Informing Patient-Provider Engagement for Shared Decision Making Through Mobile Health Applications.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) applications are increasingly vital for patient-provider engagement and innovative healthcare delivery.
• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of mHealth technologies, particularly for individuals with chronic conditions.
• Understanding factors influencing mHealth app utilization is crucial for enhancing patient empowerment and shared decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify demographic and health factors associated with patient utilization of mHealth applications.
• To explore barriers and facilitators to mHealth app adoption among smartphone users with chronic health conditions.
• To highlight opportunities for mHealth app upgrades that promote patient empowerment and shared decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 4, 2020).
• Analysis included 3865 respondents aged 18 years and older.
• Stratified analyses and weighted logistic regression were employed to identify significant factors.

Main Results:

• Individuals using a wellness app on their smartphone were 2.68 times more likely to discuss health conditions with providers (p < 0.0001).
• Patients with multiple chronic health conditions showed increased likelihood (OR 1.93, p < 0.01) of using mHealth apps for provider engagement.
• App usage was significantly influenced by race, marital status, and educational level.

Conclusions:

• mHealth applications are essential for sustained patient-provider communication, especially for those with chronic conditions.
• Variations in mHealth app usage among different user groups indicate a need for inclusive design.
• Collaborative efforts between developers, users, and providers can enhance mHealth app acceptability and promote patient empowerment.