Sarah E Bradley1, Jolie Haun1,2, Gail Powell-Cope1, Sharon Haire1, Heather G Belanger3,4. 1. Research Service, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital , Tampa, Florida, USA. 2. College of Public Health, University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida, USA. 3. Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), United States Special Operations Command , Tampa, Florida, USA. 4. Departments of Psychology, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: As part of a larger study to test the efficacy of the Concussion Coach cell phone application for patients with post-concussion symptoms, qualitative data were gathered to assess barriers and facilitators for app use and differences in use of the app among those who declined or improved in symptom severity, or were low-use users. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a prospective descriptive study design, 35 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted between 2016-2018. Participants had a history of mild traumatic brain injury and were symptomatic. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Primary facilitators were the app's ease of use, privacy, availability/portability, and increased self-efficacy of the user. Primary barriers were a lack of sufficient app training, stigma, overly "basic" content, and symptom severity. While there were not prominent differences among user groups, users whose symptom severity improved described using more modules of the app than users who declined. Low-users attributed not using the app to content that was too basic or to their forgetting. CONCLUSION: Interview data suggest that Concussion Coach can benefit Veterans with post-concussive symptoms through increased agency, perceived benefits to emotional well-being, and the availability of non-stigmatized strategies for symptom management.
PURPOSE: As part of a larger study to test the efficacy of the Concussion Coach cell phone application for patients with post-concussion symptoms, qualitative data were gathered to assess barriers and facilitators for app use and differences in use of the app among those who declined or improved in symptom severity, or were low-use users. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a prospective descriptive study design, 35 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted between 2016-2018. Participants had a history of mild traumatic brain injury and were symptomatic. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Primary facilitators were the app's ease of use, privacy, availability/portability, and increased self-efficacy of the user. Primary barriers were a lack of sufficient app training, stigma, overly "basic" content, and symptom severity. While there were not prominent differences among user groups, users whose symptom severity improved described using more modules of the app than users who declined. Low-users attributed not using the app to content that was too basic or to their forgetting. CONCLUSION: Interview data suggest that Concussion Coach can benefit Veterans with post-concussive symptoms through increased agency, perceived benefits to emotional well-being, and the availability of non-stigmatized strategies for symptom management.
Entities:
Keywords:
Traumatic brain injury; Veterans; concussion; mental health; mobile health; service members; smartphone apps
Authors: Shannon B Juengst; Lauren Terhorst; Andrew Nabasny; Tracey Wallace; Jennifer A Weaver; Candice L Osborne; Suzanne Perea Burns; Brittany Wright; Pey-Shan Wen; Chung-Lin Novelle Kew; John Morris Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-02-23 Impact factor: 3.390