Importance of Patient Involvement in Creating Content for eHealth Interventions: Qualitative Case Report in Orthopedics

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BACKGROUND: In many industries, collaboration with end users is a standard practice when developing or improving a product or service. This process aims for a much better understanding of who the end user is and how the product or service could be of added value to them. Although patient (end user) involvement in the development of eHealth apps is increasing, this involvement has mainly focused on the design, functionalities, usability, and readability of its content thus far. Although this is very important, it does not ensure that the content provided aligns with patients' priorities. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to explore the added value of patient involvement in developing the content for an eHealth app. By comparing the findings from this study with the existing app, we aimed to identify the additional informational needs of patients. In addition, we aimed to help improve the content of apps that are already available for patients with knee replacements, including the app our group studied in 2019. METHODS: Patients from a large Dutch orthopedic clinic participated in semistructured one-on-one interviews and a focus group session. All the patients had undergone knee replacement surgery in the months before the interviews, had used the app, and were therefore capable of discussing what information they missed or wished for before and after the surgery. The output was inductively organized into larger themes and an overview of suggestions for improvement. RESULTS: The interviews and focus group session with 11 patients identified 6 major themes and 30 suggestions for improvement, ranging from information for better management of expectations to various practical needs during each stage of the treatment. The outcomes were discussed with the medical staff for learning purposes and properly translated into an improved version of the app's content. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, patients identified many suggestions for improvement, demonstrating the added value o