Increase Therapy Understanding and Medication Adherence for Patients with Inflammatory Skin Diseases through Augmented Reality

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) offers an incomparable user experience by projecting digital content into the real environment. Like AR, dermatology is a visual field, and the integration of this technology into the daily lives of patients and dermatologists promises synergy opportunities. The challenges for patients with inflammatory skin diseases to adhere to their therapy are many and complex. On the one hand, the lack of understanding about the specific disease can lead to uncertainty in therapy. On the other hand, the potential development of the disease is often unknown. Furthermore, the management of the disease or the corresponding therapy is negatively influenced by patients’ forgetfulness in their daily life and dissatisfaction about the development of their lesion. Certain patients even interrupt their therapy because they question the development of the disease or worry about potential side effects. The benefits of AR as an enabler of learning experiences have been discussed in various fields like professional education in healthcare, in sports or in the regular scholar system. The breakthrough for mobile AR in terms of awareness originated from the successful adaption of the gaming industry. However, no studies have been conducted regarding the potential impact of and opportunities provided by AR for patients with dermatological issues such as inflammatory skin diseases. This thesis addresses this research gap by exploring how AR can increase patients’ understanding of the inflammatory skin diseases atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Furthermore, the thesis analyses the relevant factors for a successful integration of a mobile application into patients’ daily lives to increase their medication adherence....