FRI0613 Usefulness of smartphones applications in the follow-up of patients with inflammatory rheumatological diseases: are they really beneficial in objective terms?
Authors: C. A. Guillen-Astete, B. Laso-Jimeno
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2018)

<h3>Background:</h3> The use of computer programs developed for their use through smartphones has been incorporated into the health field. In recent years there have been countless new applications aimed at easying the work of the clinician through access to commonly used tools, image atlases, real-time information or to facilitate the monitoring of patients. In this last group, there are different applications oriented to multiple purposes. <h3>Objectives:</h3> The aim of this study is to assess the performance of two personally developed applications for the follow-up of patients with gout and rheumatoid arthritis (ReumApp-Gota and ReumApp-AR). <h3>Methods:</h3> We surveyed 65 patients who were users of ReumaApp-Gota and 35 patients who were users of ReumaApp-AR. All were direct users with at least 6 months of experience with the application. Both applications were developed by the author of the work on a free distribution platform and whose extension and contents have been discussed in a previous abstract. The survey was completed upon request and in the presence of the reference clinician throughout the last quarter of 2017. The survey assessed three areas: therapeutic and hygienic-dietetic adherence, the perception of personalized follow-up and overall practical utility. In parallel, the number of annual attacks of patients using ReumaApp-Gota and the relative annual reduction of the uric acid level in peripheral blood were determined. In the case of patients using ReumaApp-AR, the demand for unscheduled visits due to flares of RA and the relative reduction of DAS28 were evaluated. In both cases, their results were compared with cohorts of patients who had not used any of the applications (35 of the drop group and 29 of the AR group). <h3>Results:</h3> Users of ReumAPP-Gota: Improvement in adherence 25/65, personalized follow-up is perceived 56/65, has utility in day-to-day 52/65. Users of ReumAPP-AR: Improve adherence 31/35, personalized follow-up is perceived 30/35, has utility in day to day 29/35. The number of annual gout attacks in patients users of the APP was 1.32 OF 0.45 and that of non-users was 1.27 OF 0.52 (P=0.848), the relative annual reduction of patients with gout users of the APP was 36.6 OF 6.6 % and that of non-users 33.7 of 11.2% (P=0.106). The number of urgent visits in a year of patients with RA users of the APP was 0.55 of 0.12 and that of the non-users group 0.83 of 0.29 (P&lt;0.001). The relative reduction of the DAS28 of patients using the APP was 34.9 of 5.9% and of the non-users was 31 of 7.7% (P&lt;0.025). <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Although the use of applications for smartphones seems to generate a greater sense of medical vigilance on the part of patients and is globally considered useful, its impact on the therapeutic adherence in patients with gout is low and is reflected in the objective results of reduction of plasma uric acid figures and the number of annual attacks. In the case of patients with RA the use of the application significantly reduces the need for urgent visits, most likely because it allows the clinician to contact the patient priorly when certain parameters entered exceed certain margins. But on the other hand the relative reduction of DAS28 may be due to the fact that patients not users of the application are usually older than those who accept its use. <h3>Disclosure of Interest:</h3> None declared