Mobile App Prototype Research Articles

A Mobile App to Improve Symptom Control and Information Exchange Among Specialists and Local Health Workers Treating Tanzanian Cancer Patients: Human-Centered Design Approach.

BackgroundImproving access to end-of-life symptom control interventions among cancer patients is a public health priority in Tanzania, and innovative community-based solutions are needed. Mobile health technology holds promise; however, existing resources are limited, and outpatient access to palliative care specialists is poor. A mobile platform that extends palliative care specialist access via shared care with community-based local health workers (LHWs) and provides remote support for pain and other symptom management can address this care gap.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to design and develop mobile-Palliative Care Link (mPCL), a web and mobile app to support outpatient symptom assessment and care coordination and control, with a focus on pain.MethodsA human-centered iterative design framework was used to develop the mPCL prototype for use by Tanzanian palliative care specialists (physicians and nurses trained in palliative care), poor-prognosis cancer patients and their lay caregivers (patients and caregivers), and LHWs. Central to mPCL is the validated African Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS), which was adapted for automated, twice-weekly collection of quality of life–focused patient and caregiver responses and timely review, reaction, and tracking by specialists and LHWs. Prototype usability testing sessions were conducted in person with 21 key informants representing target end users. Sessions consisted of direct observations and qualitative and quantitative feedback on app ease of use and recommendations for improvement. Results were applied to optimize the prototype for subsequent real-world testing. Early pilot testing was conducted by deploying the app among 10 patients and caregivers, randomized to mPCL use versus phone-contact POS collection, and then gathering specialist and study team feedback to further optimize the prototype for a broader randomized field study to examine the app’s effectiveness in symptom control among cancer patients.ResultsmPCL functionalities include the ability to create and update a synoptic clinical record, regular real-time symptom assessment, patient or caregiver and care team communication and care coordination, symptom-focused educational resources, and ready access to emergency phone contact with a care team member. Results from the usability and pilot testing demonstrated that all users were able to successfully navigate the app, and feedback suggests that mPCL has clinical utility. User-informed recommendations included further improvement in app navigation, simplification of patient and caregiver components and language, and delineation of user roles.ConclusionsWe designed, built, and tested a usable, functional mobile app prototype that supports outpatient palliative care for Tanzanian patients with cancer. mPCL is expressly designed to facilitate coordinated care via customized interfaces supporting core users—patients or caregivers, LHWs, and members of the palliative care team—and their respective roles. Future work is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness and sustainability of mPCL to remotely support the symptom control needs of Tanzanian cancer patients, particularly in harder-to-reach areas.

Abstract PS9-38: Improving adherence to hormone therapy among breast cancer patients through a mobile app and patient navigation: App development and testing

Abstract Background: The successful use of hormone therapy (HT) has contributed to improved 5-year cause-specific breast cancer survival rates and evidence shows that long-term use produces a larger reduction in recurrence and mortality, with nearly 50% reduction in breast cancer mortality during the second decade after diagnosis. Despite the proven benefits, hormone therapy adherence is suboptimal (less than 80% of daily doses taken) and about 33% of women who are prescribed HT do not take their medication as prescribed and are at increased risk of disease recurrence and increased mortality. Smartphone ownership has increased substantially over the past decade, providing an extraordinary opportunity for innovation in the delivery of tailored interventions to improve patients’ adherence to hormonal therapy. Purpose: We present the design and development process of a theory-based, culturally tailored, interactive mobile app to improve adherence to HT among breast cancer patients to be used in combination with patient navigation in a two-group randomized clinical trial study at the Mays Cancer Center. The intervention group (n= 60) will receive the phone app + patient navigation and the control or usual care group (n=60) will receive the information oncologists provide to patients prescribed HT. Methods: Four focus groups (n=21) were conducted with breast cancer patients and personal semi-structured interviews (n=8) with oncologists, nurses, and patient navigators from the Mays Cancer Center, to assess barriers and facilitators to hormone therapy adherence, key symptoms, app content, and features. Qualitative data informed the initial design and development of app mock-ups; these were assessed with two additional focus groups (n=10). Based on formative research, a functional phone app prototype was developed and beta-tested with five breast cancer patients, minor refinements were made, and the app is ready for recruitment. Results: Inputs from patients and healthcare team members helped to identify specific app content and features. Key themes included the importance of increasing patient education, enhancing self-efficacy, facilitating communication with the medical team and helping patients develop self-care skills to promote optimal adherence to hormone therapy. Specific app features included notification pop-ups, reminders, motivational messages, symptom tracking and management tips, educational content, social networking among patients, communication with a patient navigator, local resources and support groups, and technical support. In addition to colors, background and icon preferences, patients emphasize the need for a user-friendly app that is easy to navigate with clear educational content. Beta-testers found the app easy to use, credible and trustworthy, and their reactions were very positive about app appearance, content, purpose, and usability. Minor technical issues were fixed, and the study app was refined and finalized. Conclusions: An iterative and patient-centered design process was followed to develop a bilingual and interactive mobile app prototype to be used in a randomized control trial. The anticipated outcome is a scalable, evidence-based and easily disseminated intervention with potentially broad use to patients using HT and other oral anticancer agents. Citation Format: Patricia Chalela, Edgar Munoz, Cliff Despres, Pramod Sukumaran, Illeana Tiemann, Victoria Paz, Bianca Gutierrez, Devasena Inupakutika, Sahak Kaghyan, David Akopian. Improving adherence to hormone therapy among breast cancer patients through a mobile app and patient navigation: App development and testing [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS9-38.

