P-490 ‘Your Fertility @ Home’, a clinical pilot study on a new diagnostic smartphone app for treatment naive fertility patients
Authors: Grens H , Huppelschoten A , De Bruin J  P , Kremer J 
Published: July 2024

Study question

What are patients’ experiences with a newly developed diagnostic smartphone app?

Summary answer

The first patients’ experiences with the content of the app are positive. Also, participants made positive changes in their lifestyle after advice from the app.

What is known already

Previous studies on digital healthcare for fertility patients are promising. However, many e-Health initiatives are not thoroughly evaluated, which hampers implementation. During a fertility trajectory patients often feel a lack of control, we therefore developed a new smartphone app with a dual purpose. First, to give new fertility patients more control and empowerment over their situation by providing reliable information and personalized advice. Second, to support healthcare professionals in choosing the right diagnostic tests and interpretation of the results. This app was first validated on a historical cohort of patient data, before testing the app in a prospective patient group.

Study design, size, duration

This is an ongoing, prospective pilot study of 70 heterosexual patient couples. Patients were followed up from the start of the fertility workup until the work-up finished. This abstract covers the preliminary results of the first 19 participants. Follow up is expected to be complete at time of the ESHRE annual meeting.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

The study population consists of treatment naïve infertile couples, who were referred to a fertility-clinic. Before the first appointment, patients used the smartphone app, which consisted of a medical anamnesis questionnaire for both women and partners. Based on the anamnesis the app provided recommendations about lifestyle and diagnostic tests, which were in line with current Dutch guidelines. Patients were given advice on the results of the tests and filled in a questionnaire about their experiences.

Main results and the role of chance

The experience questionnaire for patients included three parts. The questions in the first part were based on the validated Patient-Centered Questionnaire Infertility. This covered questions about the use of the app, for example the ease of installation and if they felt involved with use of the app. Sixteen out of nineteen patients (84%) felt taken seriously, eleven patients (58%) experienced enough attention to their emotions and fourteen patients (74%) would advise their friends to use the app.

The second part included questions about the results of the diagnostic tests. Ten patients (52%) found the explanation of the results clear, three patients (15%) wanted additional information. Eleven patients (58%) thought the results and information matched their personal situation.

The third part of the questionnaire asked about the lifestyle advice patients received in the app. Twelve patients (63%) found this advice useful. The other patients found the advice not matching their situation. After using the app, ten patients (52%) said they made a change in their lifestyle to optimize their fertility situation. On a ten point Likert scale, 16 patients (84%) scored the app an eight or higher.

Limitations, reasons for caution

These are results of a pilot study and thus must be interpreted with caution. Secondly, this is the first version of the app that has been tested with patients, so next the app needs further optimization before it can be fully implemented.

Wider implications of the findings

Considering the positive reception, this app holds potential for a beneficial change in fertility care. It may increase the accessibility to reliable personal information and advice for new fertility patients in a safe and private environment. This might lead to patient empowerment and positive lifestyle changes enhancing their fertility potential.

Trial registration number

2022.09.05.01