Mobile Health Utilization, Preferences, Barriers, and eHealth Literacy among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A Patient Survey Study (Preprint)

Abstract

Mobile Health (mHealth), which refers to health care facilitated by mobile devices, offers a promising strategy for enhancing disease management and treatment for patients with chronic conditions. However, there is limited information on how patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) utilize mHealth and their digital preferences.

The aim of the study was to investigate the utilization of mHealth, as well as the preferences, obstacles, and eHealth literacy as reported by patients with IBD in Germany.

From April to May 2023, we sequentially enrolled patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn´s disease and ulcerative colitis, to participate in a paper-based survey. The survey encompassed inquiries covering sociodemographic details, health characteristics, mHealth utilization, internet usage, eHealth literacy measured through the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), and preferences related to communication and information.

Out of the 200 surveyed participants, almost all individuals (197/200, 98.5%) reported regular smartphone usage, and more than half indicated regular engagement with social media (139/200, 69.5%). Most respondents (168/200, 84.0%) expressed the belief that incorporating medical apps into their routine could positively impact their health. However, only 25 out of 200 patients (12.5%) acknowledged using medical apps, amongst which only two apps were IBD-specific, used by 3 out of 25 participants (12.0%). Furthermore, awareness of useful websites or mobile applications specifically tailored for IBD was limited (45/200, 22.5%). An overwhelming majority of participants (196/200, 98.0%) affirmed their willingness to share data from mobile apps for research purposes. Consent to the transmission of app data to treating physicians was also high (171/200, 85.5%). Most patients (175/200, 87.5%) conveyed a readiness to regularly input data through an application with a preferred duration of up to 5 minutes (109/200, 54.5%) and a frequency of weekly input (76/200, 38.0%). Regarding functions for an IBD-specific app, participants’ most frequent requests were related to electronic prescription (55.0%) and a newsletter about new scientific work and clinical studies (47.0%). Favored key attributes of an app were usability and security. When seeking health-related information, the internet emerged as the predominant source (180/200, 90%). The average eHealth literacy was reported to be high (28.9/40), with a positive correlation observed between higher eHealth literacy and factors such as younger age and more frequent internet usage to receive health information.

Patients with IBD are well-qualified and motivated to use mHealth technologies to better understand their chronic condition and optimize their treatment. However, their enthusiasm is curbed by the low actual adoption of mHealth. To fully harness the potential of mHealth in IBD treatment, effective and tailored mHealth solutions, implementation recommendations, and patient education are needed.