Using a Mobile Application to Promote Patient Education for Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Patient education and self-management are essential for patients with liver cirrhosis. Based on Fisher and Fisher's Information-Motivation-Behavior Skills model, a Cirrhosis Care App was developed to support the education and self-management of these patients. To evaluate the effectiveness of the application, a randomized controlled trial was conducted with patients having liver cirrhosis who were being followed up in the outpatient area of medical center in Taiwan. The experimental group used the app for 1 month, whereas a control group continued to receive conventional patient education. A pretest and posttest questionnaire was used to evaluate the app's effectiveness in improving the knowledge and practice of self-care. In addition, a questionnaire was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model to understand satisfaction with the app. Results showed that following the implementation of the Cirrhosis Care App, patients' self-care knowledge and ability to promote self-care practice improved. User satisfaction with the app was measured and reflected in its frequency of use. This study confirmed that the Cirrhosis Care App, based on the Information-Motivation-Behavior Skills model, can improve patient knowledge and self-care practice and be actively promoted to benefit patients with cirrhosis.