Abstract
Purpose
With the increasing prevalence and chronic course of gout, the use of mobile health (mHealth) applications (APPs) for gout self-management is attracting considerable research attention as an effective approach to improving health outcomes. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the self-management support that a mHealth APP for gout should provide to patients according to their needs. The aim of this study was to interview patients with gout and identify their needs with respect to gout self-management support.
Patients and Methods
We conducted qualitative research using a purposive sampling method from January 2019 to August 2019. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients recruited from West China Hospital in Sichuan, China. The qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by thematic analysis.
Results
Ten male patients with gout were included in the final analysis. Instrumental, psychological, and relational support emerged as themes describing the needs of patients for gout self-management support. The instrumental support included health education, hospital registration, setting reminders, and shopping. Psychological support referred to helping patients mitigate various negative emotions. Relational support included interactions with healthcare providers and fellow patients.
Conclusion
The present findings indicate that healthcare providers or companies should develop mHealth APPs for gout self-management based on the needs of patients.
Abbreviations
ULT, urate-lowering therapy; mHealth, mobile health; APPs, Applications; SUA, serum uric acid; BMI, body mass index.
Acknowledgments
The researchers are grateful to the patients who participated in this study for sharing their experiences regarding gout self-management and perception of mobile APPs.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.