Development features and study characteristics of mobile health apps in the management of chronic conditions: a systematic review of randomised trials

Smartphone applications supporting self-management programme for adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) significantly impacts on both the quality and quantity of life for patients due to frequent exacerbations requiring hospital admissions resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. A self-management programme purpose is to increase one's knowledge, confidence, and skills to self-manage their chronic illness such as COPD.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review will therefore answer the following research question: What is the current literature pertaining to the use of a smartphone app in supporting a comprehensive self-management programme among COPD patients? A preliminary search was conducted in, Medline, Embase and CINAHL databases to ascertain index terms and keywords. Following this a rigorous search was carried out on Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and ASSIA. The findings from this search are presented in tabular form using the PRSIMA flow diagram.

RESULTS

In this review, fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Across all studies participants engaged with the app and developed self-management skills and knowledge to manage their chronic illness. However, engagement with the app without third party involvement declined over time. Technical issues did not cause harm to participants but in some cases contributed to reduced engagement. Smartphone self-management apps empowered a cohort of COPD participants to engage in managing their chronic illness which proved useful in detecting exacerbations earlier resulting in reducing the need for hospitalisations over a three-to-six-month period. By reducing hospitalisations incurred a cost savings for health care and an improved quality and quantity of life for these participants.

CONCLUSION

It is evident from the literature that smartphone self-management apps may positively influence participants self-management decisions in terms of knowledge, increase physical activity, self-efficacy that may result in reduced hospitalisation and improved quality of life. It is clear that technical issues and sustained engagement over longer periods of time remains a challenge.

Which behaviour change techniques work best for diabetes self-management mobile apps? Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Self-management is pivotal in addressing noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes. The increased availability of digital behaviour change interventions (DBCIs) delivered through mobile health apps offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance self-management and improve health outcomes. However, little is known about the characteristics of DBCIs for diabetes that significantly impact glycaemic control. Therefore, our systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to summarize characteristics and behaviour change components in DBCIs for diabetes self-management and explore potential associations with metabolic outcomes.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus to identify randomized controlled trials published until November 2023. The main outcome variable was the change in the mean difference of HbA1c levels between baseline and follow-up across intervention and control groups. Random-effects meta-regression was used to explore variation in glycaemic control as a function of prespecified characteristics of study designs and app interventions.

FINDINGS

A total of 57 studies was included in the analysis, showing a statistically significant percentage point reduction in HbA1c for the intervention group compared to the control arm (-0.36, 95% CI = -0.46 to -0.26, p < 0.001). The inclusion of "self-monitoring of behaviour" as a behaviour change technique (β = -0.22, p = 0.04) and "taking medication" as a target behaviour (β = -0.20, p = 0.05) was associated with improved metabolic outcomes.

INTERPRETATION

Our analyses endorse the use of diabetes self-management apps, highlighting characteristics statistically associated with intervention effectiveness and guiding the design of more effective DBCIs.

FUNDING

This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.

From illness management to quality of life: rethinking consumer health informatics opportunities for progressive, potentially fatal illnesses

OBJECTIVES

Investigate how people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-an example of a progressive, potentially fatal illness-are using digital technologies (DTs) to address illness experiences, outcomes and social connectedness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A transformative mixed methods study was conducted in Canada with people with COPD (n = 77) or with a progressive lung condition (n = 6). Stage-1 interviews (n = 7) informed the stage-2 survey. Survey responses (n = 80) facilitated the identification of participants for stage-3 interviews (n = 13). The interviews were thematically analyzed. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the survey. The integrative mixed method analysis involved mixing between and across the stages.

RESULTS

Most COPD participants (87.0%) used DTs. However, few participants frequently used DTs to self-manage COPD. People used DTs to seek online information about COPD symptoms and treatments, but lacked tailored information about illness progression. Few expressed interest in using DTs for self- monitoring and tracking. The regular use of DTs for intergenerational connections may facilitate leaving a legacy and passing on traditions and memories. Use of DTs for leisure activities provided opportunities for connecting socially and for respite, reminiscing, distraction and spontaneity.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

We advocate reconceptualizing consumer health technologies to prioritize quality of life for people with a progressive, potentially fatal illness. "Quality of life informatics" should focus on reducing stigma regarding illness and disability and taboo towards death, improving access to palliative care resources and encouraging experiences to support social, emotional and mental health. For DTs to support people with fatal, progressive illnesses, we must expand informatics strategies to quality of life.

