scholarly journals Information needs and perceptions of chatbots for hypertension medication self-management: a mixed methods study

JAMIA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley C Griffin ◽  
Zhaopeng Xing ◽  
Sean P Mikles ◽  
Stacy Bailey ◽  
Saif Khairat ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Chatbots have potential to deliver interactive self-management interventions but have rarely been studied in the context of hypertension or medication adherence. The objective of this study was to better understand patient information needs and perceptions of chatbots to support hypertension medication self-management. Materials and Methods Mixed methods were used to assess self-management needs and preferences for using chatbots. We purposively sampled adults with hypertension who were prescribed at least one medication. Participants completed questionnaires on sociodemographics, health literacy, self-efficacy, and technology use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using applied thematic analysis. Results Thematic saturation was met after interviewing 15 participants. Analysis revealed curiosity toward chatbots, and most perceived them as humanlike. The majority were interested in using a chatbot to help manage medications, refills, communicate with care teams, and for accountability toward self-care tasks. Despite general enthusiasm, there were concerns with chatbots providing too much information, making demands for lifestyle changes, invading privacy, and usability issues with deployment on smartphones. Those with overall positive perceptions toward chatbots were younger and taking fewer medications. Discussion Chatbot-related informational needs were consistent with existing self-management research, and many felt chatbots would be valuable if customizable and compatible with patient portals, pharmacies, or health apps. Conclusion Although most were not familiar with chatbots, patients were interested in interacting with them, but this varied. This research informs future design and functionalities of conversational interfaces to support hypertension self-management.

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 00017-2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay D. Apps ◽  
Samantha L. Harrison ◽  
Katy E. Mitchell ◽  
Johanna E.A. Williams ◽  
Nicky Hudson ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to understand experiences of participation in a supported self-management programme for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is a wealth of clinical trials examining the outcomes of self-management interventions for individuals with COPD, but current understanding regarding patients' perspectives of such complex interventions is limited. Further insight may help to tailor self-management interventions and maximise patient engagement.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals participating in a self-management programme, SPACE for COPD. Interviews took place at 6 weeks and 6 months following the programme. Data were analysed at each time point using inductive thematic analysis, and subsequently re-examined together.40 interviews were undertaken and four themes emerged from the analysis: perceptions of the programme; lifestyle changes; social support; and disrupting factors and barriers to maintaining routines.SPACE for COPD was acceptable to participants in this study. The importance of education and social support was emphasised at both time points studied, but there were challenges such as comorbidities, ill health of family members and limited maintenance of exercise behaviours over the longer term. Further consideration of the role of carers and partners may help to improve adherence to self-management programmes once healthcare professional support has stopped.


2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp18X697349
Author(s):  
Anna Lalonde ◽  
Emma Teasdale ◽  
Ingrid Muller ◽  
Joanne Chalmers ◽  
Peter Smart ◽  
...  

BackgroundCellulitis is a common painful infection of the skin and underlying tissues that recurs in approximately a third of cases. Patients’ ability to recover from cellulitis or prevent recurrence is likely to be influenced by their understanding of the condition.AimTo explore patients’ perceptions of cellulitis and their information needs.MethodMixed methods study comprising semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and cross-sectional survey, recruiting through primary care, secondary care and advertising. Adults aged 18 or over with a history of cellulitis (first or recurrent) were invited to complete a survey, take part in an interview or both. Qualitative data was analysed thematically.ResultsThirty interviews were conducted between August 2016 and July 2017. Qualitative data revealed low prior awareness of cellulitis, uncertainty around diagnosis, concern/surprise at the severity of cellulitis, and perceived insufficient information provision. People were surprised they had never heard of the condition and that they had not received advice or leaflets giving self-care information. Some sought information from the internet and found this bewildering. Two hundred and forty surveys were completed (response rate 17%). These showed that, while most people received information on the treatment of cellulitis (60.0%, n = 144), they reported receiving no information about causes (60.8%, n = 146) or prevention of recurrence (73.3%, n = 176).ConclusionThere is a need for provision of basic information for people with cellulitis, particularly being informed of the name of their condition, how to manage acute episodes, and how to reduce risk of recurrence.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 201-201
Author(s):  
Tara L. Kaufmann ◽  
Katharine A. Rendle ◽  
Erin Aakhus ◽  
Andrea Bilger ◽  
Peter Edward Gabriel ◽  
...  

