Evaluating and improving the usability of a mHealth platform to assess postoperative dental pain

The use of interactive mobile health (mHealth) applications to monitor patient-reported postoperative pain outcomes is an emerging area in dentistry that requires further exploration. This study aimed to evaluate and improve the usability of an existing mHealth application. The usability of the appl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:JAMIA open 2024-04, Vol.7 (1), p.ooae018-ooae018
Main Authors: Ibarra-Noriega, Ana M, Yansane, Alfa, Mullins, Joanna, Simmons, