Digital health intervention for patient monitoring in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: cocreation and feasibility study of the IMIDoc platform

Abstract

Background: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis, pose challenges due to recurrent flares and gaps in patient monitoring. Traditional health care models often fail to capture disease progression effectively. Objective: This study aimed to describes the structured cocreation of the IMIDoc platform, an interdisciplinary initiative aimed at improving patient monitoring, education, and health care provider decision-making. Methods: IMIDoc was cocreated through an interdisciplinary team involving clinical experts, biomedical engineers, and technical developers, using user-centered design principles. The development process included the identification of unmet clinical needs, user-centered app design, implementation of medication management features, patient data recording capabilities, and educational content. A 3-month feasibility and functionality testing was performed to evaluate the usability and technical performance of the apption. Results: During the feasibility testing, 111 entries were logged for the patient mobile app, comprising 76 errors identified and corrected, 16 improvements addressing functionality, usability, and performance, and 10 evolutionary suggestions. The professional interface received 45 entries, identifying 40 errors and 5 evolutionary suggestions. Ten iterative updates significantly enhanced the user interface intuitiveness and medication reminder functionality, aligning the solution closely with clinical workflows and user needs. Conclusions: The IMIDoc platform, developed by a multidisciplinary cocreation methodology, shows potential to improve the management of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases ithrough enhanced communication and monitoring. A multicenter clinical study with 360 patients across 5 Spanish hospitals will further evaluate its impact.