Development and Effectiveness Testing of “Punsook”: A Smartphone Application for Intermittent Urinary Catheter Users with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Objective: To develop a smartphone application to assist the self-management of intermittent urinary catheter  users and a study of its effectiveness.
Methods: In phase 1, the 10 intermittent urinary catheter users used the first version of “Punsook”, a web-based application (app) for a smartphone, alongside usual intermittent urinary catheterization (IC), and gave feedback on their experiences. Their qualitative opinions were used to further develop a second version of the “Punsook” app. In phase 2, the new version was used by 35 participants, who were asked to complete an effectiveness questionnaire after using the app, including providing details on their history of urinary tract infection (UTI), urinary leakage, and catheterization-related pain. This information was gathered at the end of first and third months in the second phase of the study.
Results: More than half the participants agreed at the end of the first month that every part of the app was acceptably pleasant. They admitted to quite liking the simplicity of the app regarding ease of use, accessibility, ease of return to use, and interest in the program. No statistically significant changes in urinary leakage, UTI, or pain were found.
Conclusion: The app was considered effective in terms of the positive user satisfaction with every part of the program. However, despite this positive reception, the app might not actually have helped the users to improve their bladder control.