Lorna Hobbs*, University College London, London, United Kingdom Track: Research Presentation Topic: Web 2.0 approaches for clinical practice, clinical research, quality monitoring Presentation Type: Oral presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: Sheraton Maui Resort Room: C - Napili Date: 2014-11-13 04:15 PM – 05:15 PM Last modified: 2014-10-24

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Background
There is a high prevalence of people with sexual problems (e.g., erectile problems or lack/loss of sexual desire) within general practice and sexual health services, and many more people experience sexual problems but do not seek help for them. Sexual problems are amenable to treatment, but there are multiple barriers to help-seeking (e.g., stigma, embarrassment, a lack of knowledge about available services, geographic inconsistencies in service provision, and time constraints). A way to overcome some of these barriers might be to offer help and support via the internet. Interactive digital interventions (IDIs) for sexual problems have the potential to provide a convenient, anonymous, wide-reaching, and potentially cost-effective alternative to face-to-face treatment. However, little is known about the acceptability and feasibility of IDIs, and there is little point investing in the design, development and implementation of these interventions unless people like them and are willing to use them.

Objective
To explore the acceptability and feasibility of using an interactive digital intervention for sexual problems (sextherapylondon.nhs.uk).

Methods
Thirty semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with people experiencing sexual problems, before and after they used the sextherapylondon.nhs.uk web-program. Sextherapylondon is a theory-based, interactive digital intervention that provides tailored advice and support for adults with sexual problems. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a varied sample in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, help-seeking experience and internet experience. The interview topic guide covered the following areas: user perceptions and definitions of sexual problems, help-seeking histories, users’ ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ regarding help, and user perceptions of IDIs before and after use. An iterative, thematic analysis was conducted to identify recurrent patterns and themes within the data. 10% of the coded transcripts were checked by a second researcher to ensure thoroughness and rigour. Atlas.ti was used to facilitate the coding/sorting process, and create links between the data.

Results
Overall, attitudes towards using sextherapylondon.nhs.uk were positive. Features that would increase the appeal and facilitate the use of sextherapylondon.nhs.uk included login reminders, videos, case studies, and email contact with a therapist. Barriers to use included time constraints, a lack of support from partners, and a preference for face-to-face therapy. Positive change that occurred included changes in thoughts/attitudes towards the problem (i.e., reduction in levels of embarrassment, acceptance that there is a problem, realisation that there is not a problem, feeling more able to seek face-to-face help), improved communication with partner and increased sexual function. Despite its high acceptability, some participants reported a lack of continued engagement with the intervention, and a desire for more tailoring and interactive features.

Conclusions
The current study established the acceptability and feasibility of sextherapylondon.nhs.uk, and identified factors that may increase the appeal, uptake and use of interactive digital interventions for sexual problems. However, further research is needed to identify the most effective engagement strategies, and to determine the best way of implementing these interventions into routine practice.