Requirements identification for the development of a design involving adaptive ICTs for supporting bipolar disorder treatment in different healthcare contexts

This paper presents the patient and caregiver perspectives on ICTs (information and communication technologies) supporting bipolar disorder management in multinational healthcare provisioning contexts. The envisioned mHealth (mobile health) solutions should incorporate general requirements that can be instantiated into different clinical settings. The involvement of users in designing new technologies for mental health is crucial in ensuring patient empowerment and the patient-centeredness of services. We conducted focus groups to understand user needs, attitudes, and experiences with regard to the supportive ICTs in the two target regions where the expected solutions will operate. The survey results provided valuable inputs for the formulation of the clinical requirements for the development of a transnational call for tender concerning mHealth solutions aimed at supporting treatment for bipolar disorder. This tender was open to public purchasers in different European countries. The study was part of the NYMHPA-MD (Next Generation Mobile Platform for Health in Mental Disorders) project, which was co-funded by the European Commission.