201 Background: Unplanned acute care is debilitating and burdensome for patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers. There is a pressing need to understand how available evidence-based practices (EBPs) to reduce acute care 1) align with the needs and priorities of patients and 2) are best implemented within large health systems. We are conducting a mixed methods study to assess patient- provider- and system-level factors that shape the decision to seek acute care during active cancer treatment in order to select and adapt EBPs for implementation. Here we present data from patients’ perspectives. Methods: Purposive sampling approach to identify solid tumor cancer patients on active treatment with unplanned acute care events at a large health system from Aug 2018-Jan 2019. We conducted semi-structured interviews to elicit patients’ perspectives on factors that shape their decision to seek acute care and to inform intervention strategies. Results: Forty-nine patients participated in this study. We identify several patient factors that intersect with the decision to seek care: self-management behaviors, guilt, negative ED perception, safety concerns, and trust. Patients attempt self-management prior to contacting their oncology team, which introduces variability in the duration and severity of reported symptoms. Delay is related to patients’ guilt for burdening their oncology team and to provider accessibility. Patients describe a high symptom threshold to seek care that is often coupled with a negative perception of the ED, but do prefer in-person evaluation for new and distressing symptoms for safety. They express a high level of trust in the oncology team and relative distrust of non-oncology providers. Conclusions: Our data suggest a conceptual model for patient factors that drive unplanned acute care. Patients identify three areas for improvement: 1) enhanced peer support and education to manage uncertainty about cancer treatment; 2) accessible portals for patient-clinician communication; and 3) home or clinic-based after-hours oncology symptom management. Interventions to target these needs should address patients’ emotional concerns and be well integrated within the oncology team.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Geuens ◽  
Luc Geurts ◽  
Thijs W Swinnen ◽  
Rene Westhovens ◽  
Vero Vanden Abeele

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic arthritis (CA) ideally apply self-management behaviors between consultations. This enduring, tedious task of keeping track of disease-related parameters, adhering to medication schemes, and engaging in physical therapy may be supported by using a mobile health (mHealth) app. However, further research is needed to determine which self-management features are valued most by adult patients with CA patients. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the preference of features for an mHealth app to support self-management behavior in patients with CA. In addition, we aimed to explore the motives behind these ratings. METHODS A mixed-methods approach was used to gather information from 31 adult patients (14 females), aged 23 to 71 years (mean 51 [SD 12.16]), with CA. Structured interviews were conducted to gather data pertaining to preferences of app features. Interviews were analyzed qualitatively, whereas ratings for each of the 28 features studied were analyzed quantitatively. RESULTS In general, patients with CA favored the use of features pertaining to supporting active and direct disease management, (eg, medication intake and detecting and alarming of bad posture), helping them to keep a close watch on their disease status and inform their health care professional (eg, providing a means to log and report disease-related data) and receiving personalized information (eg, offering tailored information based on the patient’s health data). Patients strongly disliked features that provide a means of social interaction or provide incentivization for disease-related actions (eg, being able to compare yourself with other patients, cooperating toward a common goal, and receiving encouragement from friends and/or family). Driving these evaluations is the finding that every patient with CA hurts in his/her own way, the way the disease unfolds over time and manifests itself in the patient and social environment is different for every patient, and patients with CA are well aware of this. CONCLUSIONS We have offered an insight into how patients with CA favor mHealth features for self-management apps. The results of this research can inform the design and development of prospective self-management apps for patients with CA.


