Strategies to Inform Patients About Effective App Use

This report addresses strategies for healthcare professionals to effectively inform patients about appropriate app use for self-management of diseases. It reviews literature, synthesizes research findings, and provides recommendations for patients. The presentation emphasizes the importance of app evaluation, communication skills, and patient engagement. Key strategies include identifying and evaluating apps, employing effective communication techniques, and promoting patient engagement in app validation. The report also discusses implications for graduating RNs, focusing on skill improvement in app assessment, patient-centered approaches, and continuous professional development. The content is supported by references to academic sources, providing evidence-based insights into improving patient outcomes through effective app utilization.

NAME OF THE STUDENT:
NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY
STRATEGIES TO INFORM
PATIENT ABOUT
EFFECTIVE APP USE

Advantage of apps for patient
Health care professionals get many
importance assistance in clinical
care with the use of apps. This
includes the following:
 Health record maintenance
 Information management
 Patient management
 Patient education
 Clinical decision making (Ventola,
2014).

AIM OF THE
PRESENTATION
 The main of the presentation is to present
best practice evidence to better inform
patient about appropriate use of apps for
self management of disease
 It aims to review the literature on the topic
and provide synthesis of research findings
 Key implications and recommendations for
patients will be discussed too.

Strategies to better inform
patient about apps
1. Identify an evaluate apps before recommending it to
patient:
The evidence by Boudreaux et al. (2014) suggest the use of any
seven of the strategies to get idea about best ways to select an
app. These seven steps or options includes the following:
 Reviewing the scientific literature: Many systematic review
gives evidence regarding the capabilities and limitations of
apps.
 Searching app clearinghouse website: It gives idea about
usability, accuracy and functionability of apps. It also gives the
advantage of stating the efficacy of apps in one place
 Searching app stores: It is the most easy method to get
information about apps from app description

Strategies to better inform
patient about apps
1. Identify an evaluate apps before recommending it to
patient:
 Reviewing app description and user ratings: It gives
details regarding the popularity of the apps. However, it
gives no detail regarding the accuracy of the apps.
 Conducting social media query: This gives health staffs
access to peer recommendation regarding the use of
apps.
 Pilot testing apps: Health care providers can engage in
pilot testing to evaluate functions and usability of apps
(Boudreaux et al., 2014).

Strategies to better inform
patient about apps
2.Communication strategies to support patients to
choose appropriate apps:
 Communication skill is necessary for RNs to ensure
careful selection of apps
 This can help to engage in patient centred approach to
information sharing
 It can prevent misuse or overuse of apps by patient (Ho,
2013).

Strategies to better inform
patient about apps
3. Promoting app related advice by patient
engagement:
 It involves encouraging nurse to empower patients
to take active interest in validating apps
 Giving patients teaching regarding steps to identify
validity of apps.
 It promotes patients engagement in their own care
(Lu et al., 2018)

Implications of the findings for
graduating RNs
The three strategies identified from literature review gives
many implications to improve skills and promote
professional development of RNs. These strategies are as
follows:
 Improving nurses skills in quick assessment of the apps
 Encouraging nurse to adapt patient centred approach
while engaging in information sharing
 Engaging in continuous professional education to get
knowledge about sensitivity and challenges associated
with app use in patients.
 Being aware about factors impeding effective app use in
different patient group is important (O’Connor et al.,
2016).

REFERENCES:
Ho, K. (2013). Health-e-Apps: A project to encourage effective use of
mobile health applications. BC medical journal, 55(10), 458-460.
Kuziemsky, C. E., Gogia, S. B., Househ, M., Petersen, C., & Basu, A.
(2018). Balancing Health Information Exchange and Privacy
Governance from a Patient-Centred Connected Health and
Telehealth Perspective. Yearbook of medical informatics, 27(1),
48–54. doi:10.1055/s-0038-1641195
Lu, C., Hu, Y., Xie, J., Fu, Q., Leigh, I., Governor, S., & Wang, G.
(2018). The Use of Mobile Health Applications to Improve Patient
Experience: Cross-Sectional Study in Chinese Public
Hospitals. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 6(5), e126.
doi:10.2196/mhealth.9145
O’Connor, S., Hanlon, P., O’Donnell, C. A., Garcia, S., Glanville, J., &
Mair, F. S. (2016). Understanding factors affecting patient and
public engagement and recruitment to digital health interventions:
a systematic review of qualitative studies. BMC medical
informatics and decision making, 16(1), 120.
Ventola C. L. (2014). Mobile devices and apps for health care
professionals: uses and benefits. P & T : a peer-reviewed journal
for formulary management, 39(5), 356–364.