Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study
Introduction: Smartphone-delivered healthcare interventions allow patients to access services on demand when needed, improving motivation and compliance. However, the use of mobile health apps has been scarcely explored in sexual medicine. Aim: To evaluate the effects of integrating psychological tr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Sexual Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2050116120300684 |
| _version_ | 1797766233333956608 |
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| author | Gabriele Optale, MD Stefano Burigat, PhD Luca Chittaro Giuseppe Riva, PhD |
| author_facet | Gabriele Optale, MD Stefano Burigat, PhD Luca Chittaro Giuseppe Riva, PhD |
| author_sort | Gabriele Optale, MD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Smartphone-delivered healthcare interventions allow patients to access services on demand when needed, improving motivation and compliance. However, the use of mobile health apps has been scarcely explored in sexual medicine. Aim: To evaluate the effects of integrating psychological treatment for premature ejaculation (PE) with a mobile coaching app that offers therapeutic exercises on the patient’s smartphone. Methods: This study comprised 35 heterosexual men with primary psychogenic PE (mean age 34 years, standard deviation = 9.15). All patients entered a cycle of 15 sessions of psychodynamic psychotherapy integrating behavioral therapy, each lasting about 45 minutes. The patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups, each of which performed daily homework exercises (physiotherapy exercises for reinforcing the pelvic floor muscles and cognitive exercises for distancing from sexual failure.) The first group (15 patients) received verbal and printed instructions only (treatment as usual—TAU), whereas the second group (17 patients) experienced the exercises with guidance from the mobile app (app). In both groups, the exercises started after the seventh session. Patients were advised to perform the exercises 3 times a day for 3 months. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measures were the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool and the Premature Ejaculation Profile. Results: Analysis of the data revealed significant pre-post improvements in Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool and Premature Ejaculation Profile scores for the app group compared with those of the TAU group (P < .01). The frequency of patients with no-PE condition for the app group after treatment was significantly higher than the frequency of patients with no-PE condition for the TAU group (P < .001). Conclusion: Results suggest that a mobile coaching app performs better than TAU in improving both the behavioral skills of ejaculatory delay and sexual self-confidence within a psychological treatment for PE. Future studies should collect follow-up data and explore the potential of mobile coaching apps in combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy interventions.Optale G, Burigat S, Chittaro L. et al. Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study. J Sex Med 2020;8:461–471. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:22:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5210d6a6f8204364afd71efba3c5ebd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-1161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:22:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sexual Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-5210d6a6f8204364afd71efba3c5ebd52023-08-02T00:50:51ZengOxford University PressSexual Medicine2050-11612020-09-0183461471Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot StudyGabriele Optale, MD0Stefano Burigat, PhD1Luca Chittaro2Giuseppe Riva, PhD3Male and Female Sexual Dysfunctions Center of the Regione Veneto, ASL3, Mestre-Venezia, Italy; Corresponding Author: Gabriele Optale, MD. Address: Male and Female Sexual Dysfunctions Center of the Regione Veneto, ASL 3, Via N. Tommaseo 7, 30175, Mestre-Venezia, Italy. Tel: +393355619492; Fax: +390415701164HCI Lab, Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, ItalyHCI Lab, Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, ItalyApplied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy; Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, ItalyIntroduction: Smartphone-delivered healthcare interventions allow patients to access services on demand when needed, improving motivation and compliance. However, the use of mobile health apps has been scarcely explored in sexual medicine. Aim: To evaluate the effects of integrating psychological treatment for premature ejaculation (PE) with a mobile coaching app that offers therapeutic exercises on the patient’s smartphone. Methods: This study comprised 35 heterosexual men with primary psychogenic PE (mean age 34 years, standard deviation = 9.15). All patients entered a cycle of 15 sessions of psychodynamic psychotherapy integrating behavioral therapy, each lasting about 45 minutes. The patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups, each of which performed daily homework exercises (physiotherapy exercises for reinforcing the pelvic floor muscles and cognitive exercises for distancing from sexual failure.) The first group (15 patients) received verbal and printed instructions only (treatment as usual—TAU), whereas the second group (17 patients) experienced the exercises with guidance from the mobile app (app). In both groups, the exercises started after the seventh session. Patients were advised to perform the exercises 3 times a day for 3 months. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measures were the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool and the Premature Ejaculation Profile. Results: Analysis of the data revealed significant pre-post improvements in Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool and Premature Ejaculation Profile scores for the app group compared with those of the TAU group (P < .01). The frequency of patients with no-PE condition for the app group after treatment was significantly higher than the frequency of patients with no-PE condition for the TAU group (P < .001). Conclusion: Results suggest that a mobile coaching app performs better than TAU in improving both the behavioral skills of ejaculatory delay and sexual self-confidence within a psychological treatment for PE. Future studies should collect follow-up data and explore the potential of mobile coaching apps in combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy interventions.Optale G, Burigat S, Chittaro L. et al. Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study. J Sex Med 2020;8:461–471.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2050116120300684Premature EjaculationSmartphoneAppMobileCoachingPsychotherapy |
| spellingShingle | Gabriele Optale, MD Stefano Burigat, PhD Luca Chittaro Giuseppe Riva, PhD Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study Sexual Medicine Premature Ejaculation Smartphone App Mobile Coaching Psychotherapy |
| title | Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study |
| title_full | Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study |
| title_short | Smartphone-Based Therapeutic Exercises for Men Affected by Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study |
| title_sort | smartphone based therapeutic exercises for men affected by premature ejaculation a pilot study |
| topic | Premature Ejaculation Smartphone App Mobile Coaching Psychotherapy |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2050116120300684 |
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