Understanding the user: Patients' perception, needs, and concerns of health apps for chronic constipation

Chronic constipation is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder that requires long-term management and treatment adherence. With increasing smartphone usage, health app adoption represents an opportunity to incorporate personalized, patient-led care into chronic constipation management. Despite the number of apps available targeting patients with constipation, studies have not yet examined user needs and barriers towards successful app adoption and sustained usage. Accordingly, the current study explored user perception, needs, and concerns of health apps in patients with chronic constipation.

Fifteen participants with chronic constipation (age range = 28-79 years, 10 females) in Singapore completed a 60 min semi-structured qualitative interview exploring participant's experiences with and attitudes towards chronic constipation and health apps. Participants also completed two questionnaires regarding their constipation symptoms and general technology usage. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using NVivo.

Four themes and 10 sub-themes were identified using inductive thematic analysis. Themes and sub-themes cover importance of patient identity, disease-based expectations of health apps, barriers towards adoption and sustained usage of health apps, necessary conditions when adopting health apps (including perception of supportive benefits, clear understanding of app intention, personalized technology, and trusted sources), and push factor expectations which includes creative engagement and incentivization embedded within the app.

The findings captured barriers and key elements necessary for successful health app adoption and continued usage by patients with chronic constipation. Identified elements that matter to patients can provide app developers with user-focused insights and recommendations to develop effective health apps that sustain user engagement.