M-Health: Development of a Mobile Application for Therapeutic

Education of Patients in Clinical Hematology

Maha Elhabchi

, Zineb Ouaissa

and Kamal Doghmi

Research Laboratory of Psychiatry, Medical Psychology and History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy,

Mohammed V University, 10100 Rabat, Morocco

Cloud Systems Engineer, Founder and Main Engineer at Cloud Art, Engineering Degree in IT Networks and Systems

from National Institute of Posts and Telecommunications, 10100 Rabat, Morocco

Department of the Clinical Hematology Military Hospital Mohammed V 10045 Rabat, Mohammed V University, 10100

Rabat, Morocco

Keywords: E-Health, M-Health, Patient Therapeutic Education, Clinical Hematology.

Abstract: Introduction: Clinical hematology is a discipline that requires comprehensive and multidisciplinary care.

Patient therapeutic education is an essential element of this care. In order to follow global trends, this practice

has integrated e-health. Methods and materials: Before creating the mobile application, a literature review on

therapeutic education in clinical hematology was conducted. Additionally, a study is currently underway to

identify specific patient needs. Its objective is to empower the patient. Results: Expected results include access

to information, reduction of random searches, treatment monitoring, quality of life management, and data

collection. Furthermore, it will enable interaction with the community. Discussion: In clinical hematology,

patients require multidimensional and quality care. A mobile application for therapeutic education will meet

an essential need. It will provide an interactive platform with refined information, allowing patients to better

understand their disease, improve therapeutic adherence, and access community support. Conclusion: A

mobile application for therapeutic education in clinical hematology is a valuable tool that can enhance patient

understanding and help them better manage their health. This innovation demonstrates the importance of using

technology for the well-being of patient.

1 INTRODUCTION

Clinical hematology (CH) is a specialized medical

discipline that focuses on the study and treatment of

blood disorders. It is characterized by direct,

comprehensive, and multidisciplinary care. Given the

magnitude of hematological pathologies, which are

severe, chronic, and progress slowly, therapeutic

education remains an essential element in patient

care.

Patient therapeutic education (PTE) is a clinical

approach aimed at helping patients better understand

their illness and treatment, as well as developing a

certain degree of autonomy to better manage their

condition (Nadège Corradini, 2016). The integration

of e-health in this practice could bring improvements

to the information provided to the patient and their

involvement in medical care.

E-health corresponds to the set of information and

communication technologies (ICT) in the field of

healthcare. It involves the application of all internet-

connected technologies to make healthcare services

more accessible, efficient, and affordable. It has a

significant impact in the medical field, ranging from

prevention to patient recovery. E-health is part of

patient support to achieve several objectives,

including improving monitoring, personalizing care,

and innovating (Jagnoux, 2020).

Global e-health is currently undergoing

significant development, and it is being used in

various forms, including telemedicine or mobile

health (E-santé & m-santé, 2016). It involves mobile

information and communication technologies, such

as smartphones and tablets, as well as all devices

connected to mobile networks (Code de la santé

publique, 2009). However, it is important to note that

mobile applications have a strong presence in the

global Smartphone market, with an estimated 3.6

billion users in 2020 (O'Dea, 2021), resulting in 218

billion downloads in 2020 (FMT, 2021). The

Elhabchi, M., Ouaissa, Z. and Doghmi, K.

M-Health: Development of a Mobile Application for Therapeutic Education of Patients in Clinical Hematology.

DOI: 10.5220/0012751600003854

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International e-Health Forum (IeHF 2023), pages 8-13

ISBN: 978-989-758-711-5

healthcare sector represents approximately 325,000

health and wellness-related applications, including

over 10,000 specifically dedicated to mental health

(Andrew D Carlo, 2019). All these data demonstrate

that nowadays, the patient has become connected,

having online access to health information and

becoming increasingly informed. However, it is

crucial to ensure the reliability of this information.

In recent decades, Morocco has undertaken

several reforms aimed at improving the health of the

population, within the framework of its aspirations

for human development and social justice.

Considering the number of 31.59 million internet

users (Benmansour Saad, 2022) and the rapid

expansion of new technologies, it is now imperative

to adapt to this trend. In this regard, since over 47%

of the global population is connected to the internet

(Brahima Sanou, 2016), integrating into this market

will bring numerous benefits to patients.

After conducting research on the App Store and

the Play Store, to our knowledge, there is currently no

application related to Patient Education in Clinical

Hematology. In this article, our objective is to explain

the design of a mobile application dedicated to Patient

Education in Clinical Hematology.

