Patient and Provider Cocreation of Mobile Texting Apps to Support Behavioral Health: Usability Study.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Arevian AC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7424494 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Patient and Provider Cocreation of Mobile Texting Apps to Support Behavioral Health: Usability Study.
Arevian Armen C AC O'Hora Jennifer J Rosser James J Mango Joseph D JD Miklowitz David J DJ Wells Kenneth B KB
JMIR mHealth and uHealth 20200729 7
<h4>Background</h4>Mobile technologies hold potential for improving the quality of care and engagement of patients. However, there are considerable challenges in ensuring that technologies are relevant, useful, and engaging. While end users such as patients and providers are increasingly involved in the design of health technologies, there are limited examples of their involvement in directly creating technologies for their personal use.<h4>Objective</h4>We aim to evaluate the feasibility and ac ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundPatient-reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly being used in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) to integrate data from patients' perspective into clinical care. To date, the majority of PRO tools have lacked patient and provider involvement in their development, thus failing to meet the unique needs of end users, and lack the technical infrastructure to be integrated into the clinic workflow.ObjectiveThis study aims to apply a systematic, user-centered design approach to develop i-Matter (investigating a mobile health [mHealth] texting tool for embedding patient-reported data into diabetes management), a theory-driven, mobile PRO system for patients with T2D and their primary care providers.Methodsi-Matter combines text messaging with dynamic data visualizations that can be integrated into electronic health records (EHRs) and personalized patient reports. To build i-Matter, we conducted semistructured group and individual interviews with patients with T2D and providers, a design thinking workshop to refine initial ideas and design the prototype, and user testing sessions of prototypes using a rapid-cycle design (ie, design-test-modify-retest).ResultsUsing an iterative user-centered process resulted in the identification of 6 PRO messages that were relevant to patients and providers: medication adherence, dietary behaviors, physical activity, sleep quality, quality of life, and healthy living goals. In user testing, patients recommended improvements to the wording and timing of the PRO text messages to increase clarity and response rates. Patients also recommended including motivational text messages to help sustain engagement with the program. The personalized report was regarded as a key tool for diabetes self-management by patients and providers because it aided in the identification of longitudinal patterns in the PRO data, which increased patient awareness of their need to adopt healthier behaviors. Patients recommended adding individualized tips to the journal on how they can improve their behaviors. Providers preferred having a separate tab built into the EHR that included the personalized report and highlighted key trends in patients' PRO data over the past 3 months.ConclusionsPRO tools that capture patients' well-being and the behavioral aspects of T2D management are important to patients and providers. A clinical trial will test the efficacy of i-Matter in 282 patients with uncontrolled T2D.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03652389; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03652389.
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Project description:Adherence to prescribed medication is suboptimal in 50% of the chronic population, resulting in negative medical and economic outcomes. With the widespread use of mobile phones worldwide, medication adherence apps for mobile phones become promising medication adherence aids thanks to simplicity, user-friendliness, and accessibility for the public. Yet, until today, there is insufficient evidence in favor of using mobile health (mHealth) apps to increase medication adherence. This study aims to develop a methodology for scientific and end-user (patient) mHealth evaluation (a) to identify medication adherence apps search terms, (b) to evaluate identified apps based on scientific criteria, and (c) to report best smartphone apps evaluated by patients. Search terms were identified via literature review and expertise. Firstly, an online questionnaire was developed to identify frequently used search terms by recruited patients. Related medication adherence apps were identified and selected using predefined inclusion criteria. Secondly, identified apps were evaluated thanks to a scientific evaluation method and a created online questionnaire for patient feedback. Recruited patients were invited to test and evaluate the selected apps. Out of 1,833 free-of-charge and 307 paid apps identified, only four free-of-charge and three paid apps remained included in the study after eligibility criteria. None of the selected app reached a high score. Looking at the overall scores, Medisafe (59%), MyTherapy (56%), and Meds on time (44%) received the highest scores in the scientific app evaluation. In the patient evaluation, Dosecast (3.83 out of five points), Medisafe (3.62), and SwissMeds (3.50) received the highest scores. None of the apps in this research has undergone a process for certification, for example, CE marking, through a notified body. Security and data protection aspects of existing apps highly contribute to these low evaluation scores through little information on patient's data processing and storage. This might be corrected through the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Economic Area (EEA) and more scrutiny through regulatory bodies in the EU/EEA and the USA. None of the applications should be recommended by healthcare providers. In addition, clinical studies with chronic patients are necessary to measure long-term app impacts.
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Project description:BACKGROUND:E-learning technologies, including mobile apps, are used to a large extent in health care education. Mobile apps can provide extendable learning environments and motivate students for adaptive and collaborative learning outside the classroom context. Developers should design practical, effective, and easy-to-use mobile apps. Usability testing is an important part of app development in order to understand if apps meet the needs of users. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is to perform a scoping review of usability methods and attributes reported in usability studies of mobile apps for health care education. METHODS:The scoping review is guided by the methodological framework developed by Arksey & O'Malley and further developed by Levac et al and Kahlil et al. The stages we will follow are as follows: (1) identifying the research question; (2) identifying relevant studies; (3) selecting studies; (4) charting the data; and (5) summarizing and reporting the results. We have developed two research questions to meet the aim of the study, which are as follows: (1) What usability methods are used to evaluate the usability of mobile apps for health care education? and (2) What usability attributes are reported in the usability studies of mobile apps for health care education? We will apply a comprehensive search of the literature, including 10 databases, a reference search, and a search for grey literature. Two review authors will independently screen articles for eligibility. RESULTS:The initial electronic database searches were completed in March 2019. The literature search identified 14,297 unique references. Following title and abstract screening, the full texts of 369 records were obtained. The scoping review is expected to be completed in spring 2021. CONCLUSIONS:We expect the overview of usability methods and attributes reported in usability studies of mobile apps for health care education to contribute to the knowledge base for researchers and developers. It will give an overview of the research field and provide researchers and developers with relevant and important information on the usability research area, including highlighting possible research gaps. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID):DERR1-10.2196/19072.
