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© 2018. This work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background: Gout is a form of chronic arthritis caused by elevated serum uric acid (SUA) and culminates in painful gout attacks. Although effective uric acid-lowering therapies exist, adherence is low. This is partly due to the lack of support for patients to self-manage their disease. Mobile health apps have been used in the self-management of chronic conditions. However, not all are developed with patients, limiting their effectiveness.

Objective: The objective of our study was to collect feedback from gout patients to design an effective gout self-management app.

Methods: Two descriptive qualitative studies were conducted. In Study 1, researchers developed a short educational video and written materials about gout management, designed to be embedded into an app; 6 interviews and 1 focus group were held with gout patients to gather feedback on these materials. Usability testing in Study 2 involved additional gout patients using a pilot version of Healthy.me Gout, a gout self-management app, for 2 weeks. Following the trial, patients participated in an interview about their experiences using the app.

Results: Patients viewed the gout educational material positively, appreciating the combined use of video, text, and images. Patients were receptive to using a mobile app to self-manage their gout. Feedback about Healthy.me Gout was generally positive with patients reporting that the tracking and diary features were most useful. Patients also provided suggestions for improving the app and educational materials.

Conclusions: These studies involved patients in the development of a gout self-management app. Patients provided insight to improve the app’s presentation and usability and general lessons on useful features for chronic disease apps. Gout patients enjoyed tracking their SUA concentrations and gout attack triggers. These capabilities can be translated into self-management apps for chronic diseases that require monitoring of pathological values, medication adherence, or symptoms. Future health app design should integrate patient input and be developed iteratively to address concerns identified by patients.

Details

Title
mHealth App Patient Testing and Review of Educational Materials Designed for Self-Management of Gout Patients: Descriptive Qualitative Studies
Author
Nguyen, Amy D  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Frensham, Lauren J  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wong, Michael XC  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Meslin, Sylvain MM  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Martin, Paige  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lau, Annie YS  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Baysari, Melissa T  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Day, Richard O  VIAFID ORCID Logo 
Section
mHealth for Patient Education
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Oct 2018
Publisher
JMIR Publications
e-ISSN
22915222
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2511176002
Copyright
© 2018. This work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.