Applying the Participatory Slow Design Approach to a mHealth Application for Family Caregivers in Pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgery

Pediatric ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery is very common, and its outcomes may improve with family education. In this regard, mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps), which are on the rise due to digital transformation, can be beneficial in healthcare. This study outlines the user-centered design and development of a mHealth app (version 5.15.0) to support family caregivers during the perioperative process of pediatric ENT surgery. Conducted over two years in an Italian maternal and child health hospital (January 2020-May 2022), the study employed a participatory design method based on the Information System Research (ISR) framework and guided by the principles of Slow Medicine. Utilizing the Relevance, Rigor, and Design cycles of the ISR framework, the mHealth app's content, functionalities, and technical features were defined and developed. A committee of fifteen experts guided the process with input from 25 family caregivers and 24 healthcare providers enrolled in the study. The mHealth app content was structured around five crucial educational moments characterizing the ENT perioperative period, providing evidence-based information on surgical procedures, strategies for preparing children for hospitalization and surgery, pain management, and post-discharge care. The mHealth app featured a function that sends customized notifications to guide caregivers at specific perioperative stages. The development of mHealth apps by implementing a rigorous, participatory, and Slow design process can foster accessible and family-centered information and care in the field of maternal and child health and beyond.

Smart Start - Designing Powerful Clinical Trials Using Pilot Study Data

BACKGROUND: Digital health interventions may be optimized before evaluation in a randomized clinical trial. Although many digital health interventions are deployed in pilot studies, the data collected are rarely used to refine the intervention and the subsequent clinical trials. METHODS: We leverage natural variation in patients eligible for a digital health intervention in a remote patient-monitoring pilot study to design and compare interventions for a subsequent randomized clinical trial. RESULTS: Our approach leverages patient heterogeneity to identify an intervention with twice the estimated effect size of an unoptimized intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing an intervention and clinical trial based on pilot data may improve efficacy and increase the probability of success. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04336969.)

An umbrella review of effectiveness and efficacy trials for app-based health interventions

Health interventions based on mobile phone or tablet applications (apps) are promising tools to help patients manage their conditions more effectively. Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on efficacy and effectiveness of such interventions is increasingly available. This umbrella review aimed at mapping and narratively summarizing published systematic reviews on efficacy and effectiveness of mobile app-based health interventions within patient populations. We followed a pre-specified publicly available protocol. Systematic reviews were searched in two databases from inception until August 28, 2023. Reviews that included RCTs evaluating integrated or stand-alone health app interventions in patient populations with regard to efficacy/effectiveness were considered eligible. Information on indications, outcomes, app characteristics, efficacy/effectiveness results and authors' conclusions was extracted. Methodological quality was assessed using the AMSTAR2 tool. We identified 48 systematic reviews published between 2013 and 2023 (35 with meta-analyses) that met our inclusion criteria. Eleven reviews included a broad spectrum of conditions, thirteen focused on diabetes, five on anxiety and/or depression, and others on various other indications. Reported outcomes ranged from medication adherence to laboratory, anthropometric and functional parameters, symptom scores and quality of life. Fourty-one reviews concluded that health apps may be effective in improving health outcomes. We rated one review as moderate quality. Here we report that the synthesized evidence on health app effectiveness varies largely between indications. Future RCTs should consider reporting behavioral (process) outcomes and measures of healthcare resource utilization to provide deeper insights on mechanisms that make health apps effective, and further elucidate their impact on healthcare systems.

Effective Behavior Change Techniques in Digital Health Interventions for the Prevention or Management of Noncommunicable Diseases: An Umbrella Review

BACKGROUND

Despite an abundance of digital health interventions (DHIs) targeting the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), it is unclear what specific components make a DHI effective.

PURPOSE

This narrative umbrella review aimed to identify the most effective behavior change techniques (BCTs) in DHIs that address the prevention or management of NCDs.

