Introduction
voice and visual information, bleeding, pneumonia, peritonitis
BLEEDING, PNEUMONIA, WOUND INFECTION, DISEASE, PERITONITIS, LEAKAGE, COMPLICATIONS
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a preferred method for long-term enteral nutrition support. Studies indicate that 5% to 7.8% of nursing home residents receive gastrostomy feeding [Common complications of PEG include wound infection (3%-50%), leakage (10%-42.3%), obstruction (8%-35%), bleeding (32%), dislodgement (14.3%), pneumonia, peritonitis (1%-18%), and buried bumper syndrome (1.5%-0.8%) [With the advancement of technology and the widespread use of smartphones, instant messaging apps, which can be downloaded for free on smartphones or computers via the internet, have transformed health education from static paper-based methods to dynamic audiovisual and video formats. These apps provide real-time voice and visual information, allowing one-on-one or group video chats; the exchange of photos, audio, and video; and real-time online question and answer functionality. However, despite the rapidity and convenience of instant messaging as a means of communication, when applied to disease prevention and health education campaigns, there is often a lack of standardized guidelines within the medical field [As a result, medical apps, including medical informatics apps, have emerged as a new educational approach. These apps offer advantages of standardization, privacy, data confidentiality, and systematic management [These effects result from integrating smartphone apps with technology that changes people’s lifestyles and behavior [Medical information apps have demonstrated effectiveness for privacy and confidentiality, self-health management, and enhancing self-care capabilities. We conducted a systematic literature review with specific search criteria combining the keywords “percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy” and “mHealth application” using the Boolean operator “AND” and restricting the publication year range from 1995 to 2023. These criteria were applied to the following 4 databases: CINAHL, ProQuest, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library. Among the databases scrutinized, only ProQuest yielded 2 conference abstracts that were relevant to the convergence of PEG and mHealth apps within the specified publication year range. The literature search failed to uncover any articles specifically addressing the use of mHealth apps in the context of PEG procedures.As such, the aim of this study was to establish and compare the effectiveness of a mobile app for PEG integrated with real-time communication software with that of a paper-based health education program also integrated with real-time communication software. This study evaluated the implications on several key health-related outcomes, including complications and self-care, as well as perceived well-being in terms of quality of life. Additionally, the study assessed the impact on the use of health care services, specifically looking at hospital or emergency readmissions.