ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Smartphone and application use can improve
communication and
monitoring of
chronic diseases , including
chronic kidney disease , through
self-management and increased adherence to
treatment .
OBJECTIVE: To assess
smartphone use in
patients with
chronic kidney disease on
dialysis and their willingness to use
mobile applications as a
disease self-management strategy. DESIGN AND
SETTING: This was a
cross-sectional study of
chronic kidney disease patients on
hemodialysis in the São Francisco Valley in the Northeast Region,
Brazil .
METHODS: The
questionnaire developed by the authors was administered between April and June 2021. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the construct was 0.69.
Associations between the dependent and independent variables were determined using univariate
analysis .
Multivariate analysis with
logistic regression analysis was also performed.
RESULTS: A total of 381
patients were included, of whom 64% had a
smartphone , although only 3.1% knew of a
kidney disease -related application. However, 59.3% believed that using an application could help them manage their
disease . Having a
smartphone was associated with
treatment adherence , higher
educational attainment , and higher
per capita income .
Educational attainment remained an independent factor in
multivariate analysis .
CONCLUSION: More than 64% of
patients had a
smartphone , although few knew of applications developed for
kidney disease . More than half of the
population believed that
technology use could benefit
chronic kidney disease treatment .
Smartphone ownership was more common among the younger
population , with higher
educational attainment and
income , and was associated with greater adherence to
hemodialysis sessions.