The following is a summary of “Design of a User-Centered Electronic Health Tool for Glomerular Disease Management,” published in the May 20204 issue of Nephrology by Oliverio et al.

Patients with primary glomerular disease (GN) have uniquely specific requirements for managing their health. 

Researchers conducted a prospective study to design user-centered eHealth tools for GN management by gathering insights from patients, nephrologists, and stakeholders. 

They surveyed patients and GN expert nephrologists to understand disease management tasks, educational needs, and attitudes toward using eHealth tools. Survey results were shared with stakeholders in meetings to design the eHealth tool collaboratively. Rapid qualitative analysis was used to identify key themes from these meetings. 

The results showed that 66 patients (with minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, IgA nephropathy, and membranous nephropathy) and 25 nephrologists participated in the surveys. Patients reported performing fewer disease management tasks than recommended by nephrologists. They also demonstrated greater familiarity with eHealth tools compared to nephrologists. About 9 patient stakeholders noted a need for more awareness of essential survey management tasks. Stakeholder meetings emphasized the importance of customizable design, trustworthy information sources, integration with other apps, and reliable data tracking for the eHealth tool. The final design of the UrApp System also focused on 5 core features: Profile, Data tracking, Resources, Calendar, and Journal. 

Investigators concluded that their thoughtful and evidence-based approach, involving input from stakeholders, successfully developed an eHealth tool tailored for patients with GN, designed to be effective and easily put into practice.

Source: karger.com/gdz/article/doi/10.1159/000539169/906877/Design-of-a-User-Centered-Electronic-Health-Tool