Prototype evaluation of a self-management Internet diary for patients with ulcerative colitis

Lucia Snoei¹, Ad van Bodegraven², Bas Oldenburg³, Theo Stijnen⁴, Ad A Kaptein¹

¹Unit of Psychology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; ²Department of Gastroenterology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ³Department of Gastroenterology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands; ⁴Department of Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

Objective: To evaluate content, navigation, usability, and impact measurability of a prototype Internet-based self-management intervention for patients with ulcerative colitis.

Material and methods: Analysis of 52 Internet diaries that were used in a six-month test trial. Analysis was done using an evaluation framework for eHealth applications that incorporates goals from theory and empirical studies on living with chronic illness, the software design industry, and health services research.

Results: Content of the diary covered the intended functions of the Internet-based self-management intervention. The evaluation led to several refinement suggestions concerning navigation, usability, and impact measurability of the Internet diary.

Conclusion: Psychosocial, medical, and scientific content as well as interface and design are equally important in the development of effective eHealth interventions.

Keywords: self-management, Internet diary, ulcerative colitis, eHealth, prototype