Pub Date : 2024-07-05eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.21037/mhealth-23-55
Beenish Moalla Chaudhry, Happy Rani Debi
Background: The increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven mental health conversational agents necessitates a comprehensive understanding of user engagement and user perceptions of this technology. This study aims to fill the existing knowledge gap by focusing on Wysa, a commercially available mobile conversational agent designed to provide personalized mental health support.
Methods: A total of 159 user reviews posted between January, 2020 and March, 2024, on the Wysa app's Google Play page were collected. Thematic analysis was then used to perform open and inductive coding of the collected data.
Results: Seven major themes emerged from the user reviews: "a trusting environment promotes wellbeing", "ubiquitous access offers real-time support", "AI limitations detract from the user experience", "perceived effectiveness of Wysa", "desire for cohesive and predictable interactions", "humanness in AI is welcomed", and "the need for improvements in the user interface". These themes highlight both the benefits and limitations of the AI-driven mental health conversational agents.
Conclusions: Users find that Wysa is effective in fostering a strong connection with its users, encouraging them to engage with the app and take positive steps towards emotional resilience and self-improvement. However, its AI needs several improvements to enhance user experience with the application. The findings contribute to the design and implementation of more effective, ethical, and user-aligned AI-driven mental health support systems.
背景:人工智能(AI)驱动的心理健康对话式代理日益普及,因此有必要全面了解用户参与情况以及用户对该技术的看法。本研究旨在通过关注Wysa填补现有的知识空白,Wysa是一款商用移动对话式代理,旨在提供个性化的心理健康支持:方法:收集了 2020 年 1 月至 2024 年 3 月期间在 Wysa 应用程序的 Google Play 页面上发布的 159 篇用户评论。然后采用主题分析法对收集到的数据进行开放式和归纳式编码:结果:从用户评论中发现了七大主题:"信任的环境能促进身心健康"、"无处不在的访问能提供实时支持"、"人工智能的局限性有损用户体验"、"Wysa 的感知有效性"、"希望有凝聚力和可预测的互动"、"人工智能中的人性受到欢迎 "以及 "用户界面需要改进"。这些主题突出了人工智能驱动的心理健康对话代理的优点和局限性:用户发现,Wysa 能有效地与用户建立紧密联系,鼓励他们使用该应用程序,并采取积极措施来恢复情绪和提升自我。然而,它的人工智能还需要一些改进,以提高用户的应用体验。研究结果有助于设计和实施更有效、更合乎道德、更符合用户需求的人工智能心理健康支持系统。
{"title":"User perceptions and experiences of an AI-driven conversational agent for mental health support.","authors":"Beenish Moalla Chaudhry, Happy Rani Debi","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-23-55","DOIUrl":"10.21037/mhealth-23-55","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven mental health conversational agents necessitates a comprehensive understanding of user engagement and user perceptions of this technology. This study aims to fill the existing knowledge gap by focusing on Wysa, a commercially available mobile conversational agent designed to provide personalized mental health support.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 159 user reviews posted between January, 2020 and March, 2024, on the Wysa app's Google Play page were collected. Thematic analysis was then used to perform open and inductive coding of the collected data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven major themes emerged from the user reviews: \"a trusting environment promotes wellbeing\", \"ubiquitous access offers real-time support\", \"AI limitations detract from the user experience\", \"perceived effectiveness of Wysa\", \"desire for cohesive and predictable interactions\", \"humanness in AI is welcomed\", and \"the need for improvements in the user interface\". These themes highlight both the benefits and limitations of the AI-driven mental health conversational agents.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Users find that Wysa is effective in fostering a strong connection with its users, encouraging them to engage with the app and take positive steps towards emotional resilience and self-improvement. However, its AI needs several improvements to enhance user experience with the application. The findings contribute to the design and implementation of more effective, ethical, and user-aligned AI-driven mental health support systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11304096/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141903880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-05eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.21037/mhealth-24-3
Parijat Ghosh, Rachel Proffitt, K Taylor Bosworth, Richelle J Koopman, Lauren Flowers, Gwen Wilson, Aneesh K Tosh, Amy S Braddock
Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps are becoming a promising tool to motivate sustainable lifestyle and behavior changes, including modifications to diet and exercise. However, most current mHealth apps do not have meaningful, and sustained user acceptance, particularly, among adolescents. They perceive mHealth apps designed for adults to be tedious and visually unexciting, which discourage adolescent usage. Researchers and adolescent mHealth app developers would benefit from a foundational understanding of which functions and features adolescents feel would most motivate app use. Capturing caregivers' and health care providers' inputs are also important as both groups play an integral role in adolescent health care decision-making. The purpose of the study is to explore and analyze mHealth app features identified by adolescents, caregivers, and health care providers that have the potential to inspire continued use, thereby resulting in sustained health behavior changes in adolescents.
