Usability and acceptability of ‘iSupport for dementia’: insights from multiple culturally adapted versions

Abstract

AbstractBackgrounde‐Health interventions have shown to be effective in supporting informal caregivers of people living with dementia (PLwD) and have been explored as a solution to overcome the accessibility issues of conventional face‐to‐face interventions. However, uptake and retention in such interventions might be hindered by a lack of user‐centred design and poor usability. Understanding the usability and acceptability of e‐health interventions may help save costs and improve user experience and engagement. The methods and results from three usability and acceptability studies of three culturally adapted versions of WHO’s iSupport for dementia (Brazil, Portugal and Spain) are presentedMethodThree mixed‐methods studies have been conducted in Brazil, Portugal, and Spain. Participants were caregivers of PLwD (combined n = 79) and health/social support professionals (n = 12). The usability and acceptability assessment protocols included pre and post‐usability testing surveys, task performance on iSupport’s interface, validated scales (System Usability Scale and Computer System Usability Questionnaire), structured and semi‐structured interviews, and focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyze text data.ResultParticipants’ perceptions of iSupport’s usability were excellent for both the Brazilian and the European‐Portuguese versions (86.5 and 89.5 points in the SUS, respectively). When measured, success rates were high for tasks performed in the interface, suggesting easiness of use. In its different country‐specific versions, iSupport’s interfaces were described as user‐friendly, and its contents as useful and responsive to caregivers’ needs. Several suggestions associated with the program’s layout, functional requirements, and content were identified as necessary to improve the usability and acceptability of iSupport.ConclusionThe Brazilian and European‐Portuguese versions of iSupport were considered acceptable and usable by family caregivers of PLwD. Lessons learned, challenges identified, and methods used to assess the usability and acceptability of iSupport may be replicated and/or used to inform the development of other country‐specific versions within iSupport’s network, potentially lowering the development costs and improving the appropriateness of those versions. Usability and acceptability studies of iSupport are key to discovering design problems and usage patterns of the program, and are therefore valuable for planning feasibility studies and effectiveness trials.