An mHealth Platform for Supporting Clinical Data Integration into Augmentative and Alternative Communication Service Delivery: User-Centered Design and Usability Evaluation.

Erh-Hsuan Wang,Leming Zhou,Szu-Han Kay Chen,Katya Hill,Bambang Parmanto

doi:10.2196/rehab.9009

Erh-Hsuan Wang, Leming Zhou + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2196/rehab.9009

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Abstract

BackgroundThe recent trend of increasing health care costs in the United States is likely not sustainable. To make health care more economically sustainable, attention must be directed toward improving the quality while simultaneously reducing the cost of health care. One of the recommended approaches to provide better care at a lower cost is to develop high-quality data collection and reporting systems, which support health care professionals in making optimal clinical decisions based on solid, extensive evidence.ObjectiveThe objective of this project was to develop an integrated mobile health Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) platform consisting of an AAC mobile app and a Web-based clinician portal for supporting evidence-based clinical service delivery.MethodsA questionnaire and interviews were used to collect clinicians’ ideas regarding what constitutes their desired “clinically relevant” data. In response, a Web-based portal was designed by combining mobile and Web technologies with an AAC intervention to create an integrated platform for supporting data collection, integration, and reporting. Finally, a usability study was conducted with health care professionals.ResultsA Web-based portal was created and integrated with a tablet-based AAC mobile app and data analysis procedures. In the usability study, all participants agreed that the integrated platform provided the ability to collect comprehensive clinical evidence, automatically analyze collected data in real time, and generate clinically relevant performance measures through an easily accessible Web-based portal.ConclusionsThe integrated platform offers a better approach for clinical data reporting and analytics. Additionally, the platform streamlines the workflow of AAC clinical service delivery.

Highlights

Improving health care quality while simultaneously reducing costs is a challenging task
We must answer questions such as the following: What current data collection approaches are being used by speech-language pathologist (SLP)? What types of clinically relevant data should be collected from persons with communication disabilities (PwCDs) when they are using an Alternative Communication (AAC) device? Which data items should be stored? How is language performance measured and what specific outcomes do SLPs desire to see in result reports? If the patient information will be presented on a Web-based portal, what are the desired features?
A total of 10 participants were recruited to participate in this usability study, including 5 SLPs and 5 graduate students from the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh

Summary

Introduction

Improving health care quality while simultaneously reducing costs is a challenging task To achieve these goals simultaneously, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends the use of information technologies for capturing clinical data that may be integrated into the process of clinical decision making during care delivery [1]. According to this recommendation, health care professionals are required to collect, analyze, report, and review their patients’ performance data before adjusting treatments. One of the recommended approaches to provide better care at a lower cost is to develop high-quality data collection and reporting systems, which support health care professionals in making optimal clinical decisions based on solid, extensive evidence. The platform streamlines the workflow of AAC clinical service delivery

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