Results: Common features facilitating continual usage of mHealth apps that were identified as significant by participating adolescents, their caregivers and health care providers were: look and feel of the app, customization, educational information/recommendations, and integration with electronic health record. Features such as gamification and social interaction that are usually lacking in current adolescent mHealth apps were well recognized as meaningful for motivational purposes.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that adolescents and caregivers identify an app as valuable when it is user-friendly and intuitive and appreciate features that are motivating and can engage users in positive behaviors. Health care providers prefer mHealth apps that are user-friendly and can be effectively integrated into the cycle of care, thereby enabling delivery of efficient and value-based health care. Thus, mHealth app designs that are informed by health care providers' clinical experience and needs, in combination with app features that are desired and supported by both adolescents and their caregivers, have the potential to motivate widespread adoption and long-term use, which could result in improved health behaviors and outcomes among adolescents.
Turki M. Alanzi, Shafiq Ur Rehman, Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Robert S. H. Istepanian
{"title":"The evolution and mapping trends of mobile health (m-Health): a bibliometric analysis (1997–2023)","authors":"Turki M. Alanzi, Shafiq Ur Rehman, Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Robert S. H. Istepanian","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-23-20","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-23-20","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141839654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Designing sustainable mobile weight management applications: information technology (IT) experts perspectives","authors":"Yahya Al Naabi, Nazrita Ibrahim, J. Dhillon","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-24-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-24-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141847515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lenette M. Jones, Korrey E Monroe, Priya Tripathi, Mary J. Bashshur, Joachim Kavalakatt, Kierra Tarrance, Jamie Mitchell, Jaclynn Hawkins
{"title":"Empowering WHISE women: usability testing of a mobile application to enhance blood pressure control","authors":"Lenette M. Jones, Korrey E Monroe, Priya Tripathi, Mary J. Bashshur, Joachim Kavalakatt, Kierra Tarrance, Jamie Mitchell, Jaclynn Hawkins","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-24-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-24-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141838847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Sasseville, Eugène Attisso, Marie-Pierre Gagnon, Jean-Marc Supper, Steven Ouellet, Samira Amil, E. B. Assi, Dang Khoa Nguyen
{"title":"Performance, impact and experiences of using wearable devices for seizure detection in community-based settings: a mixed methods systematic review","authors":"M. Sasseville, Eugène Attisso, Marie-Pierre Gagnon, Jean-Marc Supper, Steven Ouellet, Samira Amil, E. B. Assi, Dang Khoa Nguyen","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-24-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-24-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141850600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Over fifty percent of individuals with overweight and obesity are emotional eaters. Emotional eating can be theorized as a conditioned response to eat for reasons that are not associated with physiological hunger. We conducted this proof-of-concept study to gather evidence that a mobile app that delivers a common non-meditative mindfulness exercise called RAIN, in a step-by-step image sequence can improve emotional eating and other outcomes over a 3-week period.
Methods: Forty-nine Canadian adults who self reported as emotional eaters (mean age =30.7 years) were recruited through social media and participated in a workshop in which RAIN and its use on the app were introduced. Participants were asked to use the app every time that they experienced a non-homeostatic craving to eat for three weeks. Emotional eating, reactivity to food cravings, perceived loss of control around food, distress tolerance, and eating-specific mindfulness were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
Results: Improvements on all outcomes were found (r-range, -0.58 to -0.28). The feasibility of the mobile application was demonstrated by a low attrition rate (8%), high user satisfaction, and strong app engagement metrics.
Conclusions: The data provide proof-of-concept evidence that a mobile app that delivers a mindfulness exercise in a step-by-step image sequence has potential to be effective and thus identifies a new approach that may reduce emotional eating in an accessible and affordable manner.
