Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Apr 23, 2020
Date Accepted: Feb 2, 2021
Usability of a mobile application for real-time assessment of fatigue and related symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis: Observational study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Options for detailed, real-time assessment of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related fatigue and associated symptoms are limited.
Objective:
To describe a mobile application (app) for the detailed and real-time assessment of fatigue in MS, and assess patient compliance, and its relationship with demographics, fatigue and disease severity.
Methods:
The app was developed in the context of a prospective study designed to investigate brain MRI correlates of MS-related fatigue. Sixty-four patients were recruited into this study. App modules: (1) ten one-time questionnaires (1TQ) to assess fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleepiness, physical activity, motivation and explore other potential exacerbators/alleviators of fatigue; (2) Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) to assess diurnal changes in fatigue, depression, anxiety, and pain assessed every 4 hour during two weeks; (3) Daily Sleep Diaries (SLD) assessing sleep habits and quality. The app prompts subjects to complete questions, and enables real-time symptom monitoring.
Results:
56/64 patients (88%) used the app, 51/56 (91%) completed all 1TQ and 47/56 (84%) completed all 1TQ, VAS and SLD. No significant differences in demographics, fatigue or disease severity were observed between degrees of compliance.
Conclusions:
The app can be used with reasonable compliance across relapsing-remitting and secondary-progressive MS patients irrespective of demographics, fatigue or disease severity.
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