Patient Empowerment enabled by ICT and Intention to sustain a healthy behavior: A survey of general users (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Most people with chronic conditions failed to adhere to self-management behavioral guidelines. In the last two decades, several mHealth apps and IT-based systems have been designed and developed to help patients change and sustain their healthy behaviors. Yet, these systems often lead to short-term behavior change or adherence while the goal is to engage the population towards long-term behavior change. OBJECTIVE In this research we aimed to contribute to the development of long-term health behavior change or to help people sustain their healthy behavior. For that purpose, we built and tested a theoretical model that includes enablers of empowerment and an intention to sustain a healthy behavior when patients are assisted by Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This nascent theory explains what might lead to more sustainable behavior change and is meant to help designers build better apps that help patients with a chronic condition to conduct self-care routines. METHODS Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze 427 survey returns collected from a diverse population of subjects and patients. Notably, the model testing was done for physical activity as a general desirable healthy goal. RESULTS Message aligned with personal goals, familiarity with technology tools, high self-efficacy, social connection, and community support play a significant role in empowering individuals to maintain a healthy behavior. When individuals feel empowered, they exhibit higher intention to sustain the behavior. CONCLUSIONS The uniqueness of this model is its recognition of needs (i.e., social connection, community support, and self-efficacy) to sustain a healthy behavior. Individuals are empowered when they are assisted by family and community, specifically when they are in possession of the knowledge, skills, and self-awareness to ascertain and achieve their goals.