Download Alert: What Do Gastroenterology Patients Really Think of Health-Related Smartphone Apps?

Abstract

Introduction: The aims of this study were to understand patients’ willingness to use different types of health-related smartphone apps and to explore their views on the overall value, usability, feasibility, credibility, obtrusiveness, and safety of these apps. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to adult patients presenting to a gastroenterology clinic at an academic medical center. Our customized survey contained 20 statements and subjects were asked to indicate their agreement using a 5-point Likert scale. Results: The majority of the participants were female (n=73, 60%) and the mean age was 40.8 years (SD=13.2). The vast majority (n=125, 93%) of our subjects owned a smartphone and 63% (n=85) reported a history of using a health-related app. Subjects were most willing to use health-related apps for health reminders (78%; n=104), learning medical information (74%; n=99), tracking their bowel (54%; n=72) and lifestyle habits (56%; n=74), monitoring their vital signs continuously (55%; n=73), and receiving therapies (48%; n=64). Subjects were however less willing to use apps that could monitor their location (53%; n=71) or social networking activity (55%; n=73). Over half of the subjects were also less willing to use an app if it required them to wear a visible accessory. Most subjects strongly disagreed that a healthrelated app would be hard to learn how to use, interfere with their daily routine, or be embarrassing to use in public. The majority of subjects were willing to use an app they perceived as valuable for their health problems up to 5 minutes a day indefinitely but unwilling to pay out-of-pocket for it. Although most subjects felt that health-related apps could help them and their doctors better manage their medical problems, they were neutral in trusting the quality of these apps. Subjects were more likely to use a smartphone app however if it was recommended by their doctor. Most did not worry that a health-related app would reduce their face-to-face provider time but did worry that their personal information used for an app would fall into the wrong hands. Conclusion: Gastroenterology patients are willing to use and value most types of health-related apps. They perceive this technology as feasible, usable and relatively unobtrusive unless a visible accessory is required. Although the perceived credibility of such apps increases if recommended by a doctor, patients mostly distrust the current quality of health-related apps and are concerned about their privacy.