METHODS

Five electronic databases were searched for articles published in English between January 2007 and December 2022. Studies were included if they were systematic reviews or meta-analyses of DHIs targeting the modification of one or more NCD-related risk factors in adults. BCTs were coded using the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy v1. Study quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2.

RESULTS

Eighty-five articles, spanning 12 health domains and comprising over 865,000 individual participants, were included in the review. We found evidence that DHIs are effective in improving health outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and asthma, and health-related behaviors including physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet, weight management, medication adherence, and abstinence from substance use. There was strong evidence to suggest that credible source, social support, prompts and cues, graded tasks, goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, human coaching and personalization components increase the effectiveness of DHIs targeting the prevention and management of NCDs.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identifies the most common and effective BCTs used in DHIs, which warrant prioritization for integration into future interventions. These findings are critical for the future development and upscaling of DHIs and should inform best practice guidelines.

Health Providers' Perceptions and Experiences of Using mHealth for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases: Qualitative Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis

BACKGROUND

Mobile health (mHealth) technology has great potential for addressing the epidemic of chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs) by assisting health providers (HPs) with managing these diseases. However, there is currently limited evidence regarding the acceptance of mHealth among HPs, which is a key prerequisite for harnessing this potential.

OBJECTIVE

This review aimed to investigate the perceptions and experiences of HPs regarding the barriers to and facilitators of mHealth use for CNCDs.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE (via Ovid), Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library (via Ovid) for studies that assessed the perceptions and experiences of HPs regarding the barriers to and facilitators of mHealth use for CNCDs. Qualitative studies and mixed methods studies involving qualitative methods published in English were included. Data synthesis and interpretation were performed using a thematic synthesis approach.

RESULTS

A total of 18,242 studies were identified, of which 24 (0.13%) met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 6 themes related to facilitators were identified, namely empowering patient self-management, increasing efficiency, improving access to care, increasing the quality of care, improving satisfaction, and improving the usability of the internet and mobile software. Furthermore, 8 themes related to barriers were identified, namely limitation due to digital literacy, personal habits, or health problems; concern about additional burden; uncertainty around the value of mHealth technology; fear of medicolegal risks; lack of comfortable design and experience; lack of resources and incentives; lack of policy guidance and regulation; and worrisome side effects resulting from the use of mHealth.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to the understanding of the beneficial factors of and obstacles to mHealth adoption by HPs for CNCDs. The findings of this study may provide significant insights for health care workers and policy makers who seek ways to improve the adoption of mHealth by HPs for CNCDs.

Evaluating the Usefulness and Ease of Use of a Next-Generation-Connected Drug Delivery Device for Growth Hormone Therapy: Qualitative Study of Health Care Professionals' Perceptions

BACKGROUND

Digital solutions targeting children's health have become an increasingly important element in the provision of integrated health care. For the treatment of growth hormone deficiency (GHD), a unique connected device is available to facilitate the delivery of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) by automating the daily injection process and collecting injection data such that accurate adherence information is available to health care professionals (HCPs), caregivers, and patients. The adoption of such digital solutions requires a good understanding of the perspectives of HCPs as key stakeholders because they leverage data collection and prescribe these solutions to their patients.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the third generation of the easypod device (EP3) for the delivery of r-hGH treatment from the HCP perspective, with a focus on perceived usefulness and ease of use.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted, based on a participatory workshop conducted in Zaragoza, Spain, with 10 HCPs experienced in the management of pediatric GHD from 7 reference hospitals in Spain. Several activities were designed to promote discussion among participants about predefined topics based on the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to provide their perceptions about the new device.

RESULTS

Participants reported 2 key advantages of EP3 over previous easypod generations: the touch screen interface and the real-time data transmission functionality. All participants (10/10, 100%) agreed that the new device should be part of a digital health ecosystem that provides complementary functionalities including data analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study explored the perceived value of the EP3 autoinjector device for the treatment of GHD by HCPs. HCPs rated the new capabilities of the device as having substantial improvements and concluded that it was highly recommendable for clinical practice. EP3 will enhance decision-making and allow for more personalized care of patients receiving r-hGH.

