User testing to modify the MyHealthyGut digital health application for inflammatory bowel disease

Madeline Erlich; Sarah Lindblad; Natasha Haskey; Darlene Higbee Clarkin; Taojie Dong; Ruth Harvie; Genelle Lunken; Jess Pirnack; Kevan Jacobson

doi:10.1177/20552076231203664

User testing to modify the MyHealthyGut digital health application for inflammatory bowel disease

Digit Health. 2023 Sep 26:9:20552076231203664. doi: 10.1177/20552076231203664. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Madeline Erlich^{1

2}, Sarah Lindblad³, Natasha Haskey⁴, Darlene Higbee Clarkin⁵, Taojie Dong⁶, Ruth Harvie⁷, Genelle Lunken^{8

9}, Jess Pirnack¹⁰, Kevan Jacobson^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
² Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
³ Child and Youth Outpatient Department, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Barrie, Canada.
⁴ Department of Biology, Irving K Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, Canada.
⁵ KORE Digitial Health Therapeutics Inc., Vancouver, Canada.
⁶ Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
⁷ Human Nutrition Department, St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Canada.
⁸ BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
⁹ IBD Centre of BC, Vancouver, Canada.
¹⁰ Food Yourself, West Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada.

Abstract

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation, can be subcategorized into Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The treatment for these conditions is unique to each patient and may include lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical intervention, and surgery. Lifestyle changes, such as dietary intervention, are a cornerstone of inflammatory bowel disease symptom management. Given the daily burden of this disease, self-management is paramount in coping with and/or minimizing symptoms. The MyHealthyGut application, successfully proven to be a self-management tool for celiac disease, shows promise for use in an inflammatory bowel disease patient population.

Objective: To conduct user testing to gather valuable insights for the development of an IBD-focused version of the existing MyHealthyGut app.

Methods: Participants included inflammatory bowel disease patients and healthcare practitioners. Participants used the application for a 2-week period, followed by participation in a focus group or individual interview to provide feedback. Qualitative questionnaires were administered verbally and feedback was recorded. Thematic analysis techniques were used for data quantification and analysis.

Results: 15 participants were recruited and enrolled. Of these, 14 participants took part in the focus group and/or individual interviews. The feedback suggested changes related to clinical uses, food and symptom tracking, ease of use, and educational content. All (100%) participants reported that they would either use the application themselves or recommend it to patients, once their suggestions were implemented.

Conclusion: Through user testing and feedback collection, priorities for app modification were identified. Areas for modification in the app functions and features, ease of use, and content were identified. Once updated to meet the needs of inflammatory bowel disease patients, the MyHealthyGut app may be a useful tool for IBD self-management.

Keywords: apps; digital health; eHealth; gastroenterology; self monitoring.