Developing a Shared Patient-Centered, Web-Based Medication Platform for Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Their Health...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Patient-Centered Care
• Digital Health

Background:

• Shared patient-centered, Web-based medication platforms can improve medication safety and patient self-management.
• Challenges in platform adoption stem from insufficient user involvement in the development process.
• User-centered design (UCD) is crucial for optimizing the uptake and effectiveness of such digital health tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify essential functionalities and usability requirements for a shared patient-centered, Web-based medication platform.
• To understand the perspectives of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and their healthcare professionals (HCPs) on platform design.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing focus groups with 25 patients with T2DM, 13 general practitioners, and 10 health care assistants.
• Participants were recruited from regional healthcare settings in southwestern Germany.
• Eight semistructured focus groups were conducted, audio- and video-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using computer-aided qualitative content analysis.

Main Results:

• Essential functionalities identified include secure access, data entry support, electronic information sharing, and medication history tracking.
• Patients desired automatic interaction checks and safety alerts, while HCPs expressed concerns about alert specificity and potential nonadherence.
• Consensus for usability included structured chronological display, lay language, visual aids, customizable content, and workflow alignment.

Conclusions:

• A UCD approach provides critical insights into patient and HCP requirements for developing effective medication platforms.
• Reconciling differing requirements, particularly regarding safety alerts and data access control, necessitates ongoing user engagement.
• Effective training for both patients and HCPs is vital for maximizing the platform's potential in medication self-management support.