Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Nov 21, 2019
Date Accepted: Mar 5, 2020
User experiences and preferences regarding an app for the treatment of urinary incontinence in adult women: a qualitative study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Although several apps are available to support the treatment of UI, little has been reported about the experiences and preferences of their users.
Objective:
To explore the preferences and experiences of women using a newly developed evidence-based mobile app for the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) and to identify potential improvements to the app.
Methods:
This was a qualitative study of women with self-reported stress, urgency, or mixed UI who used an app-based treatment to manage their condition for at least 6 weeks. Following the intervention, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their experiences and preferences regarding the app. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed separately by two researchers.
Results:
Data saturation was reached after interviewing 9 women (age 32–68 years) with stress UI (n = 1), urgency UI (n = 3), mixed UI (n = 5). Accessibility, awareness, usability, and adherence emerged as the main themes. On the one hand, participants appreciated that the app increased accessibility to care, preserved their privacy, increased their awareness of therapeutic options, was easy to use and useful, and supported treatment adherence. On the other hand, some women reported that they wanted more contact with a care provider and others reported that using the app increased their awareness of symptoms.
Conclusions:
This qualitative study indicates that women appreciate app-based treatment for UI because it can lower barriers to treatment and increase both awareness and adherence to treatment. However, the app does not offer the facility for face-to-face contact and can lead to a greater focus on symptoms.
Citation
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Copyright
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