Web-based, self-management enhancing interventions with e-diaries and personalized feedback for persons with chronic illness: a tale of three studies.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic illness places high demands on patients. Interventions supporting self-management and providing personalized feedback might help patients to gain new perspectives and enhance use of constructive self-management strategies. We developed three comparable web-based CBT-grounded interventions including e-diaries and feedback delivered through PDAs/smartphones. The feasibility and efficacy of these interventions have been investigated for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (in an RCT), chronic widespread pain (RCT) and type 2 diabetes (feasibility study).
METHODS: This is a descriptive study that summarizes the content, feasibility and efficacy of the interventions and discusses issues relevant for implementing this type of web-based therapeutic interventions in clinical practice.
RESULTS: The web-based interventions appear feasible, acceptable and supportive. In a short and midterm time frame, the interventions promote self-management.
CONCLUSION: Booster sessions may be needed for prolonged effects. Given the physical and mental symptoms of the patients under study and the nature of the intervention, providers who deliver the feedback need a health care background and training in this specific way of counseling. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The results of the three studies suggest that personalized web-based interventions are effective and have the potential to support self-management in daily healthcare. Studies concerning clinical significance and implementation are needed.