Blending Cognitive Analytic Therapy With a Digital Support Tool: Mixed Methods Study Involving a User-Centered Design of a Prototype App.

BackgroundPatients can struggle to make good use of psychotherapy owing to deficits in awareness, and digital technologies that support awareness are at a premium. Currently, when patients participate in cognitive analytic therapy (CAT), the technology supporting relational awareness work involves completion of paper-based worksheets as between-session tasks.ObjectiveWe aimed to design, with therapists and patients, a prototype digital mobile app. This was to help patients better engage in the “recognition” phase of the CAT treatment model by providing an unobtrusive means for practicing relational awareness with dynamic feedback on progress.MethodsA national online survey was conducted with CAT therapists (n=50) to determine readiness for adoption of a mobile app in clinical practice and to identify core content, functionality, and potential barriers to adoption. A prototype mobile app based on data and existing paper-based worksheets was built. Initial face-to-face user testing of the prototype system was completed with three therapists and three CAT expatients.ResultsAmong the therapists surveyed, 72% (36/50) reported not currently using any digital tools during CAT. However, the potential value of a mobile app to support patient awareness was widely endorsed. Areas of therapist concern were data security, data governance, and equality of access. These concerns were mirrored during subsequent user testing by CAT therapists. Expatients generated additional user specifications on the design, functionality, and usability of the app. Results from both streams were integrated to produce five key changes for the reiteration of the app.ConclusionsThe user-centered design process has enabled a prototype CAT-App to be developed to enhance the relational awareness work of CAT. This means that patients can now practice relational awareness in a much more unobtrusive manner and with ongoing dynamic feedback of progress. Testing the acceptability and feasibility of this technological innovation in clinical practice is the next stage in the research process, which has since been conducted and has been submitted. The important challenges of data protection and governance must be navigated in order to ensure implementation and adoption if the CAT-App is found to be acceptable and clinically effective.

Geofreebie: a location-based freecycling app to support forced migrant resettlement

ABSTRACT Germany has witnessed an influx of forced migrants in recent years. Promoting social interaction with the local community is key to supporting the resettlement of these newcomers. Location-based freecycling services present important benefits due to freecycling’s potential to bolster social engagement and location-based services’ ability to adapt to the user’s context. Yet, their potential to support forced migrants’ resettlement is yet to be examined. We conducted needs assessment interviews with 11 participants in Münster, Germany. We analysed the interview results to develop user requirements for location-based freecycling services. We then implemented a subset of the user requirements as a prototype mobile app called Geofreebie. The evaluation of the app with 22 participants showed that Geofreebie offered two key advantages for forced migrants’ resettlement: it increased the size of their social network, and created a sense of community on their side. These findings can benefit researchers and developers of location-based services to support forced migrant resettlement.

