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

Anglès-Acedo, Sònia; López-Frías, Lorena; Soler, Vicenç; Alonso, Joan Francesc; Kastelein, Arnoud W.; Graaf, Boris C. de; Vodegel, Eva. V.; Tervo, Jaana; Baban, Adriana; Espuña-Pons, Montserrat; on behalf of the WOMEN-UP Consortium,

doi:10.3390/ijerph18157800

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

^1,*

¹,

²,

⁴

⁴,

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⁵,

⁶,

Montserrat Espuña-Pons

¹ and on behalf of the WOMEN-UP Consortium^†

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain

Department of Microelectronics and Electronic Systems, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain

Department of Automatic Control, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

⁴

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Amsterdam UMC Location Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, 70210 Kuopio, Finland

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Department of Psychology, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

WOMEN-UP Consortium are listed in acknowledgments.

Academic Editors: Maria Luisa Sanchez Ferrer, Ines Moran Sanchez and Julián J. Arense Gonzalo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 7800; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157800

Received: 25 June 2021 / Revised: 17 July 2021 / Accepted: 17 July 2021 / Published: 23 July 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Female Reproductive Health: Inside Knowledge on Prenatal Biomarkers, Lifestyles, and Psychological Wellbeing)

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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. View Full-Text

Keywords: patient-centered innovation; qualitative study; usability study; pelvic floor muscle training; urinary incontinence; serious games; biofeedback; eHealth

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MDPI and ACS Style

Anglès-Acedo, S.; López-Frías, L.; Soler, V.; Alonso, J.F.; Kastelein, A.W.; Graaf, B.C.d.; Vodegel, E.V.; Tervo, J.; Baban, A.; Espuña-Pons, M.; on behalf of the WOMEN-UP Consortium. The WOMEN-UP Solution, a Patient-Centered Innovative e-Health Tool for Pelvic Floor Muscle Training: Qualitative and Usability Study during Early-Stage Development. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 7800. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157800

AMA Style

Anglès-Acedo S, López-Frías L, Soler V, Alonso JF, Kastelein AW, Graaf BCd, Vodegel EV, Tervo J, Baban A, Espuña-Pons M, on behalf of the WOMEN-UP Consortium. The WOMEN-UP Solution, a Patient-Centered Innovative e-Health Tool for Pelvic Floor Muscle Training: Qualitative and Usability Study during Early-Stage Development. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(15):7800. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157800

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anglès-Acedo, Sònia, Lorena López-Frías, Vicenç Soler, Joan F. Alonso, Arnoud W. Kastelein, Boris C.d. Graaf, Eva. V. Vodegel, Jaana Tervo, Adriana Baban, Montserrat Espuña-Pons, and on behalf of the WOMEN-UP Consortium. 2021. "The WOMEN-UP Solution, a Patient-Centered Innovative e-Health Tool for Pelvic Floor Muscle Training: Qualitative and Usability Study during Early-Stage Development" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 15: 7800. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157800

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