Ng Wei Leik, Ng Chirk Jenn, Teo Chin Hai, Ang Tan Fong, Lee Yew Kong, Abdul Hadi Haireen, Chiang De Min, Mohd Noor Mohd Khairi, Syed Omar Sharifah Faridah, Ong Hang Cheng, Wong Pui Li, Kukreja Anjanna, Chiew Thiam Kian, Ong Sim Ying, Noor Azhar Abdul Muhaimin
Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.
Department of Research, SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore.
Digit Health. 2024 Sep 5;10:20552076241277710. doi: 10.1177/20552076241277710. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
Most dengue cases are managed in an outpatient setting, where patients are advised to return to the clinic daily for monitoring. Some patients can develop severe dengue at home and fail to recognise the deterioration. An application called DengueAid was designed as a self-monitoring tool for patients to reduce delay in seeking timely treatment. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of the DengueAid application.
Dengue patients were recruited from a public health clinic in Malaysia and randomised to either use the DengueAid application plus standard care for dengue or receive only the standard care. The outcomes evaluated were the (1) feasibility of recruitment, data collection and follow-up procedures; (2) preliminary clinical outcome measures; and (3) acceptability of DengueAid. Qualitative interviews were conducted for participants in the intervention arm to assess the acceptability of DengueAid.
Thirty-seven patients were recruited with 97% ( = 36) retention rates. The recruitment rate was low (63% refusal rate, = 62/99) with difficulty in data collection and follow-up due to the variable interval of care for dengue in an outpatient setting. DengueAid application was acceptable to the participants, but preliminary clinical outcomes and qualitative data suggested limited utility of the application. Unwell conditions of patients and limited access to healthcare are important factors impacting the application's utility.
The feasibility trial uncovered issues with recruitment, data collection and follow-up processes. Further research and modification to the application are needed to improve its utility and usability.
大多数登革热病例在门诊进行管理，在此情况下，建议患者每天返回诊所进行监测。一些患者可能在家中发展为重症登革热，且未能意识到病情恶化。一款名为DengueAid的应用程序被设计为患者的自我监测工具，以减少寻求及时治疗的延迟。本研究旨在评估开展一项随机对照试验以确定DengueAid应用程序有效性的可行性。
从马来西亚的一家公共卫生诊所招募登革热患者，并将其随机分为两组，一组使用DengueAid应用程序加登革热标准护理，另一组仅接受标准护理。评估的结果包括：（1）招募、数据收集和随访程序的可行性；（2）初步临床结果指标；以及（3）DengueAid的可接受性。对干预组的参与者进行定性访谈，以评估DengueAid的可接受性。
招募了37名患者，保留率为97%（n = 36）。招募率较低（拒绝率为63%，n = 62/99），由于门诊环境中登革热护理间隔时间可变，数据收集和随访存在困难。参与者对DengueAid应用程序表示认可，但初步临床结果和定性数据表明该应用程序的效用有限。患者的不适状况和获得医疗保健的机会有限是影响该应用程序效用的重要因素。
可行性试验发现了招募、数据收集和随访过程中的问题。需要对该应用程序进行进一步研究和改进，以提高其效用和可用性。