A mobile app for tracking non-motor symptoms of people with Parkinson’s disease: A usability study

Smart phone-based technology for people with Parkinson’s disease has been developed worldwide. Unmonitored non-motor symptoms decrease quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease, so the needs for technology to manage non-motor symptoms are increasing. The technology is needed to detect subtle changes in non-motor symptoms by healthcare professional. There is no mobile app which manage comprehensive symptoms of Parkinson’s disease including non-motor symptoms. It is necessary to develop a new tracking system that can effectively manage non-motor symptoms as well as motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. We developed a prototype of mobile app for Android smartphones, with cooperation with Mazelone company. we also have shaped functions for monitoring of motor symptoms and medication adherence. It also provided a section for caregivers to use on behalf of people with Parkinson’s disease who have difficulty to use app due to hand tremor. Through Delphi technique, we obtained content validity from eight medical and nursing experts on the contents of the application. We provided regular telephone counseling to improve and encourage their app usage. Fifteen participants used the app for 6 weeks. To evaluate usability of mobile app, we provided constructed questionnaire and conducted individual telephone interview. A mobile app for tracking non-motor symptoms demonstrated high usability and satisfaction. We learned lessons about facilitators and barriers when implementing an app such as perception and acceptance of mobile technology. The mobile app will improve continuum of care. Future studies need to improve the contents and refine technical approach for people with Parkinson’s disease.

The empower-sustain cardiovascular risks self-management prototype mobile app for patients with metabolic syndrome: Alpha testing among primary care physicians

The empower-sustain cardiovascular risks self-management prototype mobile app for patients with metabolic syndrome: Alpha testing among primary care physicians

Recommendations for Developing Support Tools With People Suffering From Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Co-Design and Pilot Testing of a Mobile Health Prototype.

BackgroundGaps exist between developers, commissioners, and end users in terms of the perceived desirability of different features and functionalities of mobile apps.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to co-design a prototype mobile app for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We present lessons learned and recommendations from working on a large project with various stakeholders to develop a mobile app for patients with COPD.MethodsWe adopted a user-centered, participatory approach to app development. Following a series of focus groups and interviews to capture requirements, we developed a prototype app designed to enable daily symptom recording (experience sampling). The prototype was tested in a usability study applying the think aloud protocol with people with COPD. It was then released via the Android app store, and experience sampling data and event data were captured to gather further usability data.ResultsA total of 5 people with COPD participated in the pilot study. Identified themes include familiarity with technology, appropriate levels for feeding back information, and usability issues such as manual dexterity. Moreover, 37 participants used the app over a 4-month period (median age 47 years). The symptoms most correlated to perceived well-being were tiredness (r=0.61; P<.001) and breathlessness (r=0.59; P<.001).ConclusionsDesign implications for COPD apps include the need for clearly labeled features (rather than relying on colors or symbols that require experience using smartphones), providing weather information, and using the same terminology as health care professionals (rather than simply lay terms). Target users, researchers, and developers should be involved at every stage of app development, using an iterative approach to build a prototype app, which should then be tested in controlled settings as well as in the wild (ie, when deployed and used in real-world settings) over longer periods.

A Sexual Health Promotion App for Transgender Women (Trans Women Connected): Development and Usability Study.

BackgroundHIV severely impacts the transgender communities in the United States, and transgender women have the highest HIV incidence rates among any identified risk group. Guided by formative research with transgender women and by an expert advisory panel of transgender women, we designed a prototype mobile app to promote HIV prevention among transgender women.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop and test the usability and acceptability of the prototype Trans Women Connected mobile app.MethodsWe engaged in a 3-phase prototype development process. After conducting formative research about the health needs of this population, we outlined a theory-based app framework and developed three prototype activities (ie, a vision board, a pre-exposure prophylaxis [PrEP] education activity, and an interactive map). We then tested the usability and acceptability of the mobile app and activities with 16 transgender women using pre- and posttests, think-aloud protocols, and open-ended questions.ResultsParticipants reported high acceptability for the mobile app; the mean rating across all usability and likability questions was 5.9 out of 7. Service utilization intention, goal setting, and social support increased at posttest compared with pretest. Increases in self-efficacy in finding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer–friendly services; intention to seek online social support; and PrEP knowledge were statistically significant. Participants described the app as attractive and useful and perceived all three activities positively.ConclusionsThis study describes the development and usability and acceptability evaluation of a prototype mobile app designed for and with transgender women for HIV prevention. The usability testing findings provided important insights toward refining and the further development of the Trans Women Connected mobile app. The results suggest that a mobile health intervention can support positive changes. The remaining development and efficacy randomized trial of the Trans Women Connected mobile app is currently underway.

