MS Self™, an Educational Application for Recording MS-Related Experience and Symptoms: A Longitudinal Analysis

Background: MS self™ is a FitBit-enabled, multicomponent, educational application (App) that contains >50 Fact Cards with searchable topics. By utilizing the journaling feature of the App, users can record multiple events pertaining to MS-related symptoms, mobility impairment, activities of daily living (ADLs), and generate concise reports that can be shared with their healthcare providers (HCPs).

Objectives: To provide user experience data from the MS self App (version 1.0 launched on November 20, 2013; current version: 1.7). 

Methods: In this longitudinal analysis, de-identified and aggregated data for MS-related symptoms, mobility impairment, and ADLs were tracked using Google Analytics from (November 2, 2015 to September 1, 2016, and compared with earlier data from December 1, 2013 to November 1, 2015.

Results: An estimated 8,499 users accessed the App during 2015-2016, compared to the estimated 11,120 users during 2013-2015 [2013-2014: 3535 users; 2014-2015: 7585 users]. There was an overall increase in the total number of recorded events: 1,151,024 vs 763,307 for 2015-2016 vs 2013-2015, respectively. However, analysis suggested that the proportions of events were consistent between 2015-2016 vs 2013-2015 for MS-related symptoms (19.3% vs 22.5%, respectively), mobility impairment (4.5% vs 5.5%, respectively), and ADL (1.3% vs 1.5%, respectively).

Conclusions: The continued use of the App as a support tool to record MS-related experience and symptoms suggest that the tool could be used to facilitate patient engagement with HCPs.  Future plans for the MS self App include potential integration of additional self-report measures.