A mobile phone app to improve self-management in young people with arthritis

Arthritis starting in childhood (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, JIA) causes joint pain, swelling and stiffness. There are about 20,000 young people with JIA in the UK. Arthritis tends to continue through adolescence into adulthood.

Suboptimal treatment of JIA leads to physical disability and poor school attendance. If treatment remains suboptimal, permanent damage to joints occurs, leading to longer-term problems with high utilisation of health care resources and the inability to work.

Effective treatment for JIA now exists that can prevent these adverse outcomes, but it is dependent on adolescents effectively engaging with health care and self-managing. Health care provision for these patients therefore needs to focus on promoting self-management and addressing medicine adherence.

This innovation led by GOSH makes use of a smartphone app for patients and a web portal for clinicians. Through the app, young people are able to record information relating to their physical and psychological wellbeing, access relevant information, receive medication and blood test reminders, and communicate with their health care professional.

The data are collected and owned by the patient, therefore fostering self-management of their own health care. The app has been customised so that it is young person friendly and it is designed to capture data that inform clinical care. 

All adolescents with JIA currently under the care of GOSH and UCLH will be given the opportunity to participate in the study; it is estimated that at least 80 patients will trial the app.