Abstract
BackgroundEcological momentary assessment (EMA) tools appear to be useful interventions for collecting real-time data on patients’ behavior and functioning. However, concerns have been voiced regarding the acceptability of EMA among patients with schizophrenia and the factors influencing EMA acceptability.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the acceptability of a passive smartphone-based EMA app, evidence-based behavior (eB2), among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and the putative variables underlying their acceptance.MethodsThe participants in this study were from an ongoing randomized controlled trial (RCT) of metacognitive training, consisting of outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (F20-29 of 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems), aged 18-64 years, none of whom received any financial compensation. Those who consented to installation of the eB2 app (users) were compared with those who did not (nonusers) in sociodemographic, clinical, premorbid adjustment, neurocognitive, psychopathological, insight, and metacognitive variables. A multivariable binary logistic regression tested the influence of the above (independent) variables on “being user versus nonuser” (acceptability), which was the main outcome measure.ResultsOut of the 77 RCT participants, 24 (31%) consented to installing eB2, which remained installed till the end of the study (median follow-up 14.50 weeks) in 14 participants (70%). Users were younger and had a higher education level, better premorbid adjustment, better executive function (according to the Trail Making Test), and higher cognitive insight levels (measured with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale) than nonusers (univariate analyses) although only age (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.86-0.99; P=.048) and early adolescence premorbid adjustment (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.61-0.93; P=.01) survived the multivariable regression model, thus predicting eB2 acceptability.ConclusionsAcceptability of a passive smartphone-based EMA app among participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in this RCT where no participant received financial compensation was, as expected, relatively low, and linked with being young and good premorbid adjustment. Further research should examine how to increase EMA acceptability in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, in particular, older participants and those with poor premorbid adjustment.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04104347; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04104347
Highlights
Up to 4.1 billion people were reported using the internet in 2019 and 83% of the population worldwide reported having a mobile broadband subscription with internet access, there were considerable differences between low-income and high-income countries [1]. e-Mental health has become an emerging field for a wide range of mental disorders [2], with a significantly increased number of e-mental health papers published since 1993 [3]
J Med Internet Res 2021 | vol 23 | iss. 7 | e26548 | p. 1 adjustment, better executive function, and higher cognitive insight levels than nonusers only age and early adolescence premorbid adjustment survived the multivariable regression model, predicting eB2 acceptability
By building on this work, we aimed to investigate the acceptability of a passive Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) smartphone-based app, eB2, among patients with spectrum disorders (SSD) and what variables predicted this acceptability
Summary
Up to 4.1 billion people were reported using the internet in 2019 and 83% of the population worldwide reported having a mobile broadband subscription with internet access, there were considerable differences between low-income and high-income countries [1]. e-Mental health has become an emerging field for a wide range of mental disorders [2], with a significantly increased number of e-mental health papers published since 1993 [3]. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) via smartphones (actively or passively) appears to be a clinically useful resource, which enables clinicians and researchers to build a digital phenotype. Digital phenotyping, defined as “the moment-by-moment quantification of the individual-level human phenotype in situ by using data from personal digital devices,” [4] has been applied to a variety of mental disorders [5,6]. Passive EMA, which does not require any active role by the participant, provides 2 significant advantages over traditional data collection methods through validated scales or questionnaires. Real-time data recording avoids recall bias to which patients are subjected at the time of being interviewed. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) tools appear to be useful interventions for collecting real-time data on patients’ behavior and functioning. Concerns have been voiced regarding the acceptability of EMA among patients with schizophrenia and the factors influencing EMA acceptability
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
