SMART-IBD

Objectives Access to evidence-based self-management support in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a significant challenge. Digital therapeutic solutions can increase access and provide data to patients and providers that would otherwise not be available. We have iteratively developed a mobile application, Self-Management Assistance with Recommended Treatment (SMART) IBD, that allows patients to access self-management support and record symptoms and medication adherence. Methods We conducted a pilot and feasibility study for this digital therapeutic tool in which patients used SMART IBD for 30 days. Results Results indicated that patients rated the app quality as good and accessed the app adequately overall, with some pages being used often. Medication adherence increased over the course of the study and was associated with sleep duration, mood, and stool consistency and blood content. Conclusions Overall, this study demonstrated adequate feasibility for the SMART IBD app and initial findings suggest that additional research is needed to explore the potential impact of this tool in clinical care.

Aims Adherence to medical regimens, including medications and appointments, is a significant concern for adolescent populations that warrants behavioral interventions. Negative health behaviors during adolescence can persist into adulthood and lead to long-term negative health outcomes. Due to the limited availability and resources for behavioral self-management intervention, many youth do not receive evidence-based behavioral care and continue to struggle with managing their illness. Therefore, there is a need for easily accessible mHealth interventions targeting self-management in order to reduce health care barriers and provide more timely and effective behavioral care particularly during this developmental stage. Methods We provide a description of the design and methodology of the Self-Management Assistance for Recommended Treatment (SMART) IBD App randomized controlled pilot trial in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that aims to test the preliminary efficacy of the SMART IBD app compared to a usual care (UC) arm. Thirty participants 13–17 years of age will be recruited and randomized in the trial. Those randomized to the intervention arm will use the app for four weeks, each with one weekly challenge that focuses on self-management. Participants in both arms will complete baseline assessments, daily diaries for four weeks, and post-treatment assessments. Conclusion We hypothesize that participants in the intervention arm will experience clinically significant improvements in their self-management compared to those in the UC arm at the post-treatment assessment. Findings from the current study could provide initial evidence to support self-management interventions in adolescents with health conditions via mobile health apps, thereby reducing health care barriers and strains on institutional and nursing resources. Mobile health apps may also be a preferred avenue to disseminate interventions to adolescents.