Discovering aspects of health—experiences of a web-based health diary among adults with primary immunodeficiency

Abstract

Aim: Advances in technology generate new opportunities to develop e-health tools to help individuals in self-management by assessing symptoms of illness and its relation to treatments. Self-management is central when living with primary immunodeficiency diseases. The aim was to explore the experiences of people living with primary immunodeficiency, who used a pilot version of the web-based health diary. Design: Explorative design. Methods: In total, 16 participants (median age 59) attended one of three focus groups. Inductive content analysis was used. Results: The participants could be encouraged to discover aspects of their health by contributing to documentation which could support the health concept. A greater understanding about their own health and communicating with healthcare professionals during encounters was expressed. The web-based health diary is a helpful tool to discover aspects of health that affects the individuals’ life situation and assists the self-management of a long-term condition such as immunodeficiency.