Construal beliefs moderate the usability and effectiveness of a novel healthy eating mobile app

Reduced self-control is a strong predictor of overeating and obesity. Priming a high construal level mind-set has been shown to enhance self-control and reduce snack consumption in the lab but the long-term and real-world effects are not known. The use of digital technology is an efficient way to deliver priming cues in real-world settings. Many mobile apps claim to support healthy eating but few are grounded in psychological theories of self-control. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel, construal-theory-based mobile app to promote self-control and healthy eating. In an exploratory analysis, the moderating influence of user characteristics was also examined. Using an iterative process involving users at every stage of the process, a prototype mobile app was developed. The final version included a high construal, self-control priming task, sent personalised reminder cues before each eating occasion, provided a just-in time ‘crave-buster’ for unanticipated eating opportunities and an optional food log. In a longitudinal trial the app was used over an eight-week period (N=71; 51 females; M (SD) Age = 33.34 (11.68) years; M (SD) BMI = 26.22 (4.94)) with pre-post measures of weight, percent body fat and dietary intake. The app received high usability ratings on the System Usability Scale (M=76.55; SD=11.35), however food intake, per cent body fat and weight pre- and post- app use showed no significant change (p>.05). Exploratory analyses showed that baseline construal belief moderated the extent to which engagement with the app predicted dietary changes (p<.05). These findings indicate that this novel app was user-friendly and effective but that this was dependent on the user's characteristics. Future development in this area should consider tailoring apps to the specific characteristics of the user for improved support and effectiveness.

Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for a combined behavioural activation and physical rehabilitation intervention in acute respiratory failure survivors

BackgroundAcute respiratory failure survivors experience depression symptoms and new impairments in physical function. Behavioural activation, an evidence-based nonpharmacological treatment for depression, combined with physical rehabilitation, is a promising intervention. Notably, mHealth applications (Apps) are potentially effective methods of delivering home-based interventions. ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a prototype App to deliver a combined, home-based behavioural activation and rehabilitation intervention to acute respiratory failure survivors. MethodsA prospective user-preference study was conducted with acute respiratory failure survivors and self-designated care partners. Survivors were adults with at least mild depression symptoms before hospital discharge who received mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit for ≥24 h. Survivors and care partners reviewed the App during a single in-person home visit and completed the System Usability Scale (range: 0–100; score >73 considered “good”) and a semistructured interview. ResultsTen patient/care partner dyads completed study. The median [interquartile range] patient age was 50 [40–64] years, and 50% were female. The median System Usability Scale scores among patients and care partners were 76 [68–83] and 88 [75–94], respectively. Qualitative feedback supported usability and acceptability of the App, with three themes reported: (1) stigma associated with depression, (2) App as a motivator for recovery, and (3) App providing multidisciplinary support for survivor and care partner. ConclusionsA mobile App prototype designed to deliver a combined behavioural activation and rehabilitation intervention was usable and acceptable to survivors of acute respiratory failure and their care partners. Given the reported stigma associated with depression, the self-directed App may be particularly valuable for motivation and multidisciplinary support.

Diabetes education mobile APP prototype for Hispanic communities

When compared with the general United States population, Hispanic Americans are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and are far more likely to suffer devastating complications related to the disease. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine whether the use of a culturally tailored, mobile application prototype educational tool increased DM2 prevention knowledge among Hispanic patients at risk for DM2. The educational tool contained information about DM2 including risk factors, prevention, and health maintenance. The prototype was developed to function like a working mobile application and a pre/posttest was administered to participants at three local Hispanic community health fairs in Cincinnati, Ohio. Paired t test analysis of the 27 completed surveys showed a statistically significant improvement in posttest scores. The results showed that the average score was 4.1 out of a total of five possible points in the pre-test. The mean total score of the post-test was 4.7, with a total improvement of the mean score of 0.6 (0.0001). It was concluded that there was a statistically significant improvement in the knowledge of DM2 prevention after reviewing the material presented in the application prototype. In addition, participants expressed a strong interest in a working mobile application that offers culturally tailored DM2 prevention education.

Mobile application: donate day

Mobile application has gradually become a popular application software because it only requires inexpensive electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets to operate. This paper therefore presents an Android mobile app application that allowed users to donate their items to charitable organizations in Malaysia. The study adopted quantitative research to study people’s behavior towards charitable donation and gathered opinion on the mobile donation app. The survey was conducted online with samples of 20 respondents. The paper also adopted the Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach to develop this mobile app’s system. The RAD approach enabled the development of the mobile app prototype to be completed quickly and enabled end users to test the mobile app to provide recommendations and make changes easily. The results of the system tests indicated that the mobile app achieved the goals of the study, but the respondents also responded to several improvements needed for the prototype.

