Women's specifications to design a smartphone app to provide psychological care during reproductive treatments: Qualitative study with patients and professionals

Abstract

Internet-based interventions may help reduce the emotional burden of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) although some concerns regarding its use need to be addressed (i.e., the high dropout rates found in self-administered psychological interventions). It has been suggested that the development of online interventions that consider women needs and preferences may help to reduce some of these issues. The aim of this study is to explore the opinion, preferences and recommendations of women undergoing ART and professionals who care for them about how to turn a face-to-face preventive psychosocial program based on the Unified Protocol into a mobile application (m-Health). Six patients and twelve professionals were involved in two semi-structured focus group before the development of the m-Health solution. After the transcription, two independent researchers coded the information in order to extract Areas, Subcategories, and Categories discussed during focus groups. Analyses of the content indicated that both patients and professionals agree that preventive m-Health solutions should be developed by professionals, ensure data protection, combine online and face-to-face sessions, connect women with peers, offer the inclusion of the partner or a relative, include a variety of educational content, provide personalized content adapted to women's needs and provide fast responses and immediate feedback. These results may help to guide the development of m-Health programs. Exploring opinions and preferences of simultaneous stakeholders, women undergoing ART and professionals is important because patient-centered care may help to increase users' satisfaction with preventive psychosocial interventions and, therefore, improve adherence rates and treatment effectiveness.