ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2021
The ideal mHealth-application for rheumatoid arthritis: qualitative findings from stakeholder focus groups.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05888181 (Effectiveness and Feasibility of a Mobile Health Self-management Intervention for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis), which is not on this map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effectiveness and Feasibility of a Mobile Health Self-management Intervention for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: the App-based Education and GOal-setting in Rheumatoid Arthritis Trial
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Engagement and attrition with eHealth tools for remote monitoring in chronic arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.RMD open · 2022Pooled it
- Impact of a Sensor-Based Platform on the Outcome of Medial Off-Loader Bracing in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation · 2025Trial
- Experiences of activity monitoring and perceptions of digital support among working individuals with hip and knee osteoarthritis - a focus group study.BMC public health · 2022Trial
- Cryotherapy and thermotherapy in the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: A comprehensive review.Fundamental research · 2025Review
- Digital Health for Equitable Rheumatic Care: Integrating Real-World Experiences to Guide Policy Pathways.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Article
- Feasibility of remote measurement in intensive longitudinal data collection for rheumatoid arthritis patients commencing a new treatment.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2025Article
- Efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral digital therapeutic on psychosocial outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: randomized controlled trial.Npj mental health research · 2024Article
- The acknowledgment of the treatment burden in the disease burden.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2024Article
- Article
- Digital health in musculoskeletal care: where are we heading?BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of patients with RA: a survey of rheumatologists in six European countries.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2023Article
- Efficacy and safety of a mobile app intervention in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a prospective pilot study.Rheumatology international · 2022Article
- E-health as a sine qua non for modern healthcare.RMD open · 2022Article
- Article
- Using patient-reported data from a smartphone app to capture and characterize real-time patient-reported flares in rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2022Article
- Big data analyses and individual health profiling in the arena of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundShifts in treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have made ambulatory care more labour-intensive. These developments have prompted innovative care models, including mobile health (mHealth) applications. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of mHealth-inexperienced stakeholders concerning these applications in RA care.
methodsWe performed a qualitative study by focus group interviews of stakeholders including RA patients, nurses specialised in RA care and rheumatologists. The qualitative analysis guide of Leuven (QUAGOL), which is based on grounded theory principles, was used to thematically analyse the data. In addition, the Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model was used to structure recommended app-features.
resultsIn total, 2 focus groups with nurses (total n = 16), 2 with patients (n = 17) and 2 with rheumatologists (n = 25) took place. Six overarching themes emerged from the analysis. Efficiency of care and enabling patient empowerment were the two themes considered as expected benefits of mHealth-use in practice by the stakeholders. In contrast, 4 themes emerged as possible barriers of mHealth-use: the burden of chronic app-use, motivational aspects, target group aspects, and legal and organisational requirements. Additionally, recommendations for an ideal mHealth-app could be structured into 4 domains (Primary Task Support, Dialogue Support, Social Support and System Credibility) according to the PSD-framework. Most recommended features were related to improving ease of use (Task Support) and System Credibility.
conclusionsAlthough mHealth-apps were expected to improve care efficiency and stimulate patient empowerment, stakeholders were concerned that mHealth-app use could reinforce negative illness behaviour. For mHealth-apps to be successful in practice, challenges according to stakeholders were avoiding long-term poor compliance, finding the target audience and tailoring a legal and organisational framework. Finally, the ideal mHealth-application should above all be trustworthy and easy to use.
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