Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey
BackgroundIn the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, skin cancer–related apps represent useful tools to support dermatologic consultation and examination. Yet, little is known about how patients perceive the value of such apps. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to inve...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2019-07-01
|
| Series: | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| Online Access: | https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/7/e13844/ |
| _version_ | 1818904279395598336 |
|---|---|
| author | Steeb, Theresa Wessely, Anja Mastnik, Sebastian Brinker, Titus Josef French, Lars Einar Niesert, Anne-Charlotte Berking, Carola Heppt, Markus Vincent |
| author_facet | Steeb, Theresa Wessely, Anja Mastnik, Sebastian Brinker, Titus Josef French, Lars Einar Niesert, Anne-Charlotte Berking, Carola Heppt, Markus Vincent |
| author_sort | Steeb, Theresa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundIn the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, skin cancer–related apps represent useful tools to support dermatologic consultation and examination. Yet, little is known about how patients perceive the value of such apps.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate patient attitudes and their awareness toward skin cancer–related apps.
MethodsA cross-sectional study including 200 patients from the oncological outpatient unit was conducted at the University Hospital (LMU Munich, Germany) between September and December 2018. Patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on the popularity and usefulness of health-related and skin cancer–related apps. A descriptive analysis was performed with the expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median and range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were performed to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and selected items of the questionnaire.
ResultsA total of 98.9% (195/197) of patients had never used skin cancer–related apps or could not remember. In 49.7% (93/187) of cases, patients were unsure about the usefulness of skin cancer apps, whereas 42.6% (78/183) thought that skin cancer apps could supplement or support the professional skin examination performed by a physician. However, 47.9% (90/188) were interested in acquiring more information by their dermatologists about skin cancer apps. Young age (P=.002), male gender (P=.02), a previous history of melanoma (P=.004), and higher educational level (P=.002) were significantly associated with a positive attitude. Nevertheless, 55.9% (105/188) preferred a printed patient brochure on skin cancer to downloading and using an app.
ConclusionsThe experience and knowledge of skin cancer–related apps was surprisingly low in this population, although there was a high general interest in more information about such apps. Printed patient brochures were the preferred information source. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:04:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a8393f612ea491f94b5898fee6e00a1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2291-5222 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:04:55Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a8393f612ea491f94b5898fee6e00a12022-12-21T20:05:40ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR mHealth and uHealth2291-52222019-07-0177e1384410.2196/13844Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional SurveySteeb, TheresaWessely, AnjaMastnik, SebastianBrinker, Titus JosefFrench, Lars EinarNiesert, Anne-CharlotteBerking, CarolaHeppt, Markus VincentBackgroundIn the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, skin cancer–related apps represent useful tools to support dermatologic consultation and examination. Yet, little is known about how patients perceive the value of such apps. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate patient attitudes and their awareness toward skin cancer–related apps. MethodsA cross-sectional study including 200 patients from the oncological outpatient unit was conducted at the University Hospital (LMU Munich, Germany) between September and December 2018. Patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on the popularity and usefulness of health-related and skin cancer–related apps. A descriptive analysis was performed with the expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median and range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were performed to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and selected items of the questionnaire. ResultsA total of 98.9% (195/197) of patients had never used skin cancer–related apps or could not remember. In 49.7% (93/187) of cases, patients were unsure about the usefulness of skin cancer apps, whereas 42.6% (78/183) thought that skin cancer apps could supplement or support the professional skin examination performed by a physician. However, 47.9% (90/188) were interested in acquiring more information by their dermatologists about skin cancer apps. Young age (P=.002), male gender (P=.02), a previous history of melanoma (P=.004), and higher educational level (P=.002) were significantly associated with a positive attitude. Nevertheless, 55.9% (105/188) preferred a printed patient brochure on skin cancer to downloading and using an app. ConclusionsThe experience and knowledge of skin cancer–related apps was surprisingly low in this population, although there was a high general interest in more information about such apps. Printed patient brochures were the preferred information source.https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/7/e13844/ |
| spellingShingle | Steeb, Theresa Wessely, Anja Mastnik, Sebastian Brinker, Titus Josef French, Lars Einar Niesert, Anne-Charlotte Berking, Carola Heppt, Markus Vincent Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| title | Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_full | Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_fullStr | Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_short | Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_sort | patient attitudes and their awareness towards skin cancer related apps cross sectional survey |
| url | https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/7/e13844/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT steebtheresa patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey AT wesselyanja patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey AT mastniksebastian patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey AT brinkertitusjosef patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey AT frenchlarseinar patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey AT niesertannecharlotte patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey AT berkingcarola patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey AT hepptmarkusvincent patientattitudesandtheirawarenesstowardsskincancerrelatedappscrosssectionalsurvey |