Chronic urticaria patients are interested in apps to monitor their disease activity and control: A UCARE CURICT analysis

Abstract

Background Information/communication technologies such as mobile phone applications (apps) would enable chronic urticaria (CU) patients to self‐evaluate their disease activity and control. Yet, recently Antó et al (2021) reported a global paucity of such apps for patients with CU. In this analysis, we assessed patient interest in using apps to monitor CU disease activity and control using questions from the chronic urticaria information and communication technologies (CURICT) study. Methods The methodology for CURICT has been reported. Briefly, a 23‐item questionnaire was completed by 1841 CU patients from 17 UCAREs across 17 countries. Here, we analyzed patient responses to the CURICT questions on the use of apps for urticaria‐related purposes. Results As previously published, the majority of respondents had chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU; 63%; 18% chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) [CIndu]; 19% with both), were female (70%) and in urban areas (75%). Over half of patients were very/extremely interested in an app to monitor disease activity (51%) and control (53%), while only ∼1/10 were not. Patients with both urticaria types versus those with CSU only (odds ratio [OR], 1.36 [1.03–1.79]) and females versus males (OR [95% CI], 1.47 [1.17–1.85]) were more likely to be very to extremely interested in an app to assess disease control. Conclusions Overall, half of the patients with CU were very to extremely interested in using an app to assess their disease activity and control. Development of well‐designed apps, specific to disease types (CSU, CIndU, CSU + CIndU, etc), validated by experts across platforms would help improve the management and possibly outcomes of CU treatment while providing important patient information to be used in future research.

Urticaria

“…Patients with CU are interested in using mobile applications to monitor their disease activity and control 247 . For example, several mobile applications for the self-evaluation of CU and angioedema are available including UrCare, Urticaria, UrticariApp-Control Urticaria, SymTrac HIVES and TARGET My Hives 248 .…”

Why the role of mHealth in allergy diagnosis and treatment adherence cannot be overlooked

“…Absence of a reliable CU app is well‐documented, 75 and owing to the results of a cross‐sectional, multicenter UCARE study, we also know that half of the 1841 patients constituting the study sample were very much interested in monitoring their disease activity and disease control. One in 10, however, remains disinterested in the app 76 . The study revealed that the majority of chronic utricaria patients utilize eHealth.…”

“…The study revealed that the majority of chronic utricaria patients utilize eHealth. They use communication systems, regularly review information on their disease, are interested in receiving news on chronic utricaria (average duration of disease in the investigated group is 3.7 years) and in communicating about it with the physician and fellow patients 76 . Which is why a well‐designed app dedicated to this disease entity and its variants, taking into account co‐morbidities, assessing daily dynamics of lesions, QoL, triggering factors, impact on work and education, a tool validated on many platforms, would be likely to optimize the treatment of chronic utricaria in an individual patient.…”

“…Which is why a well‐designed app dedicated to this disease entity and its variants, taking into account co‐morbidities, assessing daily dynamics of lesions, QoL, triggering factors, impact on work and education, a tool validated on many platforms, would be likely to optimize the treatment of chronic utricaria in an individual patient. The data so compiled could prove useful for future research 75,76 …”

“…The data so compiled could prove useful for future research. 75,76 The cited studies show that mHealth apps can be successfully used in the treatment of allergies.…”