The WOMEN-UP Solution, a Patient-Centered Innovative e-Health Tool for Pelvic Floor Muscle Training: Qualitative and Usability Study during Early-Stage Development

Sònia Anglès-Acedo, Lorena López-Frías, Vicenç Soler, Joan Francesc Alonso, Arnoud W. Kastelein, Boris C. de Graaf, Eva. V. Vodegel, Jaana Tervo, Adriana Baban, Montserrat Espuña-Pons and on behalf of the WOMEN-UP Consortium
Additional contact information
Sònia Anglès-Acedo: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Lorena López-Frías: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Vicenç Soler: Department of Microelectronics and Electronic Systems, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Joan Francesc Alonso: Department of Automatic Control, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Arnoud W. Kastelein: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Amsterdam UMC Location Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Boris C. de Graaf: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Amsterdam UMC Location Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Eva. V. Vodegel: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Amsterdam UMC Location Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jaana Tervo: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
Adriana Baban: Department of Psychology, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Montserrat Espuña-Pons: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
on behalf of the WOMEN-UP Consortium: WOMEN-UP Consortium are listed in acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: e-Health may enhance self-management of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). It is crucial to involve patients in planning, developing and monitoring the optimal e-Health solution. This research aims to describe patient-centered innovation in an early developmental stage of the WOMEN-UP solution. We conducted a qualitative study through a self-developed questionnaire in 22 women with SUI, to define system requirements from a patient’s perspective. The first prototype of the WOMEN-UP solution was developed. It was tested by 9 patients in a usability study (think-aloud protocol and retrospective interviews). Patient preferences regarding the possible use of an e-Health solution with serious games for PFMT were: (1) to receive feedback about PFMT; (2) convenient home-use; (3) increasing motivation; (4) available in medical centers. Identified usability aids (31) reassured our design-development plan, which considered the biofeedback and serious games as key factors. Patient’s perspective detected some unexpected issues related to the calibration and serious games, involving a change in the ongoing development to get an improved WOMEN-UP solution; the value of patient-centered innovation during the development of an e-Health solution for PFMT (WOMEN-UP solution). To identify patients’ unmet needs, we proposed a longitudinal approach for the future eHealth-related patient-centered innovations.

Keywords: patient-centered innovation; qualitative study; usability study; pelvic floor muscle training; urinary incontinence; serious games; biofeedback; eHealth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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