When people who inject drugs speak: Qualitative thematic analysis of the perception of a mobile app for needle exchange programs.

Abstract

Spain is the Western European country with the highest prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus among people who inject drugs. The Hepatitis-C Virus affects over fifty per cent of this population. At the same time, the World Health Organization considers that the average coverage of injection material for drug user per year is low. Harm reduction programs and services have been deployed for over thirty years, and these could now incorporate the advantages of eHealth and mHealth to improve harm reduction. The aim of this qualitative and descriptive study is to analyze how people who inject drugs perceive an application for mobile devices. Fifty-one such drug users participated actively in five focus groups. The main results of the thematic content analysis indicated that the application was welcomed as easy and useful. Participants reported that the application contributed to improving access to injection material, reducing the stigma of drug-dependence and optimizing the organization of the ritual of injection. Excessive preventive information and problems downloading the web app were identified as aspects for improvement. In conclusion, the application was seen as a useful eHealth tool that complements the normal intervention of needle exchange programs.