Identifying developments over a decade in the digital health and telemedicine landscape in the UK using quantitative text mining

The use of technologies that provide objective, digital data to clinicians, carers, and service users to improve care and outcomes comes under the unifying term Digital Health. This field, which includes the use of high-tech health devices, telemedicine and health analytics has, in recent years, seen significant growth in the United Kingdom and worldwide. It is clearly acknowledged by multiple stakeholders that digital health innovations are necessary for the future of improved and more economic healthcare service delivery. Here we consider digital health-related research and applications by using an informatics tool to objectively survey the field. We have used a quantitative text-mining technique, applied to published works in the field of digital health, to capture and analyse key approaches taken and the diseases areas where these have been applied. Key areas of research and application are shown to be cardiovascular, stroke, and hypertension; although the range seen is wide. We consider advances in digital health and telemedicine in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital health applications and the fast-track pathway to public health coverage in Germany: challenges and opportunities based on first results

Objectives

Evidence-based decision-making is the sine qua non for safe and effective patient care and the long-term functioning of health systems. Since 2020 Digital Health Applications (DiHA) in Germany have been undergoing a systematic pathway to be reimbursed by statutory health insurance (SHI) which is attracting attention in other European countries. We therefore investigate coverage decisions on DiHA and the underlying evidence on health care effects, which legally include both medical outcomes and patient-centred structural and procedural outcomes.

Methods

Based on publicly available data of the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices searched between 08/2021 and 02/2022, all DiHA listed in the corresponding registry and thus reimbursable by the SHI were systematically investigated and presented descriptively on the basis of predefined criteria, such as clinical condition, and costs. The clinical trials on DiHA permanently included in the registry were reviewed with regard to their study design, endpoints investigated, the survey instruments used, and whether an intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROB II tool.

Results

By February 2022, 30 DiHA had been included in the DiHA registry, one third of them permanently and two thirds conditionally. Most DiHA were therapeutic applications for mental illness based on cognitive behavioural therapy. For all permanently included DiHA, randomised controlled trials were conducted to demonstrate the impact on health care effects. While medical outcomes were investigated for all of these DiHA, patient-centred structural and procedural outcomes were rarely investigated. The majority of clinical trials showed a high risk of bias, mainly due to insufficient reporting quality. Overall, the prices for DiHA covered by SHI are on average around € 150 per month (min. € 40; max. € 248).

Conclusions

Evidence-based decision-making on coverage of DiHA leaves room for improvements both in terms of reporting-quality and the use of patient-centred structural and procedural outcomes in addition to medical outcomes. With appropriate evidence, DiHA can offer an opportunity as an adjunct to existing therapy while currently the high risk of bias of the trials raises doubts about the justification of its high costs.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08500-6.

Recommendations for developing a lifecycle, multidimensional assessment framework for mobile medical apps

Digital health and mobile medical apps (MMAs) have shown great promise in transforming health care, but their adoption in clinical care has been unsatisfactory, and regulatory guidance and coverage decisions have been lacking or incomplete. A multidimensional assessment framework for regulatory, policymaking, health technology assessment, and coverage purposes based on the MMA lifecycle is needed. A targeted review of relevant policy documents from international sources was conducted to map current MMA assessment frameworks, to formulate 10 recommendations, subsequently shared amongst an expert panel of key stakeholders. Recommendations go beyond economic dimensions such as cost and economic evaluation and also include MMA development and update, classification and evidentiary requirements, performance and maintenance monitoring, usability testing, clinical evidence requirements, safety and security, equity considerations, organizational assessment, and additional outcome domains (patient empowerment and environmental impact). The COVID-19 pandemic greatly expanded the use of MMAs, but temporary policies governing their use and oversight need consolidation through well-developed frameworks to support decision-makers, producers and introduction into clinical care processes, especially in light of the strong international, cross-border character of MMAs, the new EU medical device and health technology assessment regulations, and the Next Generation EU funding earmarked for health digitalization.

Remotely Conducted App-Based Intervention for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Risk Awareness and Prevention: Single-Group Feasibility Trial

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus are two of the most prevalent chronic conditions worldwide. An unhealthy lifestyle greatly contributes to someone's risk of developing these conditions. Mobile health is an emerging technology that can help deliver health promotion interventions to the population, for example, in the form of health apps.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of an app-based intervention for cardiovascular and diabetes risk awareness and prevention by measuring nonusage, dropout, adherence to app use, and usability of the app over 3 months.