{"title":"Proof-of-concept testing of a mobile application-delivered mindfulness exercise for emotional eaters: RAIN delivered as a step-by-step image sequence.","authors":"Kimberly Carrière, Nellie Siemers, Serena Thapar, Bärbel Knäuper","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-23-56","DOIUrl":"10.21037/mhealth-23-56","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Over fifty percent of individuals with overweight and obesity are emotional eaters. Emotional eating can be theorized as a conditioned response to eat for reasons that are not associated with physiological hunger. We conducted this proof-of-concept study to gather evidence that a mobile app that delivers a common non-meditative mindfulness exercise called RAIN, in a step-by-step image sequence can improve emotional eating and other outcomes over a 3-week period.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-nine Canadian adults who self reported as emotional eaters (mean age =30.7 years) were recruited through social media and participated in a workshop in which RAIN and its use on the app were introduced. Participants were asked to use the app every time that they experienced a non-homeostatic craving to eat for three weeks. Emotional eating, reactivity to food cravings, perceived loss of control around food, distress tolerance, and eating-specific mindfulness were assessed pre- and post-intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Improvements on all outcomes were found (r-range, -0.58 to -0.28). The feasibility of the mobile application was demonstrated by a low attrition rate (8%), high user satisfaction, and strong app engagement metrics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The data provide proof-of-concept evidence that a mobile app that delivers a mindfulness exercise in a step-by-step image sequence has potential to be effective and thus identifies a new approach that may reduce emotional eating in an accessible and affordable manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11304094/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141903879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-09eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.21037/mhealth-23-57
Kristi E Gamarel, Adrian Rodriguez-Bañuelos, Ini-Abasi Ubong, Janae N Best, Laura Jadwin-Cakmak, Jason W Mitchell
Background: There has been a proliferation of digital health interventions (DHIs) focused on addressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment outcomes, including couples-based interventions with same-gender male couples. However, the barriers and facilitators of implementing couples-based HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention interventions using digital platforms in community-based organizations remains largely unknown. The goal of this study was to explore the implementation determinants of Our Plan, a couples-based DHI designed for new relationships of same-gender male couples and dyadic, sexual partnerships.
Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 organization leaders, healthcare providers, and staff at acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-service and community-based organizations in 13 states serving populations in Ending the HIV Epidemic jurisdictions. Interview items and follow-up questions were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to inquire about implementation determinants of Our Plan.
Results: Most participants highlighted several relative advantages of Our Plan: increasing capacity to support couples, potential synergy with existing programs, and opportunities to increase patient engagement. Participants also discussed relative disadvantages: misalignment with organizational values in the provision of patient-centered models of care and low interest from some priority populations. Participants emphasized the need for adaptability of Our Plan to fit within their local contexts, which encompassed support for both implementers and end-users, cultural tailoring, and privacy and security features. The desired evidence needed to implement Our Plan focused on data on impact, acceptability, and usability and functionality from communities most heavily impacted by the HIV epidemic. The majority of participants described how Our Plan could be integrated within service delivery and aligned with their organization's aspirational values; however, some noted that their organizational culture valued in-person interactions, particularly among patients experiencing structural vulnerabilities. Finally, participants discussed how the implementation of Our Plan would require additional training and funding for staff to support end-users and a relationship with the developers so that they could demonstrate their investment in the communities that their organizations served.
Conclusions: Our Plan was deemed a promising tool among potential implementers. To ensure optimal implementation and organizational fit, Our Plan refinement and evaluation must include implementers and end-users most impacted by the HIV epidemic throughout the entire process.
