Integrating Patient-Generated Wellness Data: A User-Centered Approach

Abstract

An increasing number of women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) use commercially available mobile apps in order to monitor their diet, exercise regime, and glucose levels. To enable integrating patient wellness data generated by such apps into the centralized database of a clinical ecosystem, a proof–of concept system prototype was built as part of a larger study. Given the critical role system usability plays in healthcare information system acceptance and adoption the prototype was created iteratively, following a user-centered design (UCD) approach. The process allowed to refine user requirements and to identify potential usability. The study showed that the intended end-users of the system well versed in the use of information systems and had high expectations, most importantly about how well the system design was aligned with the anticipated use scenarios. The UCD approach was successful in developing a useful system prototype that met end-user requirements and expectations as it aided in understanding how user background and prior experience influenced end-user perceptions and views.