Development and effectiveness assessment of a Persian-language smartphone application for celiac patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to design a Persian-language application for celiac patients and assess its effectiveness on patients` knowledge and adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD).

Methods: In the present randomized controlled clinical trial, 60 patients were randomly assigned to receive education through a smartphone application (n = 30) or conventional clinical education (n = 30). The primary outcomes were assessing knowledge about celiac disease and GFD, and adherence to GFD that were assessed at baseline and three months after interventions. The knowledge and adherence were assessed by a valid author-designed knowledge questionnaire and the validated celiac disease adherence test (CDAT) respectively.

Results: The mean disease duration was 4.38 ± 3.27 years. The mean post-intervention score of knowledge about gluten-free foods was significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the placebo group after adjusting for baseline values and characteristics (p-value = 0.03). There was a significant difference in post-intervention CDAT values between the two groups (p-value = 0.01).

Conclusion: The smartphone application had a significant effect on celiac patients` knowledge about gluten-free foods and adherence to GFD.

Practice implications: The smartphone applications can be designed according to each country's particular circumstances and can be suggested by nutritionists and physicians to use by celiac patients.

Keywords: Adherence; Celiac disease; Education; Gluten-free diet; Knowledge; Smartphone application.