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Smartphone application for rheumatoid arthritis self-management: cross-sectional study revealed the usefulness, willingness to use and patients’ needs

  • Original Article - Education and Self-Management
  • Published:
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Abstract

Patient-centered smartphone applications have potential to support rheumatoid arthritis (RA) self-management but remain almost unexplored in literature. Therefore, this study evaluated the usefulness of a smartphone application to support RA self-management, the willingness of RA patients to use and pay for it and the features the application should have. In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was developed to collect information on population, device ownership, usefulness and willingness to use and pay for a RA self-management application and application features. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, t test or Mann–Whitney’s test and multivariate analysis were used. One hundred RA patients answered the questionnaire. Patients’ mean age was 57 ± 11.9 years, most were females (91 %), with multiple drug regimens and a 40 % treatment non-compliance rate. Most patients believed that could have a more active role in self-management (94 %) and reported it would be useful to develop a RA self-management application (86 %). Patients willing to use an application (83 %) were younger, with a possible more active role in self-management, with access to a smartphone, and using short message service, electronic mail and Internet. Multivariate analysis confirmed these results, except the associations regarding access to a smartphone and use of electronic mail and Internet. Fifty-eight patients (82 %) were willing to pay for a RA self-management application and the most requested feature for it was information in a simple format. This study suggested the usefulness and patients’ willingness to use and pay for a RA self-management application and provided insight on patients’ needs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge to Hugo Sousa (PhD, MD) and Joaquim Monteiro (PhD, PharmD) for their suggestions during the development of the questionnaire, to the nursing service and physicians of Rheumatology Day Hospital of São João Hospital Center and to patients that answered to the questionnaire.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest (according to the Journal’s policy).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto (FMUP), Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    Rita Azevedo & Miguel Bernardes

  2. Molecular Oncology Group CI, Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto (IPO-Porto), Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal

    Rita Azevedo & Aurea Lima

  3. Rheumatology Department, São João Hospital Center, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    Miguel Bernardes

  4. CINTESIS-Centre for Research in Health Technologies and Information Systems, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto (FMUP), Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200–319 , Porto, Portugal

    João Fonseca

  5. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences and Technologies, CESPU, Rua Central de Gandra 1317, 4585-116, Gandra-PRD, Portugal

    Aurea Lima

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  1. Rita Azevedo
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  2. Miguel Bernardes
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Correspondence to Aurea Lima.

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Azevedo, R., Bernardes, M., Fonseca, J. et al. Smartphone application for rheumatoid arthritis self-management: cross-sectional study revealed the usefulness, willingness to use and patients’ needs. Rheumatol Int 35, 1675–1685 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-015-3270-9

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