User testing to modify the MyHealthyGut digital health application for inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation, can be subcategorized into Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The treatment for these conditions is unique to each patient and may include lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical intervention, and surgery. Lifestyle changes, such as dietary intervention, are a cornerstone of inflammatory bowel disease symptom management. Given the daily burden of this disease, self-management is paramount in coping with and/or minimizing symptoms. The MyHealthyGut application, successfully proven to be a self-management tool for celiac disease, shows promise for use in an inflammatory bowel disease patient population. Objective To conduct user testing to gather valuable insights for the development of an IBD-focused version of the existing MyHealthyGut app. Methods Participants included inflammatory bowel disease patients and healthcare practitioners. Participants used the application for a 2-week period, followed by participation in a focus group or individual interview to provide feedback. Qualitative questionnaires were administered verbally and feedback was recorded. Thematic analysis techniques were used for data quantification and analysis. Results 15 participants were recruited and enrolled. Of these, 14 participants took part in the focus group and/or individual interviews. The feedback suggested changes related to clinical uses, food and symptom tracking, ease of use, and educational content. All (100%) participants reported that they would either use the application themselves or recommend it to patients, once their suggestions were implemented. Conclusion Through user testing and feedback collection, priorities for app modification were identified. Areas for modification in the app functions and features, ease of use, and content were identified. Once updated to meet the needs of inflammatory bowel disease patients, the MyHealthyGut app may be a useful tool for IBD self-management.

Summary of the best evidence on self-management support schemes for patients with inflammatory bowel disease based on mobile health systems

“…Therefore, once IBD patients are diagnosed, they should be provided with support related to health education immediately to help them establish good self-management behaviours. 34 , 44 Research shows 48 that IBD patients want to obtain diversified, personalized, and specific health education materials, and mobile health systems have this advantage. By adding a knowledge database module to the mobile health system, educational topics can be presented in the form of mind maps to provide patients with systematic and comprehensive health education materials.…”

“…Therefore, the latest developments in drugs and treatments can be provided to patients through mobile health systems, and reminders can be sent to patients so that they can receive timely information updates. 48 When patients read health education materials, they can provide feedback on those with poor legibility to the healthcare support team, and healthcare workers can modify the content of the materials with poor legibility, 27 , 31 , 35 thereby improving the readability of the health education materials.…”