Development and Usability Evaluation of a Facebook-Based Intervention Program for Childhood Cancer Patients: Mixed Methods Study

Background Childhood cancers previously considered to be incurable now have 5-year survival rates up to 84%. Nevertheless, these patients remain at risk of morbidity and mortality from therapy-related complications. Thus, patient education and self-management strategies for promoting a healthy lifestyle are of tantamount importance for improving short- and long-term health outcomes. A Facebook-based “Healthy Teens for Soaam” (a Korean term for childhood cancers) program was developed to help improve knowledge and self-management practices of teens with cancer related to their disease and treatment. Objective The two-fold purpose of this usability study was (1) to describe the process of developing an 8-week Facebook-based intervention program for teens with cancer, and (2) to evaluate its usability to refine the program. Methods Multiple phases and methods were employed to develop and evaluate the usability of the program. Study phases included: (1) needs assessment through focus group interviews and qualitative content analysis, (2) development of module content, (3) expert review and feedback on module content, (4) Facebook-based program development, (5) usability evaluation by heuristic evaluation, (6) usability evaluation by targeted end-user testing, and (7) modification and final version of the program. Usability of the final version was confirmed through feedback loops of these phases. Results Based on 6 focus group discussion sessions, it was determined that teens with cancer were interested in seeing stories of successful childhood cancer cases and self-management after discharge, and preferred multimedia content over text. Therefore, each Facebook module was redesigned to include multimedia materials such as relevant video clips tailored for teens. Usability assessed by heuristic evaluation and user testing revealed several critical usability issues, which were then revised. Potential end users tested the final program and perceived it to be usable and useful for teens with cancer. Conclusions To our knowledge, “Healthy Teens for Soaam” is the first Facebook-based intervention program for teens with cancer. We actively worked with current childhood cancer patients and survivors to develop and improve this program, achieved good usability, and met the expressed needs and preferences of target end users. This 8-week Facebook-based educational program for teens with cancer, developed as the first step of an upcoming intervention study, will be useful for improving knowledge and self-management strategies of teens.

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Development and Usability Evaluation of a Facebook-Based Intervention Program for Childhood Cancer Patients: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.18779 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bu Kyung Park ◽

Ji Yoon Kim ◽

Valerie E Rogers

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Childhood Cancer ◽

Intervention Program ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Usability Evaluation ◽

Self Management ◽

Heuristic Evaluation ◽

Childhood Cancers ◽

User Testing ◽

Final Version

BACKGROUND Childhood cancers previously considered to be incurable now have 5-year survival rates up to 84%. Nevertheless, these patients remain at risk of morbidity and mortality from therapy-related complications. Thus, patient education and self-management strategies for promoting a healthy lifestyle are of tantamount importance for improving short- and long-term health outcomes. A Facebook-based “Healthy Teens for Soaam” (a Korean term for childhood cancers) program was developed to help improve knowledge and self-management practices of teens with cancer related to their disease and treatment. OBJECTIVE The two-fold purpose of this usability study was (1) to describe the process of developing an 8-week Facebook-based intervention program for teens with cancer, and (2) to evaluate its usability to refine the program. METHODS Multiple phases and methods were employed to develop and evaluate the usability of the program. Study phases included: (1) needs assessment through focus group interviews and qualitative content analysis, (2) development of module content, (3) expert review and feedback on module content, (4) Facebook-based program development, (5) usability evaluation by heuristic evaluation, (6) usability evaluation by targeted end-user testing, and (7) modification and final version of the program. Usability of the final version was confirmed through feedback loops of these phases. RESULTS Based on 6 focus group discussion sessions, it was determined that teens with cancer were interested in seeing stories of successful childhood cancer cases and self-management after discharge, and preferred multimedia content over text. Therefore, each Facebook module was redesigned to include multimedia materials such as relevant video clips tailored for teens. Usability assessed by heuristic evaluation and user testing revealed several critical usability issues, which were then revised. Potential end users tested the final program and perceived it to be usable and useful for teens with cancer. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, “Healthy Teens for Soaam” is the first Facebook-based intervention program for teens with cancer. We actively worked with current childhood cancer patients and survivors to develop and improve this program, achieved good usability, and met the expressed needs and preferences of target end users. This 8-week Facebook-based educational program for teens with cancer, developed as the first step of an upcoming intervention study, will be useful for improving knowledge and self-management strategies of teens.

