Which Educational Topics and Smartphone App Functions Are Prioritized by US Patients With Rheumatic and...

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Digital Health
• Patient Education

Background:

• Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMD) significantly impact patients' lives.
• Effective disease management requires accessible and relevant patient information.
• Current digital tools may not fully meet the specific needs of RMD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify crucial information US adults with RMD need about their conditions.
• To determine desired functionalities for an RMD-specific smartphone application.
• To explore patient priorities for educational content and digital health tools.

Main Methods:

• Nominal group technique with RMD patients to generate educational topics.
• Online survey administered to a large cohort within a research network and registry.
• Statistical analyses (chi-square, regression) to compare priorities between patient groups (RICs vs. OA).

Main Results:

• Over 80% of RMD patients deemed understanding tests, medications, and symptom communication as vital.
• "Knowing when medication is not working" was a top priority for both rheumatic inflammatory conditions (RICs) and osteoarthritis (OA) groups.
• Key app functions include viewing lab results, symptom logging for provider sharing, and personal health/flare tracking.

Conclusions:

• Patients with RMD highly value information on lab results, medications, and disease/symptom monitoring.
• These priorities can inform the development of targeted educational materials and digital health solutions.
• Smartphone apps and wearable technology show potential for supporting RMD patient self-management.