Mobile App for Parental Empowerment for Caregivers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Prospective Open Trial

Olivier Bonnot; Vladimir Adrien; Veronique Venelle; Dominique Bonneau; Fanny Gollier-Briant; Stephane Mouchabac

doi:10.2196/27803

Mobile App for Parental Empowerment for Caregivers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Prospective Open Trial

JMIR Ment Health. 2021 Sep 15;8(9):e27803. doi: 10.2196/27803.

Authors

Olivier Bonnot^{1

2

3}, Vladimir Adrien^{4

5}, Veronique Venelle², Dominique Bonneau⁶, Fanny Gollier-Briant¹, Stephane Mouchabac^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France.
² Centre Ressource Autisme, Angers, France.
³ LPPL, EA 4638, University of Nantes, Nantes, France.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital St Antoine, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
⁵ Infrastructure of Clinical Research in Neurosciences, Brain and Spine Institute, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.
⁶ Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, Angers, France.

PMID: 34524101
PMCID: PMC8482191
DOI: 10.2196/27803

Abstract

Background: Conflicting data emerge from literature regarding the actual use of smartphone apps in medicine; some considered the introduction of smartphone apps in medicine to be a breakthrough, while others suggested that, in real-life, the use of smartphone apps in medicine is disappointingly low. Yet, digital tools become more present in medicine daily. To empower parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder, we developed the Smartautism smartphone app, which asks questions and provides feedback, using a screen with simple curves.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate usage of the app by caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

Methods: We conducted a prospective longitudinal exploratory open study with families that have a child with autism spectrum disorder. Data were recorded over a period of 6 months, and the outcome criteria were (1) overall response rates for a feedback screen and qualitative questionnaires, and (2) response rates by degree of completion and by user interest, based on attrition.

Results: Participants (n=65) had a very high intent to use the app during the 6-month period (3698/3900 instances, 94.8%); however, secondary analysis showed that only 46% of participants (30/65) had constant response rates over 50%. Interestingly, these users were characterized by higher use and satisfaction with the feedback screen when compared to low (P<.001) and moderate (P=.007) users.

Conclusions: We found that real or perceived utility is an important incentive for parents who use empowerment smartphone apps.

International registered report identifier (irrid): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012135.

Keywords: app; autism; autism spectrum disorders; caregivers; children; empowerment, smartphone application; smartphone.

©Olivier Bonnot, Vladimir Adrien, Veronique Venelle, Dominique Bonneau, Fanny Gollier-Briant, Stephane Mouchabac. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (https://mental.jmir.org), 15.09.2021.