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Project description:BackgroundCare delivered by physiotherapists aims to facilitate engagement in positive health behaviors by patients (eg, adherence to exercise). However, research suggests that behavioral interventions are frequently omitted from care. Hence, better understanding of strategies that can be used by physiotherapists to support patients to engage in positive behaviors is important and likely to optimize outcomes. Digital health interventions delivered via mobile apps are garnering attention for their ability to support behavior change. They have potential to incorporate numerous behavior change techniques (BCTs) to support goals of physiotherapy care, including but not limited to self-monitoring, goal setting, and prompts/alerts. Despite their potential to support physiotherapy care, much is still unknown about what apps are available to consumers, the BCTs they use, their quality, and their potential to change behaviors.ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study is to systematically review the mobile apps available in app stores that are intended for use by patients to support physiotherapy care, including the BCTs within these apps. The secondary aims are to evaluate the quality and behavior change potential of these apps.MethodsA systematic review of mobile apps in app stores will be undertaken. This will be guided by recommendations for systematic reviews in line with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement but adapted to suit our app store search, consistent with similar systematic reviews of apps published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Apple Store and Google Play will be searched with a two-step search strategy, using terms relevant to physiotherapy, physiotherapists, and common physiotherapy care. Key eligibility criteria will include apps that are intended for use by patients and are self-contained or stand-alone without the need of additional wearable devices or other add-ons. Included apps will be coded for BCTs and rated for quality using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and for potential to change behavior using the App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS).ResultsApp store search and screening are expected to be completed in 2021. Data extraction and quality appraisal are expected to commence by November 2021. The study results are expected to be published in a subsequent paper in 2022.ConclusionsKnowledge gained from this review will support clinical practice and inform research by providing a greater understanding of the quality of currently available mobile apps and their potential to support patient behavior change goals of physiotherapy care.International registered report identifier (irrid)PRR1-10.2196/29047.
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Project description:A growing number of mobile health (mHealth) technology-based apps are being developed for personal lifestyle and medical health care support, of which several apps are related to pregnancy. Evidence on usability and effectiveness is limited but crucial for successful implementation.This study aimed to evaluate the usability, that is, feasibility and acceptability, as well as effectiveness of mHealth lifestyle and medical apps to support health care during pregnancy in high-income countries. Feasibility was defined as the actual use, interest, intention, and continued use; perceived suitability; and ability of users to carry out the activities of the app. Acceptability was assessed by user satisfaction, appreciation, and the recommendation of the app to others.We performed a systematic review searching the following electronic databases for studies on mHealth technology-based apps in maternal health care in developed countries: EMBASE, MEDLINE Epub (Ovid), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. All included studies were scored on quality, using the ErasmusAGE Quality Score or the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. Main outcome measures were usability and effectiveness of mHealth lifestyle and medical health care support apps related to pregnancy. All studies were screened by 2 reviewers individually, and the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement were followed.Our search identified 4204 titles and abstracts, of which 2487 original studies remained after removing duplicates. We performed full-text screening of 217 studies, of which 29 were included in our study. In total, 19 out of 29 studies reported on mHealth apps to adopt healthy lifestyles and 10 out of 29 studies to support medical care. The lifestyle apps evaluated in 19 studies reported on usability and effectiveness: 10 studies reported positive on acceptability, and 14 studies reported on feasibility with positive results except one study. In total, 4 out of 19 studies evaluating effectiveness showed significant results on weight gain restriction during pregnancy, intake of vegetables and fruits, and smoking cessation. The 10 studies on medical mHealth apps involved asthma care, diabetic treatment, and encouraging vaccination. Only one study on diabetic treatment reported on acceptability with a positive user satisfaction. In total, 9 out of 10 studies reported on effectiveness. Moreover, the power of most studies was inadequate to show significant effects.Most studies on mHealth apps to support lifestyle and medical care for high-income countries reveal the usability of these apps to reduce gestational weight gain, increase intakes of vegetables and fruit, to quit smoking cessation, and to support health care for prevention of asthma and infections during pregnancy. In general, the evidence on effectiveness of these apps is limited and needs further investigation before implementation in medical health care.
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Project description:Cell phone ownership is nearly universal. Messaging is one of its most widely used features. Texting-based interventions may improve patient engagement in the postoperative setting, but remain understudied.Patients were recruited before discharge from the hospital and received automated daily texts for 1 week providing information about expected recovery. Patients were encouraged to text questions to providers, which were triaged for intervention. Web-based surveys solicited patient feedback about the platform.Thirty-two patients were approached, and 23 patients (72%) were enrolled in the study. All study patients texted their providers, although frequency (median, 7 texts; range, 2-44 texts) varied. Unmarried patients and those facing surgical complications used the platform more frequently. Mean patient satisfaction with the platform was high (mean, 3.8 on a 4-point Likert scale).Text messaging seems feasible in the acute postoperative setting and potentially improves engagement of patients with head and neck cancer. Further study is warranted to confirm scalability and impact. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 988-995, 2017.
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