Patient-centered texting platform beneficial for interstitial cystitis

A patient-centered text message-based platform can enhance self-efficacy of symptom management for patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), according to a study published online Dec. 15 in NeuroUrology and Urodynamics.

Edward K. Kim, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues developed a patient-centered text message-based platform for promoting self-management of IC/BPS symptoms. Adult women with IC/BPS participated in iterative cycles of contextual inquiry, prototype design, and development. Treatment modules and supportive messages were delivered using an algorithm-driven interactive messaging prototype. Feedback was provided through narrative text messages and an exit interview. Feedback was analyzed and used to review the platform until engagement was ≥85 percent and accuracy ≥80 percent.

A total of 30 IC/BPS patients with moderate symptom bother participated in five cycles of contextual inquiry. The researchers identified three overarching concepts that informed platform development: preference for patient-centered terms; desire to gain self-efficacy in terms of symptom management; and need for provider support. The term interstitial cystitis was preferred by patients to bladder pain syndrome, due to the stigma linked to chronic pain. Greater self-efficacy in management symptoms was reported through improved access to mind-body and behavioral treatment modules that allowed patients to understand their motivations and behaviors. Shared decision-making and reduced sense of isolation informed the concept of provider support.

"These findings suggest that a patient-centered text message‐based platform that interacts with patients using a structured algorithm may be clinically useful in the management of IC/BPS," the authors write.

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