Steps to Develop a Mobile App for Pain Assessment of Cancer Patients: A Usability Study.

Health-related mobile apps have the potential to allow patients and providers to proactively and responsibly manage pain together. However, there is a gap between the science of pain and current mobile apps. To develop a prototype science-based pain assessment mobile app (PainSmart) for Android smartphones, pain assessment tasks were extracted from a clinical guideline. These tasks were then converted to activity diagrams and became the logic of PainSmart. Five participants diagnosed with breast cancer evaluated usability of PainSmart with the System Usability Scale. Patient experience was recorded using Camtasia Studio Version 9 software. The five participants were able to explore the pain app after only 20 minutes of training. Using the System Usability Scale with comments, participant mean usability score was 77.5; above 68 is considered an above average system. A prototype of a pain assessment mobile app for cancer patients demonstrated high usability and will be refined based on participant feedback.

Designing a Mobile App to Enhance Parenting Skills of Latinx Parents: A Community-Based Participatory Approach.

BackgroundLatinx families are among the highest users of smartphones, yet few health-focused Web programs have been developed for this audience. Parent-based smartphone apps designed for Latinx families may help increase access to evidence-informed parenting programming and ultimately reduce health disparities among children and adolescents. To maximize uptake of such apps, the Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management (CeHRes) Roadmap for electronic health (eHealth) development recommends 5 phases of development: (1) contextual inquiry, (2) value specification, (3) design, (4) operationalization, and (5) evaluation.ObjectiveGuided by the CeHRes Roadmap, our objective was to apply a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to mobile app development. We present a formative evaluation to inform the design of an eHealth mobile app for Latinx parents of adolescents based on a face-to-face parenting program, Padres Informados/Jovenes Preparados (PIJP).MethodsCommunity participants in the process included Latinx parents and stakeholders. We conducted a parent survey (N=115) and interviews (N=20) to understand the context and obtain feedback on a mockup and prototype of the app, facilitator workshops to streamline content, and stakeholder interviews (N=4) to discuss values and app requirements.ResultsWe report results from the first 3 phases of the CeHRes Roadmap. In the survey, 96.5% (111/115) of parents reported they had access to a cell phone, 85.6% (89/104) reported they would use a parenting app in the next month if they had access, and 80.2% (89/111) reported intentions to use a stress reduction app. Parents reported that setting goals about parenting and tracking those goals were important potential features of an app. In logistic regression analyses, technology attitudes and barriers were not related to parent’s intentions to use a parenting mobile app (95% CI 0.51-1.17 and 95% CI 0.28-2.12, respectively). Qualitative interviews confirmed Latinx parents’ technology engagement and desire for education and child development information online. Stakeholder interviews identified 3 community values: familism, the promotion of adolescent health, and delivery of economic value. Community stakeholders participated in defining the mobile app requirements. On the basis of community and parent input, the mobile app prototype was designed with 3 sections: (1) 8 modules of video-based parenting skills instruction with content from the face-to-face PIJP program, (2) breath rate information from a wearable device to support awareness of stress levels that could affect parenting, and (3) goal setting and tracking capacities.ConclusionsThe findings of this study highlight the utility of an iterative, participatory design process. The CBPR approach and community collaboration enhanced the CeHRes Roadmap by promoting power sharing, facilitating recruitment, and building trust among community members. Experiences applying community research to the initial 3 phases of the CeHRes Roadmap in a Latinx community are discussed, along with plans for the 2 final phases.

Research on the Requirements of Mobile Radio APP for the Elderly Based on Kano Model

The Kano model is used to explore the needs of the elderly for mobile station APP. First of all, through user research and analysis of the elderly users of the use process of the requirements. Secondly, we use the method of Kano model questionnaire to screen and classify the demand items, convert the user’s demand into design elements, calculate the weight of attractive demand items by entropy method, rank the importance, and determine the key design elements. Finally, the interactive prototype of mobile station APP is proposed. The application research of mobile station APP for the aged integrated with Kano model not only provides good user experience for the aged users, but also provides theoretical basis and objective data for the design of similar products. China has already entered the aging society, according to the expert conjecture, our country aging problem will reach the serious stage by 2020, and in 2050, our country aged population will account for one fifth of the total population [1]. Old people used to be the main users of radio products, but most of the users of the existing mobile station APP products were teenagers and middle-aged people, while the old people were few. In order to provide the elderly with a good user experience of mobile radio products, this paper uses Kano model to analyze the needs of elderly users and apply it in design practice.

