Effect of the Yon PD App on the Management of Self-Care in People With Parkinson Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: As the percentage of the older population increases, it is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of Parkinson disease (PD). People with PD experience a range of nonmotor symptoms, including pain, constipation, dysphagia, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. Improving self-care is necessary for people with PD because it is a chronic disease that requires lifelong management. In our previous study, we developed a mobile app (Yon PD app) to monitor nonmotor symptoms of PD. In this study, we investigated the long-term effects of the app in a larger group of people.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a mobile app on the management of self-care in people with PD.

Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial. People with PD aged ≥50 years and able to use a smartphone were recruited from the neurology outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in South Korea. In total, 102 participants were enrolled in this study. The intervention group was requested to record 5 nonmotor symptoms (pain, constipation, dysphagia, sleep disturbances, and fatigue) for 12 weeks using the mobile app. The control group was requested to record these 5 nonmotor symptoms on a paper questionnaire. General characteristics including age, sex, level of education, disease severity, and comorbidities were examined at baseline. The degree of self-care was examined using the Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, satisfaction with the app was also examined. General characteristics and satisfaction with the app were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The effect of the app on self-care was analyzed using the repeated-measures ANOVA with an α level of .05.

Results: In total, 93 participants were included in the analysis. There were 41 and 52 participants in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The general characteristics of the 2 groups were comparable. Monitoring nonmotor symptoms with the app effectively increased self-care maintenance (F2182=4.087; P=.02) and prevented a decrease in self-care monitoring (F2182=3.155; P=.045). However, using the app was ineffective in improving self-care management (F2182=1.348; P=.26). Self-care management gradually decreased over the 12-week period in both groups. The intervention (n=41) adherence rate reached 60.84% at 6 weeks but decreased to 41.87% by 12 weeks.

Conclusions: Participants were able to improve the degree of self-care by monitoring their nonmotor symptoms using the app. However, additional strategies that increase motivation and enjoyment are required to improve adherence.

Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service KCT0006433; https://tinyurl.com/3vmf435m.