{"title":"Understanding the potential implementation determinants of Our Plan: a couples-based digital human immunodeficiency virus prevention intervention for same-gender male couples.","authors":"Kristi E Gamarel, Adrian Rodriguez-Bañuelos, Ini-Abasi Ubong, Janae N Best, Laura Jadwin-Cakmak, Jason W Mitchell","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-23-57","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-23-57","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There has been a proliferation of digital health interventions (DHIs) focused on addressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment outcomes, including couples-based interventions with same-gender male couples. However, the barriers and facilitators of implementing couples-based HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention interventions using digital platforms in community-based organizations remains largely unknown. The goal of this study was to explore the implementation determinants of Our Plan, a couples-based DHI designed for new relationships of same-gender male couples and dyadic, sexual partnerships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 organization leaders, healthcare providers, and staff at acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-service and community-based organizations in 13 states serving populations in Ending the HIV Epidemic jurisdictions. Interview items and follow-up questions were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to inquire about implementation determinants of Our Plan.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most participants highlighted several relative advantages of Our Plan: increasing capacity to support couples, potential synergy with existing programs, and opportunities to increase patient engagement. Participants also discussed relative disadvantages: misalignment with organizational values in the provision of patient-centered models of care and low interest from some priority populations. Participants emphasized the need for adaptability of Our Plan to fit within their local contexts, which encompassed support for both implementers and end-users, cultural tailoring, and privacy and security features. The desired evidence needed to implement Our Plan focused on data on impact, acceptability, and usability and functionality from communities most heavily impacted by the HIV epidemic. The majority of participants described how Our Plan could be integrated within service delivery and aligned with their organization's aspirational values; however, some noted that their organizational culture valued in-person interactions, particularly among patients experiencing structural vulnerabilities. Finally, participants discussed how the implementation of Our Plan would require additional training and funding for staff to support end-users and a relationship with the developers so that they could demonstrate their investment in the communities that their organizations served.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our Plan was deemed a promising tool among potential implementers. To ensure optimal implementation and organizational fit, Our Plan refinement and evaluation must include implementers and end-users most impacted by the HIV epidemic throughout the entire process.</p>","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11058597/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140854636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-03eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.21037/mhealth-24-2
Nikola Kirilov
Background: The integration of real-time data (RTD) in the electronic health records (EHRs) is transforming the healthcare of tomorrow. In this work, the common scenarios of capturing RTD in the healthcare from EHRs are studied and the approaches and tools to implement real-time solutions are investigated.
Methods: Delivering RTD by representational state transfer (REST) application programming interfaces (APIs) is usually accomplished through a Publish-Subscribe approach. Common technologies and protocols used for implementing subscriptions are REST hooks and WebSockets. Polling is a straightforward mechanism for obtaining updates; nevertheless, it may not be the most efficient or scalable solution. In such cases, other approaches are often preferred. Database triggers and reverse proxies can be useful in RTD scenarios; however, they should be designed carefully to avoid performance bottlenecks and potential issues.
Results: The implementation of subscriptions through REST hooks and WebSocket notifications using a Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) REST API, as well as the design of a reverse proxy and database triggers is described. Reference implementations of the solutions are provided in a GitHub repository. For the reverse proxy implementation, the Go language (Golang) was used, which is specialized for the development of server-side networking applications. For FHIR servers a python script is provided to create a sample Subscription resource to send RTD when a new Observation resource for specific patient id is created. The sample WebSocket client is written using the "websocket-client" python library. The sample RTD endpoint is created using the "Flask" framework. For database triggers a sample structured query language (SQL) query for Postgres to create a trigger when an INSERT or UPDATE operation is executed on the FHIR resource table is available. Furthermore, a use case clinical example, where the main actors are the healthcare providers (hospitals, physician private practices, general practitioners and medical laboratories), health information networks and the patient are drawn. The RTD flow and exchange is shown in detail and how it could improve healthcare.
Conclusions: Capturing RTD is undoubtedly vital for health professionals and successful digital healthcare. The topic remains unexplored especially in the context of EHRs. In our work for the first time the common scenarios and problems are investigated. Furthermore, solutions and reference implementations are provided which could support and contribute to the development of real-time applications.
