Development of a Patient and Clinician Informed Website on Injection Drug Use Related Infective Endocarditis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Limited patient-facing educational resources exist for preventing injection drug use-related infective endocarditis (IDU-IE).
• A novel website was developed to address this gap, incorporating patient and clinician input.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a patient-centered website for IDU-IE prevention.
• To assess the usability and acceptability of the website among patients with a history of injection drug use and healthcare clinicians.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining surveys and semi-structured interviews with patients and clinicians.
• Website content was informed by patient and clinician feedback on knowledge, preferences, and usability.
• Patients (n=15) and clinicians (n=27) provided feedback on the developed website.

Main Results:

• Patients reported low baseline understanding of IDU-IE risks.
• Patients rated the website highly for recommending and usefulness, particularly sections on complications, safer injection practices, and IE information.
• Clinicians found the website highly recommendable for patient counseling.

Conclusions:

• A patient and clinician-informed website is an acceptable and valuable educational resource for preventing IDU-IE.
• The website shows promise in improving patient and clinician engagement with IDU-IE prevention strategies.