Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 5(3), pp. 110 - 118
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2017.050305
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"Medtep DBT": A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Native App and Web Platform for Borderline Personality Disorder Patients and Their Therapists

Jacob Suñol ¹, Josefa María Panisello ², Eudald Castell ^3,*, Pedro Juan Tárraga López ⁴, Carme Sánchez ⁵, Víctor Pérez ^6
1 Department of Product & Engineering, Medtep Inc, San Francisco, United States
² Department of Global Health, Medtep Inc. San Francisco, United States
³ Department of Health Services Research, FUFOSA Health Foundation, Spain
⁴ Family and Community Medicine, EAP 5, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
⁵ Department of Borderline Personality Program, Neuropsychiatry and Addictions of Hospital del Mar. Parc de Salut Mar de Barcelona, Spain
⁶ Neuropsychiatry Department, Neuropsychiatry and Addictions of Hospital del Mar. Parc de Salut Mar. Barcelona, Spain

ABSTRACT

Objective: The present article is aimed at describing the development process of Medtep DBT, a native app and web platform, based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) patients and their therapists. Materials and Methods: The development of Medtep DBT involved five steps: Analysis of the current mobile apps related to DBT and BPD. Development of a beta version of Medtep DBT in collaboration with psychiatrists, psychologists and BPD patients in knowledge of DBT. Testing the beta version by other BPD patients and introducing changes based on provided feedback. Content validation of the final version by mental health professionals. Results: Content validity has been granted by psychologist and psychiatrist whose experience with the use of the platform has been satisfactory. Feedback from BPD patients has also been positive. Discussion: Medtep DBT can be very useful for both, BPD patients and psychologists and psychiatrists; besides being built on evidence-based DBT standards, it is reinforced by BPD patients' and mental health professionals' feedback and collaboration. Even though its content validity has been granted, a pilot study is being carried out to assess its effectiveness. Conclusion: Medtep DBT facilitates BPD patients the accessibility to digital therapeutic tools to register all the information related to the therapy in a more patient-friendly manner versus paper. Moreover, therapists can provide personalized care in a timely manner. So far, Medtep DBT provides a patient-therapist approach like no other app available in the market.

KEYWORDS
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Borderline Personality Disorder, Mental Health, Mobile Applications, Mhealth

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Jacob Suñol , Josefa María Panisello , Eudald Castell , Pedro Juan Tárraga López , Carme Sánchez , Víctor Pérez , ""Medtep DBT": A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Native App and Web Platform for Borderline Personality Disorder Patients and Their Therapists," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 110 - 118, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2017.050305.

(b). APA Format:
Jacob Suñol , Josefa María Panisello , Eudald Castell , Pedro Juan Tárraga López , Carme Sánchez , Víctor Pérez (2017). "Medtep DBT": A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Native App and Web Platform for Borderline Personality Disorder Patients and Their Therapists. Universal Journal of Public Health, 5(3), 110 - 118. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2017.050305.