Refinement of a Parent-Child Shared Asthma Management Mobile Health App: Human-Centered Design Study

• Egile Nagusiak: Jennifer Sonney (Egilea), Emily E Cho (Egilea), Qiming Zheng (Egilea), Julie A Kientz (Egilea)
• Formatua: Liburua
• Argitaratua: JMIR Publications, 2022-02-01T00:00:00Z.
• Gaiak: article
• Sarrera elektronikoa: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2561-6722; 10.2196/34117
• Keywords: Pediatrics; RJ1-570
• Source: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, Vol 5, Iss 1, p e34117 (2022)

BackgroundThe school-age years, approximately ages 7 through 11, represent a natural transition when children begin assuming some responsibility for their asthma management. Previously, we designed a theoretically derived, tailored parent-child shared asthma management mobile health app prototype, Improving Asthma Care Together (IMPACT). ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to use human-centered design (HCD) to iteratively refine IMPACT to optimize user experience and incorporate evidence-based longitudinal engagement strategies. MethodsThis study used a mixed methods design from December 2019 to April 2021. Our app refinement used the HCD process of research, ideation, design, evaluation, and implementation, including 6 cycles of design and evaluation. The design and evaluation cycles focused on core app functionality, child engagement, and overall refinement. Evaluation with parent-child dyads entailed in-person and remote concept testing and usability testing sessions, after which rapid cycle thematic analyses identified key insights that informed future design refinement. ResultsTwelve parent-child dyads enrolled in at least one round of this study. Eight of the 12 child participants were male with a mean age of 9.9 (SD 1.6) years and all parent participants were female. Throughout evaluation cycles, dyads selected preferred app layouts, gamification concepts, and overall features with a final design prototype emerging for full-scale development and implementation. ConclusionsA theoretically derived, evidence-based shared asthma management app was co-designed with end users to address real-world pain points and priorities. An 8-week pilot study testing app feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy is forthcoming.