Fall Prevention and Management App Prototype for the Elderly and Their Caregivers

The objective of this article is to develop a validated mobile app prototype to empower the elderly and caregivers to manage falls that provides personalized and actionable educational materials at the point of care and improves the engagement of the elderly and caregiver in adopting validated fall management practices; To determine the usefulness and suitability of a fall management mobile app to the elderly and caregivers. The method used is a knowledge management approach is used to implement the app based on 2 validated models: Patient Health Engagement Model and Rockwood frailty index. A mixed method evaluation including a cognitive walk through is used to collect end-user feedback from the elderly and caregivers, on the usability, usefulness, and suitability of the app. The app was deemed easy to use, informative and understandable. Potential improvement areas include: larger print; less wordy interfaces; better navigation features; data sharing functionalities; and voice readers. These suggestions will be incorporated in the future. The conclusion of this article is that smartphones have vast potential in providing relevant and creditable fall management information to elderly and caregivers.

Improving Medication Information Presentation Through Interactive Visualization in Mobile Apps: Human Factors Design.

BackgroundDespite the detailed patient package inserts (PPIs) with prescription drugs that communicate crucial information about safety, there is a critical gap between patient understanding and the knowledge presented. As a result, patients may suffer from adverse events. We propose using human factors design methodologies such as hierarchical task analysis (HTA) and interactive visualization to bridge this gap. We hypothesize that an innovative mobile app employing human factors design with an interactive visualization can deliver PPI information aligned with patients’ information processing heuristics. Such an app may help patients gain an improved overall knowledge of medications.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of designing an interactive visualization-based mobile app using an HTA approach through a mobile prototype.MethodsTwo pharmacists constructed the HTA for the drug risperidone. Later, the specific requirements of the design were translated using infographics. We transferred the wireframes of the prototype into an interactive user interface. Finally, a usability evaluation of the mobile health app was conducted.ResultsA mobile app prototype using HTA and infographics was successfully created. We reiterated the design based on the specific recommendations from the usability evaluations.ConclusionsUsing HTA methodology, we successfully created a mobile prototype for delivering PPI on the drug risperidone to patients. The hierarchical goals and subgoals were translated into a mobile prototype.

Partnering with new mothers to develop a smart phone app to prevent maternal mortality after hospital discharge: A pilot study.

In the United States, approximately 700 women die annually from pregnancy-related complications in the first year after birth; a significant number of the deaths occur after hospital discharge. Although postpartum monitoring is important, the standard practice is for one healthcare evaluation at 6 weeks post-birth. Most women are not aware of signs of postpartum complications. The aim of the pilot study was to develop a prototype of a mobile app aimed at increasing a new mother's ability to monitor her own health after childbirth. The design used mixed methods and procedures from human-centred design in an iterative process. Data were collected by the researchers from January - May 2019 in a hospital that serves primarily low income and underserved women in the southern US. Three groups of women provided data related to health education preferences or their reaction to a mock-up or prototype mobile app. Several women completed the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS; N=22). Themes from interviews indicated that women (N=5) preferred electronic health education and that they used apps to monitor their pregnancies. Other new mothers (n-5) described their overall reaction to the proposed features of the app which was incorporated into the design of the app that was tested by the third group of new mothers (N=22) who were positive about interactions with the app. The MARS scores for the app were positive. New mothers indicated that they would be willing to use an app to monitor their own postpartum health. Data from the pilot study informed the development of a prototype mobile app that can now be used in a clinical trial with new mothers to monitor their own health and report concerns to healthcare providers.

What Young People Need to Make Better-Informed Decisions When Communicating With Digital Images: Implications for Mental Health and Well-Being

Sixty-eight young people contributed to a Design Thinking Challenge created to elicit a better understanding of their electronic image-sharing experiences, the helpful and harmful consequences of image-sharing to adolescent mental health and safety, and promising interventions that allow young people to make more positive decisions and minimize their risks when sharing images through electronic devices. Through this collaborative group-based process, each co-design group engaged in a four-phase process to discover, define, develop, and deliver an intervention that took the form of a paper-based mobile app prototype. Young people reported that they need information and advice to support their and others' online decision making, help making situational decision-making skills for managing online interactions, and means to control information and images that can be accessed and distributed. Detailed app features that they required to address their decision-making needs are also discussed. These app intervention features highlight what young people need to make better-informed decisions when communicating through images electronically.

The Your Trainer Story

The Your Trainer Story