2 METHOD AND MATERIALS

The development of a mobile application requires a

thoughtful, data-driven approach (S. Nundy, 2014). A

literature review on therapeutic education in CH was

conducted to identify the educational needs of the

patient. A study is currently underway to pinpoint the

specific requirements of patients in clinical

hematology at the Military Teaching Hospital

Mohammed V in Rabat. This will help understand the

needs, concerns, and challenges faced by patients

with hematological diseases.

The application will be designed for all patients

suffering from hematological diseases. Its main

objective is to optimize the follow-up of patients in

CH by providing information about the disease,

treatment, various assessments, lifestyle

management, and a discussion space for questions

and sharing experiences.

The application will be named "HÉMAeduc,"

referencing hematological pathologies ("HEMA")

and therapeutic education ("educ"). It will allow the

patient to:

• Inform themselves about the disease:

definition, progression, symptoms, and

diagnostic tests.

• Manage medications: track treatment

(dose/timing).

• Manage appointments: send reminders for

appointments.

• Lifestyle management or provide advice:

exercise, pain, fatigue, dietary

recommendations, and sexual aspects.

• Forum: a space for sharing

(questions/answers, discussions).

Figure 1: The home screen of the application.

The application will first be made available on the

Android platform for several reasons. Firstly, since

Android is developed by Google, it gives us free

access to all the necessary tools for application

development. Additionally, it offers us a wide range

of mobile devices. Then, it will be available on iOS,

with free, simple, and easy accessibility, allowing all

age groups/education levels to connect. It will be

offered in two languages, Arabic and French. English

will be added after evaluation in order to reach a

wider audience of patients.

After the finalization of the mobile application, it

will be tested and evaluated to ensure its ease of use

and effectiveness.

Note that the advantages of a mobile application

are as follows:

- Direct access to the application's content via

an icon on the Smartphone.

- Functioning without the need for an internet

connection.

- Ease of use.

- Traceability of all necessary data.

M-Health: Development of a Mobile Application for Therapeutic Education of Patients in Clinical Hematology

3 EXPECTED RESULTS

The development of a mobile application for

therapeutic education in CH has many advantages and

will have a positive impact on the quality of care and

patient well-being.

The expected results of this mobile application

include:

• Access to information: Providing patients with

access to educational information about their

disease and lifestyle at any time and place,

promoting their autonomy and self-learning.

• Reducing random searches: Providing

accurate and up-to-date information to better

manage the disease.

• Treatment monitoring: Including features to

track and remind medication intake, which can

improve therapeutic compliance.

• Quality of life management: Contributing to a

better understanding of the disease, treatment,

and symptom management to improve the

quality of life for patients.

• Data collection: Gathering data on patient use

and engagement to evaluate the effectiveness

of therapeutic education and enhance

healthcare.

• Community interaction: Allowing patients to

discuss and share experiences, ask questions,

and receive mutual support.

4 DISCUSSION

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the

significance of digital platforms in healthcare

delivery. The digital health market encompasses

mobile health ("M-health"), which is a subset of e-

health. It is utilized for managing chronic illnesses

and promoting patient well-being through medical

applications on mobile phones, sensors for

monitoring vital signs (CareSimple, 2023) ,

telemedicine, health information technologies (IT),

and personalized medicine.

In 2020, more than 10 billion connected objects

were recorded, of which 80% were in the healthcare

field, with a total of 100,000 mobile applications

(Stéphane Mouchabac, 2023). Mobile health

applications remain an intelligent solution for

obtaining health-related information, used by

patients. They pursue various objectives, such as

educating patients about their illness, treatment,

medication management, as well as adopting a

healthy lifestyle, while promoting a certain degree of

monitoring and self-management (Najm, 2023).

Generally, information about patients' health and

diseases comes from healthcare professionals, family

members, media, magazines, and the internet (Rogers

SN, 2012) Managing and controlling this information

on the internet is complex, and patients may end up

with inaccurate data, which can lead to serious

consequences (Tabitha Tonsaker G. B., 2014).

Connected patients, also known as E-patients, consult

information on the internet and actively participate in

their care in parallel with that offered by healthcare

professionals. They use the internet to better prepare

themselves for their condition (nikos-rose, 2012).

Numerous studies have proven that online research

(Sands, 2004) influences patients' choices and

decisions. Therefore, social networks play a role in

providing emotional support and give patients a voice

to ask questions, share their experiences, and provide

answers, which has led to the emergence of an expert

patient model. Online communities have been created

in the United States and France (Benoît Brouard,

2014) to allow patients to discuss and share their

experiences.

