Development of a cognitive awareness-based mobile application for women undergoing infertility treatment: a pilot study (Preprint)
Authors: İnam Özen , Güngör Satılmış İlkay 
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

Infertility is a prevalent issue affecting approximately 15% of couples worldwide, with significant psychological and emotional consequences for those undergoing treatment. The advent of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), has provided hope for many infertile couples. However, the process of IVF can be physically demanding and emotionally taxing, often leading to increased stress, anxiety, and depression among patients.

Recent research highlights the potential benefits of psychological interventions in improving the well-being of individuals undergoing infertility treatments. Cognitive awareness and mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes in various populations. Mindfulness practices, such as breath awareness and body scanning, can help individuals become more attuned to their physical and emotional states, promoting a sense of calm and reducing negative emotional responses.

The rapid proliferation of mobile health (mHealth) technologies offers new avenues for delivering psychological support to patients. Mobile applications provide an accessible and convenient platform for disseminating mindfulness-based interventions. These applications can deliver tailored content, track user engagement, and offer interactive features that enhance user experience and adherence.

Despite the potential advantages, there is a lack of mobile applications specifically designed to address the unique needs of women undergoing IVF treatment. Developing a cognitive mindfulness-based mobile application tailored to this population could provide crucial support, helping to alleviate the psychological burden associated with infertility and IVF.

This pilot study aims to develop and evaluate a mobile application, IVFMind, designed to offer mindfulness-based support to women undergoing IVF treatment. By incorporating cognitive awareness practices and features such as mood tracking, appointment planning, and daily mindfulness messages, the IVFMind app seeks to enhance the psychological well-being of its users. This study also seeks to gather user feedback to refine and improve the application for future use.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a mobile application providing mindfulness-based support to infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and to assess user feedback.

METHODS

Seventeen women who started IVF treatment collected from an IVF center in Istanbul and social media participated in this descriptive pilot study to collect their experiences and opinions about the developed application. Initially, cognitive awareness-based audio content specific to IVF was created, covering topics like Breath Awareness and Body Scanning. Then, a mobile application named IVFMind was designed and developed by the researcher, accessible on both Android and IOS platforms. The app included blog posts, a mood tracker, and appointment planning features. Participants received daily mindfulness messages. Research questions were incorporated into the app as a questionnaire. The app was freely downloadable. Participants used the app throughout their treatment, providing feedback via an evaluation form and a personal information form.

RESULTS

Most participants were over 35, university graduates, employed, and had been dealing with infertility for 3-5 years. 88.2% found the IVFMind app useful, with 82.4% finding the voice recordings helpful. All participants reported the app as user-friendly and would recommend it. Suggestions for improvement included enhancing the interface, adding features, improving video loading speed, and enabling offline usage.

CONCLUSIONS

This study introduced a cognitive mindfulness-based mobile application (IVFMind) tailored for IVF treatment. Positive feedback regarding usability and usefulness was received. Future research will explore its impact on the psychosocial status of infertile women during treatment.

CLINICALTRIAL

This pilot study was registered with the Clinical Trials, under the identifier register ID number is "4802180202". The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the [name of the ethical review board or institutional review board], and all participants provided informed consent prior to participation. The registration ensures transparency and adherence to ethical guidelines in conducting and reporting the research.