Using a Mobile Application to Promote Patient Education for Patients With Liver Cirrhosis

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Digital Health
• Health Education

Background:

• Patient education and self-management are critical for individuals with liver cirrhosis.
• Existing patient education methods may not fully support self-management needs.
• The Information-Motivation-Behavior Skills model provides a framework for behavior change interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a "Cirrhosis Care App" for patient education and self-management.
• To assess the impact of the app on patients' self-care knowledge and practice.
• To understand user satisfaction with the developed mobile application.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with liver cirrhosis patients.
• The experimental group used the "Cirrhosis Care App" for one month.
• A control group received conventional patient education; pretest-posttest questionnaires assessed knowledge, practice, and technology acceptance.

Main Results:

• The "Cirrhosis Care App" significantly improved patients' self-care knowledge.
• Patients using the app demonstrated enhanced self-care practices.
• User satisfaction was positively correlated with the app's frequency of use.

Conclusions:

• The "Cirrhosis Care App" is an effective tool for enhancing liver cirrhosis patient education and self-management.
• The app, grounded in the Information-Motivation-Behavior Skills model, shows potential for widespread clinical promotion.
• Digital health interventions can successfully improve health outcomes in chronic liver disease management.