The aim of this study was to design and develop an application (MyBladderControl) to support patients in the self-management of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC).

The app named “MyBladderControl- MBD” was developed by a group of expert functional urologists and biomedical engineers. The app's functionality is to record patients' daily values similar to a bladder diary. Clinical indications for the MBD-App mock-up were to assess number of daily CIC, voided volume per catheterization, additional spontaneous micturitions, adverse events. In case of missing catheterization or voided volume too low (<150 ml) or too large (>500 ml) the app advises the patient. The MBD-App make a sum of the incorrect events (i.e. unproper number of catheterization per day, voided volume per catheterization) and adverse events (i.e. urgency incontinence episodes, urinary tract infection, haematuria or urethral bleeding, difficult to catheterization, pain) and notifies the patient to control and correct CIC management by himself or by a medical control. Designed with user-friendliness as a priority, the interface is developed to be accessible even to patients with limited technological expertise.

A first version of the MBD-App was distributed to a group of urologists to test it for correct functionality and usability, in order to collect feedback and implement additional features. These implementations are important to understand how to set up the app to ensure it is beneficial to the patient. This testing phase represents the first step in the app’s development process. The next planned step involves testing the app with a study group of patients to assess its clinical impact in real-world-scenario.

Patients starting CIC therapy can use the app continuously until they have achieved an adequate CIC regimen. In patients undergoing CIC for a longer period of time, a weekly periodic check-up via the MBD-App may be suggested. The CIC regimen can give excellent results without adverse effects if performed correctly.

Tested by the urologists and biomedical engineers, the MBD-App not only offers a modern, interactive alternative to traditional bladder diaries or handwritten notes but also provides a more structured and comprehensive approach to managing the CIC regimen and to reduce complications.