New phone app for patients with spina bifida

Use of the iMHere system in spina bifida is feasible and was associated with short term, self-reported improvements in self-management skill. This system holds promise for use in many diverse chronic care models to support and increase self-management skills.

IBN Live CNN, October 25, 2015

Washington DC – A system incorporating a smartphone app can help adolescents and young adults with spina bifida, a disabling congenital condition affecting the spine, and improve their daily self-management skills, scientists say.

The iMHere (interactive Mobile Health & Rehabilitation) system features mobile reminders and messaging with healthcare providers and is feasible for use by young patients with spina bifida.

“This system holds promise for use in many diverse chronic care models to support and increase self-management skills,” said Dr Brad E Dicianno of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The randomised pilot study evaluated the iMHere system in 23 patients, aged 18 to 40, with spina bifida. The patients in the study had myelomeningocele – the most severe type of spina bifida.

One group of patients received the experimental iMHere system, which combined a suite of smartphone modules and a web-based portal for healthcare providers, linked by a two-way communication system.

The modules were tailored to the key issues of spina bifida self-management, including information on medications, reminders to perform important daily self-care activities, and monitoring of mood and depression symptoms.

The other group of patients received routine spina bifida care and follow-up. After one year, use of the iMHere system and self-management skills were compared between groups, along with other key outcomes.
Patients met or exceeded expected levels of use of the iMHere system.

They were most likely to use modules that reminded them to perform self-care steps that occurred less than every day; and to remind them to take medications, which changed frequently. iMHere users “were also more likely to communicate new information or symptoms to a wellness coordinator by secure message, survey, or photograph,” according to the study.

Higher use of reminders did not decrease the rate of events requiring medical attention. However, patients who were high users of the iMHere system gained new independence in certain spina bifida self-management skills.
All types of medical events tended to be less common for patients using iMHere, although the differences were not significant.

The preliminary results suggest that the iMHere system may enable young patients become more independent in managing their spina bifida – especially those who use the system frequently, Dicianno said.

The study is published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists.

Source IBN Live CNN

  References
Feasibility_of_Using_Mobile_Health_to_Promote-99003

Feasibility of Using Mobile Health to Promote Self-Management in Spina Bifida, Dicianno BE, Fairman AD, McCue M, Parmanto B, Yih E, McCoy A, Pramana G, Yu DX, McClelland J, Collins DM, Brienza DM. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2016 Jun;95(6):425-37. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000000400.

iMHere: A Novel mHealth System for Supporting Self-Care in Management of Complex and Chronic Conditions, Parmanto B, Pramana G, Yu DX, Fairman AD, Dicianno BE, McCue MP. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2013 Jul 11;1(2):e10. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.2391. Full text

  Further reading

The Effect of the Interactive Mobile Health and Rehabilitation System on Health and Psychosocial Outcomes in Spinal Cord Injury: Randomized Controlled Trial, Kryger MA, Crytzer TM, Fairman A, Quinby EJ, Karavolis M, Pramana G, Setiawan IMA, McKernan GP, Parmanto B, Dicianno BE. J Med Internet Res. 2019 Aug 28;21(8):e14305. doi: 10.2196/14305. Full text

An Adaptive Mobile Health System to Support Self-Management for Persons With Chronic Conditions and Disabilities: Usability and Feasibility Studies, Setiawan IMA, Zhou L, Alfikri Z, Saptono A, Fairman AD, Dicianno BE, Parmanto B. JMIR Form Res. 2019 Apr 25;3(2):e12982. doi: 10.2196/12982. Full text

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