Pilot and feasibility of the SMART IBD mobile app to improve self‐management in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Objectives Access to evidence‐based self‐management support in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a significant challenge. Digital therapeutic solutions can increase access and provide data to patients and providers that would otherwise not be available. We have iteratively developed a mobile application, Self‐Management Assistance with Recommended Treatment (SMART) IBD, that allows patients to access self‐management support and record symptoms and medication adherence. Methods We conducted a pilot and feasibility study for this digital therapeutic tool in which patients used SMART IBD for 30 days. Results Results indicated that patients rated the app quality as good and accessed the app adequately overall, with some pages being used often. Medication adherence increased over the course of the study and was associated with sleep duration, mood, and stool consistency and blood content. Conclusions Overall, this study demonstrated adequate feasibility for the SMART IBD app and initial findings suggest that additional research is needed to explore the potential impact of this tool in clinical care. What is Known Poor self‐management is prevalent in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with nonadherence impacting costs and escalation in treatment. Access to evidence‐based self‐management intervention resources is limited across clinical settings. What is New The Self‐Management Assistance with Recommended Treatment (SMART) IBD app offers a digital therapeutic solution providing better access to evidence‐based self‐management support in a highly accessible mobile app. Providers can also access data from the app to inform care provision. SMART IBD app feasibility was acceptable, and patients rated the quality as good. Improvement in medication adherence was observed, and this was associated with clinical outcomes.