Design considerations for an eHealth decision support tool in inflammatory bowel disease self-management

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Electronic health (eHealth) decision support tools have the potential to: facilitate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) self-management; reduce health care utilization, and; alleviate the pressure on over-burdened outpatient clinics. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of key stakeholders on the potential use of a decision support tool for IBD patients. METHODS: A qualitative study using focus group methodology was conducted at a tertiary IBD center in Melbourne, Australia in February 2015. Key stakeholders including physicians, nurses, and patients were included in the study. Two independent reviewers undertook inductive coding and generated themes. RESULTS: 31 participants were included in the study (16 males; 11 physicians, 6 nurses). An eHealth decision support tool was thought to be beneficial to facilitate IBD self-management. Four themes emerged: (1) Framework for the decision support tool - the tool should be an adjunct to current models of care and facilitate shared decision making and patient engagement; (2) Target population - stable patients with mild-to-moderate disease; (3) Functionalities of the intervention - a web-based platform encompassing patient reported outcomes, objective markers of disease and clinical algorithms based on international guidelines, and; 1 Design and Implementation - patients should be involved in the design. CONCLUSIONS: EHealth interventions are thought to be an important strategy towards facilitating self-management for patients with IBD. A multi-stage iterative approach should be adopted in the design and implementation process of eHealth interventions. Patient perspectives need to be sought prior to and throughout development of an eHealth decision support tools for IBD.