{"title":"Capture of real-time data from electronic health records: scenarios and solutions.","authors":"Nikola Kirilov","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-24-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-24-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The integration of real-time data (RTD) in the electronic health records (EHRs) is transforming the healthcare of tomorrow. In this work, the common scenarios of capturing RTD in the healthcare from EHRs are studied and the approaches and tools to implement real-time solutions are investigated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Delivering RTD by representational state transfer (REST) application programming interfaces (APIs) is usually accomplished through a Publish-Subscribe approach. Common technologies and protocols used for implementing subscriptions are REST hooks and WebSockets. Polling is a straightforward mechanism for obtaining updates; nevertheless, it may not be the most efficient or scalable solution. In such cases, other approaches are often preferred. Database triggers and reverse proxies can be useful in RTD scenarios; however, they should be designed carefully to avoid performance bottlenecks and potential issues.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The implementation of subscriptions through REST hooks and WebSocket notifications using a Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) REST API, as well as the design of a reverse proxy and database triggers is described. Reference implementations of the solutions are provided in a GitHub repository. For the reverse proxy implementation, the Go language (Golang) was used, which is specialized for the development of server-side networking applications. For FHIR servers a python script is provided to create a sample Subscription resource to send RTD when a new Observation resource for specific patient id is created. The sample WebSocket client is written using the \"websocket-client\" python library. The sample RTD endpoint is created using the \"Flask\" framework. For database triggers a sample structured query language (SQL) query for Postgres to create a trigger when an INSERT or UPDATE operation is executed on the FHIR resource table is available. Furthermore, a use case clinical example, where the main actors are the healthcare providers (hospitals, physician private practices, general practitioners and medical laboratories), health information networks and the patient are drawn. The RTD flow and exchange is shown in detail and how it could improve healthcare.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Capturing RTD is undoubtedly vital for health professionals and successful digital healthcare. The topic remains unexplored especially in the context of EHRs. In our work for the first time the common scenarios and problems are investigated. Furthermore, solutions and reference implementations are provided which could support and contribute to the development of real-time applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11058599/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140861036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-03eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.21037/mhealth-23-65
Soyoung Choi, Christian Joseph Chlebek
Background: Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) are crucial in delivering health information and services to older adults. Despite their importance, blind and visually impaired (BVI) older individuals often face significant challenges in app accessibility and usability. This study delves into the design preferences and expectations of BVI older users and underscores the necessity of user-centered design for inclusive mHealth apps.
Methods: Conducted in September 2023, the study comprised six focus group interviews. Each session involved two to four participants who began with self-introductions, followed by discussions centered on three open-ended interview questions.
Results: The study involved 14 participants: four with severe low vision and 10 totally blind. The primary design principles highlighted were "customizability" and "simplicity". The participants stressed the importance of intuitively designed main pages aligning with user patterns. Further, the participants articulated the following mHealth app feature or menu recommendations: editable profiles, emergency contact access, adaptable data presentation, data exportation, audible color details, customizable colors for varying visual needs, audible error feedback, feasible data input methods, toolbars, and habit-establishing reminders. Discussions also touched on the vital role of clear health data visualizations and comprehensible app-based health information.
Conclusions: The findings illuminate paths for software developers and health scientists working towards more inclusive mHealth solutions. It is essential during the development phase to prioritize app learnability to accommodate a broad range of users, ensuring that even those with disabilities can effectively use technological innovations to address health disparities.
{"title":"Exploring mHealth design opportunities for blind and visually impaired older users.","authors":"Soyoung Choi, Christian Joseph Chlebek","doi":"10.21037/mhealth-23-65","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-23-65","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) are crucial in delivering health information and services to older adults. Despite their importance, blind and visually impaired (BVI) older individuals often face significant challenges in app accessibility and usability. This study delves into the design preferences and expectations of BVI older users and underscores the necessity of user-centered design for inclusive mHealth apps.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Conducted in September 2023, the study comprised six focus group interviews. Each session involved two to four participants who began with self-introductions, followed by discussions centered on three open-ended interview questions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study involved 14 participants: four with severe low vision and 10 totally blind. The primary design principles highlighted were \"customizability\" and \"simplicity\". The participants stressed the importance of intuitively designed main pages aligning with user patterns. Further, the participants articulated the following mHealth app feature or menu recommendations: editable profiles, emergency contact access, adaptable data presentation, data exportation, audible color details, customizable colors for varying visual needs, audible error feedback, feasible data input methods, toolbars, and habit-establishing reminders. Discussions also touched on the vital role of clear health data visualizations and comprehensible app-based health information.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings illuminate paths for software developers and health scientists working towards more inclusive mHealth solutions. It is essential during the development phase to prioritize app learnability to accommodate a broad range of users, ensuring that even those with disabilities can effectively use technological innovations to address health disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":74181,"journal":{"name":"mHealth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11058584/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140862126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}