored. It was pointed out that, in
addition to their desire to improve their
knowledge about osteosarcoma, patients want
an IT pathway that allows for emotional and
religious support. It is confirmed that the use
of a mobile application can be the right
interactive tool to offer the ambiance for
both. It is concluded that there is, on the part
of the patients in INCA treatment, the
receptivity to the use of a virtual application
for the exchange of knowledge about the
disease.
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Silva ASC da, Ramos EP, Silva RMRCA et al. Health information technology in young...

21. Ministério da Saúde (BR). Resolução n.

510 de 7 de abril de 2016 que trata das
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ciências humanas e sociais e de outras que
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6/Reso510.pdf

Submission: 2018/07/19
Accepted: 2018/08/13
Publishing: 2018/10/01
Corresponding Address
Alexsandro Santos Crespo da Silva
Av. Presidente Roosevelt, 900
São Francisco
CEP: 24360-066 − Niterói (RJ), Brazil
English/Portuguese
J Nurs UFPE online., Recife, 12(10):2717-26, Oct., 2018 2726