F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Ena Niño de Guzmán ◽  
Laura Martínez García ◽  
Ana I. González ◽  
Monique Heijmans ◽  
Jorge Huaringa ◽  
...  

Introduction: Self-management (SM) interventions are complex interventions and one of the main components of high-quality chronic disease care for which the incorporation of the perspectives of patients and their informal caregivers is crucial. We aim to identify, appraise and synthesise the evidence exploring patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives on SM interventions. More precisely, we aim to 1) describe how they value the importance of outcomes of SM interventions, and 2) identify the factors that might impact on acceptability and feasibility of SM interventions based on their preferences and experiences. Methods and analysis: We will conduct four mixed-methods overviews as part of COMPAR-EU, a European Union (EU) funded project aimed to identify the most effective and cost-effective SM interventions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We will search in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for systematic reviews of studies addressing patients’ preferences on outcomes, or their experiences with SM alongside their disease trajectory or with SM interventions, published in English. Selection of studies and data extraction will be conducted in pairs. We will assess the overlap of studies and methodological quality. We will follow a three-step synthesis process: 1) narrative synthesis for quantitative evidence, 2) thematic synthesis for qualitative evidence, and 3) integration of findings in the interpretation phase. Additionally, we will consult on the relevance of findings with patients and their caregivers. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42019117867


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Lehmann ◽  
Petra Buhl ◽  
Johannes M Giesinger ◽  
Lisa M Wintner ◽  
Monika Sztankay ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Patient portals offer the possibility to assess patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) remotely and first evidence has demonstrated their potential benefits. OBJECTIVE In this study, we evaluated patients’ use of a web-based patient portal where patients can complete PROMs. The portal was developed to supplement routine monitoring at the Department of Internal Medicine V in Innsbruck. METHODS We included patients with cancer who were already participating in the monitoring at the hospital for usage of the patient portal. Patients were introduced to the portal and asked to complete questionnaires prior to their next hospital visits. We used system access logs and three consecutive semi-structured interviews to analyze patients’ usage and evaluation of the portal. RESULTS Between July 2017 and August 2020, we approached N=122 patients for participation in the study, of whom n=102 (83.6%) consented to use the patient portal. Patients were on average 60 (SD 10.4) years old. Of n=71 patients providing data at all study time points, n=26 (36.6%) patients consistently used the portal prior to their hospital visits. During an average session, patients viewed 5.3 different pages and spent 9.4 minutes logged on to the portal. Feedback from interviews was largely positive with no patients reporting difficulties navigating the survey and 50% of patients valuing the self-management tools provided in the portal. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates how a patient portal can complement a routine PROM implementation at the hospital by reducing the burden of administration for the clinical team and offering an additional way for patients to engage with PROMs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrine Bostrøm ◽  
Cecilie Varsi ◽  
Hilde Eide ◽  
Elin Børøsund ◽  
Olof B Kristjansdottir ◽  
...  

Abstract Background:Chronic pain conditions entail significant personal and societal burdens and improved outreach of evidence-based pain self-management programs are needed. Digital cognitive-behavioral self-management interventions have shown promise. However, evidence is still scarce and several challenges with such interventions for chronic pain exist. Exploring patients' experiences and engagement with digital interventions may be an essential step towards developing meaningful digital self-management interventions for those living with chronic pain. Objectives:This study aimed to gain insight into the experiences of people with chronic pain when engaging with EPIO, an application (app)-based cognitive-behavioral pain self-management intervention program.Methods: Participants (N=50) living with chronic pain received access to the EPIO intervention for 3 months. During this time, all participants received a follow-up phone call at 2-3 weeks, and a subsample (n=15) also participated in individual semi-structured interviews after 3 months. A qualitative design was used and thematic analysis was employed aiming to capture participants’ experiences when engaging with the EPIO intervention program. Results:Findings identifying program-related experiences and engagement were organized into three main topics, each with three sub-themes: (1) Engaging with EPIO; motivation to learn, fostering joy and enthusiasm, and helpful reminders and personalization, (2) Coping with pain in everyday life; awareness, practice and using EPIO, and (3) The value of engaging with the EPIO program; EPIO – a friend, making peace with the presence of pain, and fostering communication and social support. Conclusions: The current study explored participants’ experiences and engagement with EPIO, a digital self-management intervention program for people living with chronic pain. Findings highlighted identifying valued aspects related to motivation for engagement, incorporating content in support of daily coping, and encouraging a sense of acceptance and relatedness as vital components for facilitating program engagement.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03705104; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03705104


