Abstract
BackgroundEvidence has shown that breast cancer self-management support from mobile health (mHealth) apps can improve the quality of life of survivors. Although many breast cancer self-management support apps exist, few papers have documented the procedure for the development of a user-friendly app from the patient’s perspective.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the information needs of Taiwanese women with breast cancer to inform the development of a self-management support mHealth app.MethodsA 5-step design thinking approach, comprising empathy, define, ideate, prototype, and test steps, was used in the focus groups and individual interviews conducted to collect information on the requirements and expectations of Taiwanese women with breast cancer with respect to the app. A thematic analysis was used to identify information needs.ResultsA total of 8 major themes including treatment, physical activity, diet, emotional support, health records, social resources, experience sharing, and expert consultation were identified. Minor themes included the desire to use the app under professional supervision and a trustworthy app manager to ensure the credibility of information.ConclusionsThe strengths of the design thinking approach were user-centered design and cultural sensitivity. The results retrieved from each step contributed to the development of the app and reduction of the gap between end users and developers. An mHealth app that addresses these 8 main themes can facilitate disease self-management for Taiwanese women with breast cancer.
Highlights
BackgroundThe term breast cancer refers to a malignant tumor that develops from cells in the breast
Our research team consisting of health care professionals (IC, MF, and PY), technology experts (SS and PC), and professionals at the Taiwan Breast Cancer Foundation (TBCF; KJ, HC, and IJ) partnered with Taiwanese women with breast cancer to investigate their information needs and to develop an app to meet their needs
Treatment was defined as information needs related to breast cancer treatment
Summary
BackgroundThe term breast cancer refers to a malignant tumor that develops from cells in the breast. Over 10,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Taiwan. Most women are between the ages of 40 and 65 years at the time of diagnosis and usually have breast cancer that is between stages 0 and II [3]. Evidence suggests that self-management interventions improve the quality of life of women with breast cancer by enabling self-care [10], mindfulness-based stress reduction [11], and improved management of medical, emotional, and role-based tasks [12]. Evidence has shown that breast cancer self-management support from mobile health (mHealth) apps can improve the quality of life of survivors. Many breast cancer self-management support apps exist, few papers have documented the procedure for the development of a user-friendly app from the patient’s perspective
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