Designing an mHealth Roadmap for the Journey to Self-Management: A Qualitative Study with Adolescents and Young Adults Living with Chronic Illness. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sayegh, Caitlin S.; Iverson, Ellen; Newman, Clarissa; Tanaka, Diane; Olshansky, Ellen F.; Wijaya, Clarisa; Belzer, Marvin
• Is Part Of: Chronic illness. Volume 19:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 65
• Page End: 80
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: Self-management -- chronic illness -- adolescent health care -- mobile health -- qualitative; Chronic diseases -- Periodicals; 616.04405
• DOI: 10.1177/17423953211067436
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-3953

Abstract

Objectives: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic illnesses often struggle with illness self-management. The objective of this study is to understand how AYA with various chronic illnesses develop self-management skills and which mobile health (mHealth) strategies they believe could be helpful. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, between 16 to 20 years old, living with at least one chronic illness (N = 19), between 2018 and 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. Three coders completed thematic coding to understand how AYA develop and maintain self-management skills, to inform the development of mHealth interventions appropriate across a variety of chronic conditions. Results: Results suggest that AYA develop self-management skills through several strategies, including (1) getting organized, (2) making it work for me and (3) keeping the right mentality. AYA described developing these strategies through: (1) receiving social support, (2) accessing helpful tools and technologies, and (3) going through a maturation process. They provided recommendations for mHealth intervention developers. Discussion: The results suggest that an appealing mHealth intervention could support AYA patients in proactively acquiring self-management skills and prevent having to rely on trial and error or uneven access to guidance and support. Interventions should be responsive to individual technology preferences and practices.