The journey of care in clinical hematology is very

long, it starts from the announcement of the disease

until the recovery (including remission and

sometimes relapse) (Nadège Corradini, 2016). The

patient with a hematological disease undergoes a

profound upheaval at different levels. From the

announcement, their life undergoes significant

changes. They embark on a reflection to understand

their disease and search for information about it in

order to cope with their fears and frustrations (Håkan

Nunstedt, 2017). The information provided by the

doctor at this stage must be clear, transparent, and

formulated in a simple manner, avoiding the use of

complex medical jargon (Caroline Besson, 2012),

which is not always the case. Moreover, malignant

hematological disorders are often unknown to

patients and their loved ones, which raises numerous

questions regarding the disease itself, the care

journey, and the various changes that will impact their

lives (RochePro, 2022). All of this drives the patient

to search for information online to fill in the gaps or

misunderstandings related to the provided

information.

However, before the confirmation of the

diagnosis, the patient goes through a path full of alerts

and suspicions between the symptoms and additional

tests (Martine Ruszniewski, 2012), which requires a

degree of information to navigate. This information is

generally obtained from the doctor, loved ones, and

the internet (Martine Ruszniewski, 2012). Online

IeHF 2023 - International e-Health Forum

information can enhance the patient's knowledge and

skills (Tabitha Tonsaker G. B., 2014), thereby

developing a degree of empowerment to participate in

their own care.

Therapeutic adherence is one of the pillars of care.

The patient is frequently faced with managing their

prescribed treatment, and it is their responsibility to

handle it. According to the World Health

Organization (WHO) (Patricia V. Burkhart, 2003)

nearly half of the patients do not adhere to their

treatment as agreed with their prescriber and this has

repercussions on both the patient and the healthcare

system. The stakes related to non-adherence are

considerable (Nordt, 2019), as the WHO estimates

that improving patient adherence would have a

greater impact on human health than the development

of new medical therapies. A mobile application for

managing treatment and medication reminders is very

useful for the patient; it offers very interesting

features for better health management. Pilot studies

have shown that mobile applications, especially those

with medication reminder notifications, are a feasible

and acceptable means to improve treatment

adherence (Rachel M Morse, 2020).

Furthermore, adopting a healthy lifestyle remains

the best preventive measure for hematology patients

due to their fragility. It is crucial to give great

importance to the quality of information provided in

order to address complications related to treatments

such as chemotherapy. The majority of patients

receives their therapeutic treatment in the morning at

the day hospital via intravenous route and finishes it

by the end of the day, either orally at home. These

treatments differ in terms of effectiveness and side

effects, such as nausea, hair loss, vomiting, etc.

(Tillier, 2021). A literature review conducted by

Penedo and al (Frank J Penedo, 2020), demonstrated

that telehealth plays an effective role in managing

symptoms during treatment. Similarly, pain

management is crucial, as shown by a meta-analysis

indicating that more than half of the patients

experience pain during treatment, and over 65% of

patients with advanced stage of the disease suffer

from it (Marieke H J van den Beuken-van

Everdingen, 2016) ). E-health opens up new

perspectives as it places the patient at the center of the

system and allows them to participate in their own

care. Nevertheless, there are an increasing number of

applications dedicated to pain management (Pain

Therapy, Pain Sense, My Pain Coach, CatchMyPain,

etc…), but most of them are not adapted to the

specific needs of patients in hematology.

Furthermore, relevant advice on physical activity

(Shiraz I Mishra, 2012) and sexuality (Lorène Seguin,

2020), have benefits for the quality of life of patients.

Regarding nutrition, several mobile applications are

already being successfully used in different

specialties (Megan E Rollo, 2016).

Despite all the advantages offered by an

application on ETP in clinical hematology, there are

limitations such as:

• Sustainable hosting of the application requires

finding long-term sponsors.

• Finding international partners in order to adapt the

information according to geographical regions.

• Ensuring the update of the provided information

requires a multidisciplinary team.

• Dealing with possible threats to the confidentiality

and security of information transmitted through

mobile applications.

• Lack of long-term commitment from the patient.

Regardless of these challenges, in clinical

hematology, the patient requires comprehensive,

multidisciplinary, and primarily quality care. This

leads us to develop a mobile application for

therapeutic education in clinical hematology to meet

an essential need for patient therapeutic education.

This application will offer an interactive platform

with accurate and refined information, allowing

patients to better understand their disease, improve

their therapeutic compliance, and access community

support. Additionally, this application can contribute

to reducing healthcare costs in case of frequent

medical visits. It will also promote the psychosocial

aspect by enabling the sharing of experiences and

lived experiences among patients, thus improving the

quality of care.

5 CONCLUSION

A mobile application for therapeutic education in

clinical hematology is a valuable tool for patients

with hematological diseases. It promotes their

autonomy, enhances their understanding of the

disease, and contributes to improving their quality of

life while strengthening their commitment to

treatment. This innovation underscores the

importance of using technology for the benefit of

patient’s well-being.

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M-Health: Development of a Mobile Application for Therapeutic Education of Patients in Clinical Hematology