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Using a Web-Based App to Deliver Rehabilitation Strategies to Persons With Chronic Conditions: Development and Usability Study

JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies ◽

10.2196/19519 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. e19519

Author(s):

Julie Richardson ◽

Lori Letts ◽

Susanne Sinclair ◽

David Chan ◽

Jordan Miller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Group Analysis ◽

End Users ◽

Self Management ◽

Management Support ◽

Web Based ◽

Usability Tests ◽

Rehabilitation Strategies

Background The global rise in the incidence of chronic conditions and aging is associated with increased disability. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists can mitigate the resulting burden on the health care system with their expertise in optimizing function. Rehabilitation self-management strategies can assist people with chronic conditions to accept, adjust, and manage different aspects of their daily functioning. Interventions delivered using technology have the potential to increase the accessibility, availability, and affordability of rehabilitation self-management support and services. Objective This study aims to describe the development and usability evaluation of iamable, a web-based app created to provide rehabilitation self-management support for people with chronic conditions. Methods The development and evaluation of iamable were undertaken in several phases. We used user-centered design principles and an iterative process that included consultations with rehabilitation experts; developed a prototype; and conducted usability tests, heuristic evaluations, and a focus group analysis. Results The iamable app was developed to provide rehabilitation self-management strategies in the areas of exercise, fall prevention, fatigue management, pain management, physical activity, and stress management. We engaged adults aged ≥45 years with at least one chronic condition (N=11) in usability testing. They identified navigation and the understanding of instructions as the primary issues for end users. During the heuristic evaluation, clinicians (N=6) recommended that some areas of app content should be more succinct and that help should be more readily available. The focus group provided input to help guide clinical simulation testing, including strategies for selecting patients and overcoming barriers to implementation. Conclusions We engaged end users and clinicians in the development and evaluation of the iamable app in an effort to create a web-based tool that was useful to therapists and their patients. By addressing usability issues, we were able to ensure that patients had access to rehabilitation strategies that could be used to help them better manage their health. Our app also provides therapists with a platform that they can trust to empower their patients to be more active in the management of chronic conditions. This paper provides a resource that can be used by others to develop and evaluate web-based health apps.

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A novel approach for usability evaluation of mobile applications

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1071181321651092 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 437-441

Author(s):

Junho Park ◽

Maryam Zahabi

Keyword(s):

Graphical User Interface ◽

Mobile Applications ◽

Human Subject ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Usability Evaluation ◽

Heuristic Evaluation ◽

User Testing ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Design Cycle ◽

Level Model

Mobile applications (apps) have been massively developed and released in recent years. In this competitive market, the users’ adoption of the app or satisfaction greatly depends on its usability. Therefore, tech companies and app developers are looking for quick and easy approaches to evaluate the usability of their products early in the design cycle. The objective of this study was to introduce a novel approach combining the capabilities of the gesture-level model (GLM) and heuristic evaluation to assess the usability of mobile apps in early stages of the design cycle and without the need for costly and time-consuming user testing. The approach can be run on a graphical user interface and includes uncertainties regarding user skill level and distraction. Preliminary results suggested that this approach can be used for usability evaluation of mobile apps; however, its validity and generalizability to other domains need to be validated in the future with human-subject experiments.

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Using a Web-Based App to Deliver Rehabilitation Strategies to Persons With Chronic Conditions: Development and Usability Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19519 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Julie Richardson ◽

Lori Letts ◽

Susanne Sinclair ◽

David Chan ◽

Jordan Miller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Group Analysis ◽

End Users ◽

Self Management ◽

Management Support ◽

Web Based ◽

Usability Tests ◽

Rehabilitation Strategies

BACKGROUND The global rise in the incidence of chronic conditions and aging is associated with increased disability. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists can mitigate the resulting burden on the health care system with their expertise in optimizing function. Rehabilitation self-management strategies can assist people with chronic conditions to accept, adjust, and manage different aspects of their daily functioning. Interventions delivered using technology have the potential to increase the accessibility, availability, and affordability of rehabilitation self-management support and services. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe the development and usability evaluation of iamable, a web-based app created to provide rehabilitation self-management support for people with chronic conditions. METHODS The development and evaluation of iamable were undertaken in several phases. We used user-centered design principles and an iterative process that included consultations with rehabilitation experts; developed a prototype; and conducted usability tests, heuristic evaluations, and a focus group analysis. RESULTS The iamable app was developed to provide rehabilitation self-management strategies in the areas of exercise, fall prevention, fatigue management, pain management, physical activity, and stress management. We engaged adults aged ≥45 years with at least one chronic condition (N=11) in usability testing. They identified navigation and the understanding of instructions as the primary issues for end users. During the heuristic evaluation, clinicians (N=6) recommended that some areas of app content should be more succinct and that help should be more readily available. The focus group provided input to help guide clinical simulation testing, including strategies for selecting patients and overcoming barriers to implementation. CONCLUSIONS We engaged end users and clinicians in the development and evaluation of the iamable app in an effort to create a web-based tool that was useful to therapists and their patients. By addressing usability issues, we were able to ensure that patients had access to rehabilitation strategies that could be used to help them better manage their health. Our app also provides therapists with a platform that they can trust to empower their patients to be more active in the management of chronic conditions. This paper provides a resource that can be used by others to develop and evaluate web-based health apps.

