Mobile Electronic Devices as Means of Facilitating Patient Activation and Health Professional Empowerment Related to Information Seeking on Chronic Conditions and Medications: Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background Patient activation has an impact on the management of patients’ health, clinical outcomes, and treatment costs. Mobile electronic devices (MEDs) have shown the potential to engage patients in wellness behavior. Furthermore, the potentially positive role of MEDs is evident in supporting health professionals in their practice. Objective This study aims to explore the impact of MEDs on patient activation to search for information on chronic conditions and medications and the impact of MEDs on the empowerment of health professionals or future health professionals. Methods We conducted 6 focus groups—2 with health sciences students, 2 with health professionals, and 2 with hospitalized patients with chronic conditions. A protocol comprising eight questions was used to guide discussions. Audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically; a ranking system was used to analyze the relevance of identified themes and subthemes, using a coding system depicted by the + symbol, to indicate different relevance levels. Results Our results suggest that MEDs can positively affect patient activation to search for chronic conditions and medication information by facilitating patients’ information-seeking behavior. Key drivers leading to patients’ activation to seek information related to chronic conditions and medications through MEDs were the accessibility and abundance of available and detailed information, reduced search time, information updates, and convenience in finding information at any time and place. The lack of accurate information in one’s native language, access to incorrect information, and limited access to the internet were key obstacles to seeking information related to chronic conditions and medications via MEDs. In addition, findings of this study suggest that MEDs in general and mobile apps, in particular, may have a positive impact on the work routine of health care professionals as they enable them to make quicker decisions by accessing the required information faster, thus improving practice efficiency. Furthermore, the appropriate usage of MEDs by patients for seeking information about their chronic conditions and medications may positively impact the physician-patient relationship. All focus groups recognized the questionable reliability of health information on the internet and its potential negative effects on patients. Therefore, our findings suggest the need for an additional role of health professionals in assisting patients in using MEDs to search for health and medication information, such as providing reliable websites and mobile apps where patients can safely search for health-related information on the web. Conclusions The use of MEDs may help activate patients to seek chronic conditions and medication-related information, potentially leading to better management of their chronic conditions and medications. Our findings also highlight the positive impact MEDs may have on empowering health professionals in their practice and the need for health professionals to help patients through specific education that addresses MEDs utilization for chronic conditions and medication information seeking.

eHealth and mHealth Development in Spain: Promise or Reality?

“…In fact, the expansion of mHealth could even help “socialize” mobile technology [ 28 , 29 ]. For both chronic and occasional users, mobile phones may help activate patients to seek information and take greater care of their health, giving rise to what is known as the ePatient [ 33 ].…”

“…The literature review revealed that research has centered mainly around studying—but very little on achieving—data usability, accessibility, and quality [ 28 , 29 ]. Significant interoperability issues derived from the incompatibility of gathered data are believed to persist [ 30 ]; the worldwide web is still considered insecure and lacking in investment [ 31 ]; institutional barriers have been detected [ 32 ]; and the lack of first-language information on the internet is accompanied by information reliability issues [ 33 ]. All these issues together create an important obstacle to the development of mHealth.…”

Effect of a Mobile Health Application With Nurse Support on Quality of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Hong Kong

“…8 Insufficient interaction with health care practitioners could provoke uncertainty and anxiety among older adults, especially when they encounter difficulties in managing their own health. 3 Commonly appointed as part of a group of mHealth administrators, nurses are highly competent to provide health education, modify health beliefs, and manage chronic health symptoms for older adults. 9 When nurses encounter problems beyond their scope of practice, such as depressive symptoms and acute illnesses as reported in the app, they can seek support from a health-social partnership team that includes social workers and general practitioners to provide seamless and coordinated care.…”

“…To empower older adults with self-care capabilities, mHealth apps generally have several features, including health information delivery, appointment and medication reminders, and monitoring of vital signs. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 There is evidence that more older adults nowadays are willing to use their smartphones to better manage their own health. 5 , 6 A recent report indicated that introducing mHealth may improve the efficiency of health care for older adults by 20%, suggesting that using a smartphone is a viable way to move the health promotion process forward.…”

“… 8 Insufficient interaction with health care practitioners could provoke uncertainty and anxiety among older adults, especially when they encounter difficulties in managing their own health. 3 …”