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Trøllund Rask ◽  
Pernille Ravn Jakobsen ◽  
Jane Clemensen ◽  
Marianne Rosendal ◽  
Lisbeth Frostholm

Abstract Background Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) are estimated to be present in 17% of patients in general practice. Hence, general practitioners (GPs) play a key role in both the diagnostic assessment and the management of PPS. However, research indicates a need to improve their strategies to support self-help in patients, and eHealth tools may serve as an opportunity. This study aimed to explore patients’ and GPs’ needs related to self-management of PPS. The study was designed to inform the future development of eHealth interventions in this field. Methods This qualitative study was based on 20 semi-structured interviews (6 GPs and 14 patients with PPS). Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed through a five-step thematic analysis approach. First, we conducted an inductive analysis to identify and explore emerging subthemes. Second, using a deductive mapping strategy, we categorised the derived subthemes according to the COM-B behaviour change model and its three domains: capability, opportunity and motivation. Results We identified eleven subthemes in the patient interviews and seven subthemes in the GP interviews. Several unmet needs emerged. First, we identified a need to consider PPS early in the illness trajectory by taking a bio-psycho-social approach. Second, both patients and GPs need better skills to manage uncertainty. Third, hope is important for the patients. Fourth, patients need guidance from their GP in how to self-manage their PPS. Conclusions This study provides important insight into key issues and needs related to capability, opportunity and motivation that should be addressed in the design of future eHealth self-management interventions targeting patients with PPS in general practice in order to support and improve care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire van der Westhuizen ◽  
Megan Malan ◽  
Tracey Naledi ◽  
Marinda Roelofse ◽  
Bronwyn Myers ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) programmes have resulted in generally positive outcomes in healthcare settings, particularly for problem alcohol use, yet implementation is hampered by barriers such as concerns regarding the burden on healthcare professionals. In low-resourced settings, task-sharing approaches can reduce this burden by using non-professional healthcare workers, yet data are scarce regarding the outcomes and acceptability to patients within a SBIRT service. This study aims to evaluate patient-reported outcomes, patient acceptability, perceived benefits and recommendations for improving a task-shared SBIRT service in South African emergency centres (ECs). Methods This mixed methods study incorporates quantitative substance use screening and patient satisfaction data collected routinely within the service at three hospitals, and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 18 EC patient beneficiaries of the programme exploring acceptability and perceived benefits of the programme, as well as recommendations to improve the service. Approximately three months after the acute EC visit, a sub-sample of patients were followed up telephonically to assess patient-reported satisfaction and substance use outcomes. Results Of the 4847 patients eligible for the brief intervention, 3707 patients (76%) used alcohol as their primary substance and 794 (16%) used cannabis. At follow-up (n = 273), significant reductions in substance use frequency and severity were noted and over 95% of patients were satisfied with the service. In the semi-structured interviews, participants identified the non-judgemental caring approach of the counsellors, and the screening and psychoeducation components of the intervention as being the most valuable, motivating them to decrease substance use and make other positive lifestyle changes. Study participants made recommendations to include group sessions, market the programme in communities and extend the programme’s reach to include a broader age group and a variety of settings. Conclusions This task-shared SBIRT service was found to be acceptable to patients, who reported several benefits of a single SBIRT contact session delivered during an acute EC visit. These findings add to the SBIRT literature by highlighting the role of non-professional healthcare workers in delivering a low-intensity SBIRT service feasible to implement in low-resourced settings.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document