What role do mobile applications and online platforms play in delivering DITA-based patient education?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Mobile applications and online platforms play a pivotal role in delivering DITA-based patient education by making healthcare information accessible, interactive, and tailored to individual patient needs. These platforms leverage DITA’s structured content capabilities to provide a seamless and personalized patient education experience.

1. Accessibility on Mobile Devices: Mobile applications are designed to deliver patient education materials on smartphones and tablets, ensuring that patients can access healthcare information at their convenience. DITA content can be optimized for mobile screens, ensuring a user-friendly experience on smaller displays.

Example:

Here’s a sample DITA XML snippet demonstrating how content can be structured for mobile devices:

<concept>
  <title>Managing Diabetes on Your Mobile Device</title>
  <body>
    <p>If you have diabetes, managing your condition is easier than ever with mobile apps. These apps help you track your blood sugar levels, set medication reminders, and provide valuable information on diet and exercise, all on your smartphone.</p>
    <ul>
      <li>Download a diabetes management app on your smartphone.</li>
      <li>Log your daily blood sugar readings.</li>
      <li>Receive reminders for medication doses.</li>
    </ul>
  </body>
</concept>

2. Interactive Features: Online platforms and mobile apps can incorporate interactive elements into DITA-based patient education materials. This includes quizzes, interactive diagrams, and videos to engage patients and enhance their learning experience.

Example:

Here’s an example of a DITA XML snippet for an interactive quiz question:

<quiz>
  <question>What is a common symptom of allergies?</question>
  <answer correct="yes">Sneezing</answer>
  <answer>Coughing</answer>
  <answer>Headache</answer>
</quiz>

3. Personalization and Patient Portals: Online platforms can create patient portals that allow individuals to log in and access personalized healthcare information. Using DITA’s content reuse capabilities, the content can be customized based on the patient’s medical history, conditions, and preferences.

Example:

Here’s how DITA XML can be used to personalize content for a patient portal:

<patient-profile>
  <patient-name>John Doe</patient-name>
  <medical-condition>Diabetes</medical-condition>
  <preferred-language>English</preferred-language>
  <customized-content><include href="diabetes_management.dita"/></customized-content>
</patient-profile>

By leveraging mobile applications and online platforms, healthcare organizations can deliver DITA-based patient education content that is accessible, interactive, and personalized to improve patient engagement and understanding.