Exploring the Need for Mobile Application in Stroke Management by Informal Caregivers: A Qualitative Study.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• mHealth Applications
• Stroke Rehabilitation

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) is a key digital health concept, widely accessible and utilized.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted essential services for stroke survivors, including follow-up visits and rehabilitation.
• This study explored the necessity of a mobile application for informal caregivers managing stroke patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the need for a mobile application in stroke management from the perspective of informal caregivers.
• To understand how mHealth solutions can support continuous care and improve the quality of life for stroke survivors and their caregivers.

Main Methods:

• A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted between November 2020 and June 2021.
• In-depth interviews were performed with thirteen informal caregivers recruited from two public rehabilitation centers in Malaysia.
• Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the transcribed interviews.

Main Results:

• All thirteen participants expressed a strong need for a mobile application for stroke management.
• Caregivers anticipate that a future stroke application will facilitate information seeking and continuous home care.
• The application is expected to support the welfare of both caregivers and stroke patients.

Conclusions:

• The study identified themes of self-seeking information and reasons for future mobile application use in stroke care.
• mHealth applications can potentially reduce healthcare costs and enhance the rehabilitation process for stroke survivors.
• These applications can improve patient engagement in decision-making and enable continuous health monitoring.