Positive Experiences with the Use of an eHealth Smartphone Application During the Treatment of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: To evaluate the patient-perceived satisfaction and feasibility of a personalized eHealth application (app) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients undergoing surgery.

Methods: Patients were offered to download the app prior to undergoing AAA surgery, in a prospective single-center cohort study, using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. It offers information via the timely delivery of push notifications with text, images, and videos. The information includes chapters regarding the AAA, surgical techniques (endovascular aneurysm repair and open surgical repair), and perioperative lifestyle advice, such as physical exercise programmes, healthy and protein rich diet, geriatric care, and to stop smoking or drinking alcohol.

Results: The app was installed by 59/65 patients (91%). After installation, 6 patients deactivated the app (10%). The mean age was 74 years (SD = 7), and 85% of patients were male. The app was opened a median of 67 times (interquartile range [IQR] 33-127) and with a median time interval of 50 hours (IQR 28-74). Overall, 90% (53/59) completed a satisfaction questionnaire. On a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10, the median scored satisfaction for guidance was 8 (IQR 6-8), provided information was 8 (IQR 6-8), usefulness was 7 (IQR 6-8.5), and for recommending it to others it was 8 (IQR 6-9). Using purposeful sampling, 7 patients underwent a semistructured interview on the user-experience of the app. They described experiencing positive changes to lifestyle habits and appreciating the ability to share it with loved ones or informal caregivers. Several areas of improvement were reported.

Conclusions: The personalized eHealth app is feasible in older AAA patients and is valued as a useful supplement to the standard of care. We argue that the app aids in managing a prehabilitation program, aids in the digital transformation of healthcare, and thereby decreases the workload of hospital staff.