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Participation and Self-Management Strategies of Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors

OTJR Occupation Participation and Health ◽

10.3928/15394492-20120607-01 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 21-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Christine Berg ◽

Robert J. Hayashi

Keyword(s):

Young Adult ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Childhood Cancer ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Childhood Cancer Survivors ◽

Self Management

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Identifying and exploring the self-management strategies used by childhood cancer survivors

Journal of Cancer Survivorship ◽

10.1007/s11764-020-00935-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Morven C. Brown ◽

Anna Haste ◽

Vera Araújo-Soares ◽

Roderick Skinner ◽

Linda Sharp

Keyword(s):

Cancer Survivors ◽

Childhood Cancer ◽

Management Strategy ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Childhood Cancer Survivors ◽

Health Problems ◽

Self Management ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Strategy Types

Abstract Purpose Childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) are at increased risk of chronic health problems. Effective self-management could help CCSs cope with the challenges that accompany survivorship and reduce their risk of developing further health problems. There is little evidence about the extent to which CCSs engage with self-management and the specific strategies they use. This study aimed to identify and explore the strategies that CCSs use to manage the consequences of cancer. Methods Twenty-four CCSs were recruited via follow-up clinics. Participants completed a semi-structured interview which was audio-recorded and transcribed. Directed content analysis was used to identify self-reported self-management strategies and categorise them into main self-management types. Results CCSs reported 118 specific self-management strategies which fell under 20 main self-management strategy types. All CCSs reported using several main self-management strategy types and specific self-management strategies. Main strategy types used by all CCSs were “adopting a healthy lifestyle”, “self-motivating”, “using support”, “reasoned decision-making” and “creating a healthy environment”. The most common specific self-management strategies were “receiving family support” (n = 20) and “attending follow-up and screening appointments” (n = 20). Conclusions This is the first study which has enabled CCSs to self-report the numerous strategies they employ to look after their health and well-being, contributing to a more comprehensive picture of self-management in CCSs. Implications for Cancer Survivors These findings may increase healthcare professionals’ awareness of the many ways in which CCSs manage their health and is a valuable first step in the development of a supported self-management intervention for CCSs in follow-up care.

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Which is a Better Method of Web Evaluation? a Comparison of User Testing and Heuristic Evaluation

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193120204601404 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 46 (14) ◽

pp. 1256-1260 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wei-Siong Tan ◽

R. R. Bishu

Keyword(s):

Usability Evaluation ◽

Security And Privacy ◽

Development Phase ◽

Heuristic Evaluation ◽

User Testing ◽

Usability Problems ◽

Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽

Evaluation Techniques ◽

Heuristic Analysis

Besides recognizing the importance of incorporating usability evaluation techniques in the design and development phase of any user interface (UI), it is also very important that designers recognize the benefits and limitations of the different usability inspection methods. This is because the quality of the usability evaluation is dependent on the method used. Two of the more popular usability evaluation techniques are user testing and heuristic analysis. The main objective of this study was to compare the efficiency and effectiveness between user testing and heuristic analysis in evaluating four different commercial websites. Comparing the proportion of usability problems and the type of problems addressed by these two methods both in the early and later stage of the design process does this. The results showed that both user testing and heuristic analysis addressed very different usability problems and with the exception compatibility and security and privacy problems, where heuristic analysis outperforms user testing, both methods are equally efficient and effective in addressing different categories of usability problems.

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A Case Study: Unique Challenges of an Adolescent Female With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00132 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 314-325

Author(s):

Kimberly F. Frazier ◽

Jessica Collier ◽

Rachel Glade

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Social Performance ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Self Management ◽

Adolescent Female ◽

Social Thinking

Background The aim of this study was to determine the clinical efficacy of combining self-management strategies and a social thinking approach to address the social performance and executive function of an adolescent female with autism spectrum disorder. Method This research examined the effects of a social knowledge training program, “Think Social,” as well as strategies to improve higher order cognitive abilities. Results and Conclusion Although quantitative improvement was not found, several qualitative gains in behavior were noted for the participants of this study, suggesting a benefit from using structured environmental cues of self-management strategies, as well as improved social understanding through social cognitive training.

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