METHODS

Participants were eligible if they were aged 45 years or older, resided in Australia, were free of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, were fluent in English, and owned a smartphone. In the beginning, participants received an email with instructions on how to install the app and a user guide. After 3 months, they received an email with an invitation to an end-of-study survey. The survey included questions about general smartphone use and the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale. We analyzed app-generated and survey data by using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as thematic analysis for open-text comments.

RESULTS

Recruitment took place between September and October 2021. Of the 46 participants who consented to the study, 20 (44%) never used the app and 15 (33%) dropped out. The median age of the app users at baseline was 62 (IQR 56-67) years. Adherence to app use, that is, using the app at least once a week over 3 months, was 17% (8/46) of the total sample and 31% (8/26) of all app users. The mean app quality rating on the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale was 3.5 (SD 0.6) of 5 points. The app scored the highest for the information section and the lowest for the engagement section of the scale.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonusage and dropouts were too high, and the adherence was too low to consider the intervention in its current form feasible. Potential barriers that we identified include the research team not actively engaging with participants early in the study to verify that all participants could install the app, the intervention did not involve direct contact with health care professionals, and the app did not have enough interactive features.

A Mobile App for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Development and Usability Study

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are posing a huge burden on health care systems worldwide. Mobile apps can deliver behavior change interventions for chronic disease prevention on a large scale, but current evidence for their effectiveness is limited.

Objective

This paper reported on the development and user testing of a mobile app that aims at increasing risk awareness and engaging users in behavior change. It would form part of an intervention for primary prevention of CVD and T2DM.

Methods

The theoretical framework of the app design was based on the Behaviour Change Wheel, combined with the capability, opportunity, and motivation for behavior change system and the behavior change techniques from the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (version 1). In addition, evidence from scientific literature has guided the development process. The prototype was tested for user-friendliness via an iterative approach. We conducted semistructured interviews with individuals in the target populations, which included the System Usability Scale. We transcribed and analyzed the interviews using descriptive statistics for the System Usability Scale and thematic analysis to identify app features that improved utility and usability.

Results

The target population was Australians aged ≥45 years. The app included 4 core modules (risk score, goal setting, health measures, and education). In these modules, users learned about their risk for CVD and T2DM; set goals for smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and physical activity; and tracked them. In total, we included 12 behavior change techniques. We conducted 2 rounds of usability testing, each involving 5 participants. The average age of the participants was 58 (SD 8) years. Totally, 60% (6/10) of the participants owned iPhone Operating System phones, and 40% (4/10) of them owned Android phones. In the first round, we identified a technical issue that prevented 30% (3/10) of the participants from completing the registration process. Among the 70% (7/10) of participants who were able to complete the registration process, 71% (5/7) rated the app above average, based on the System Usability Scale. During the interviews, we identified some issues related to functionality, content, and language and clarity. We used the participants’ feedback to improve these aspects.

Conclusions

We developed the app using behavior change theory and scientific evidence. The user testing allowed us to identify and remove technical errors and integrate additional functions into the app, which the participants had requested. Next, we will evaluate the feasibility of the revised version of the app developed through this design process and usability testing.

MXene nanoflakes decorating ZnO tetrapods for enhanced performance of skin-attachable stretchable enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensor

