CONfidence: Developing an app to promote bladder and bowel health

Abstract

The CONfidence app was developed to address an unmet need for access to self-help advice and information for bladder and bowel incontinence. The app was developed by the Bladder and Bowel CONfidence Health Integration Team and Expert Self Care and this paper describes the evolution of this innovation to empower patients and the public with bladder and bowel leakage. The app is intended to provide a proactive approach to continence promotion and not replace formal healthcare. Crucial steps were identified to ensuring this resource was accessible and understandable for the intended audience including: input from national clinical experts and individuals with lived experience to co-produce content, clear definition of scope, technical expertise in app development, clear language avoiding jargon or medical terms, credibility assurance and a strategic plan for dissemination. The app is free to download and will remain so to ensure evidence-based continence advice can be in the palm of all with a smartphone. The CONfidence app has been downloaded approaching 7000 times and is in use in 10 countries. A continual effort is required to share this resource as disclosure of these symptoms is shrouded in secrecy and many people could benefit from its content.