Case study: How we uncovered unmet needs using a mobile app diary

The challenge

Our client wished to assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown on a chronic condition from the perspective of both people living with the condition and HCPs.

The solution

We conducted qualitative telephone-depth interviews with physicians, nurses and people living with a chronic condition who require regular clinic visits in England.

• Mobile app diary completed by 20 patients. Text, audio and images were uploaded by people living with the condition
  and enabled a collection of spontaneous and rich insights of experiences and feelings during COVID-19.
• Recruitment ensured diversity, included a range of ages, and geographical representation.

The outputs

By combining the data from the qualitative interviews and the mobile diary task, we built up an in-depth picture of life with this chronic condition in England. The virtual interviews gave our client the opportunity to listen in live during respondent interviews and to update topics and key questions as needed.

Topics for the telephone-depth interviews included; comorbidity management prior to COVID-19 and lockdown, impact of COVID-19 and lockdown, support services available/used prior to and during lockdown and unmet needs of people living with this chronic condition and HCPs with regards to its management.

Furthermore, key findings were used to derive a “Care Pathway”: a holistic view of service provision since lockdown, the impact on people living with chronic condition and HCP, and potential solutions. It helped identify these services which were essential and understand how they could be provided if there were to be a subsequent lockdown.