Continuous painless glucose monitoring is the greatest desire of more than 422 million diabetics worldwide. Therefore, new non-invasive and convenient approaches to glucose monitoring are more in demand than other tests for microanalytical diagnostic tools. Besides, blood glucose detection can be replaced by continuous glucose monitoring of other human biological fluids (e.g. sweat) collected non-invasively. In this study, a skin-attachable and stretchable electrochemical enzymatic sensor based on ZnO tetrapods (TPs) and a new class of 2D materials - transition metal carbides, known as MXene, was developed and their electroanalytical behavior was tailored for continuous detection glucose in sweat. The high specific area of ZnO TPs and superior electrical conductivity of MXene (Ti₃C₂Tx) nanoflakes enabled to produce enzymatic electrochemical glucose biosensor with enhanced sensitivity in sweat sample (29 μA mM^-1 cm^-2), low limit of detection (LOD ≈ 17 μM), broad linear detection range (LDR = 0.05-0.7 mM) that satisfices glucose detection application in human sweat, and advanced mechanical stability (up to 30% stretching) of the template. The developed skin-attachable stretchable electrochemical electrodes allowed to monitor the level of glucose in sweat while sugar uptake and during physical activity. Continuous in vivo monitoring of glucose in sweat obtained during 60 min correlated well with data collected by a conventional amperometric blood glucometer in vitro mode. Our findings demonstrate the high potential of developed ZnO/MXene skin-attachable stretchable sensors for biomedical applications on a daily basis.

Remote Healthcare for Elderly People Using Wearables: A Review

The growth of health care spending on older adults with chronic diseases faces major concerns that require effective measures to be adopted worldwide. Among the main concerns is whether recent technological advances now offer the possibility of providing remote health care for the aging population. The benefits of suitable prevention and adequate monitoring of chronic diseases by using emerging technological paradigms such as wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) can increase the detection rates of health risks to raise the quality of life for the elderly. Specifically, on the subject of remote health monitoring in older adults, a first approach is required to review devices, sensors, and wearables that serve as tools for obtaining and measuring physiological parameters in order to identify progress, limitations, and areas of opportunity in the development of health monitoring schemes. For these reasons, a review of articles on wearable devices was presented in the first instance to identify whether the selected articles addressed the needs of aged adults. Subsequently, the direct review of commercial and prototype wearable devices with the capability to read physiological parameters was presented to identify whether they are optimal or usable for health monitoring in older adults.

Predictors of the Acceptance of an eCoach targeting Self-management of Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Web-Based Survey (Preprint)

Background

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a lifestyle-related disease whose prevalence increases with age. Diabetes self-management through mobile health (mHealth) apps enables patients with T2D to improve their health. According to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), technology acceptance (ie, intended use) is necessary to ensure mHealth can be implemented successfully. Therefore, the specific acceptance requirements of patients with T2D should be considered.

Objective

This cross-sectional study aims to examine the extent to which different TAM predictors are associated with the acceptance of a diabetes app including an electronic coach (eCoach; Iris app) among patients with T2D.

Methods

Using a web-based survey, data on 92 patients with T2D (mean age 62.76 years, SD 8.29 years) were collected. Acceptance of the Iris app with the TAM predictors (ie, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, perceived self-efficacy, perceived security, prior usage experience, perceived health, and propensity of data/information sharing) was assessed. Further, control variables (ie, gender, age, education, ethnicity, household, BMI, amount of years with diabetes, diabetes-related complaints, and medication use) were assessed.

Results

Multiple linear regression analyses showed that acceptance of the Iris app was positively associated with perceived usefulness (β=.57, P<.001), social influence (subjective norm; β=.20, P=.004), and willingness to share data (β=.25, P<.001). In addition, acceptance regarding the Iris app was higher among patients with T2D with overweight (β=.23, P=.01) or obese BMI (β=.21, P=.01). The model explained 75.8% of the variance in the acceptance of the Iris app by patients with T2D. In addition, perceived usefulness of the Iris app was positively related to perceived ease of use (β=.32, P<.001), subjective norm (β=.26, P=.004), perceived control (β=.19, P=.03), willingness to share data (β=.20, P=.01) regarding the Iris app, and perceived security regarding general use of apps/smartphone/internet (β=.15, P=.04). The model explained 58.2% of the variance in patients’ perceived usefulness about the Iris app.

Conclusions

Among patients with T2D, the belief that the use of the Iris app is helpful/beneficial, the willingness to share their Iris app data, and others’ approval of using this app can stimulate the acceptance of this app. In addition, the belief that the use of (health) apps is reliable and secure, the belief that the use of the Iris app is easy to use, a higher perceived capability and personal control with using this app, the willingness to share their Iris app data, and others’ approval of using this app can stimulate the perceived usefulness of such an app. These TAM predictors explained a high variance in acceptance and perceived usefulness of the Iris app. Implications for practice are addressed.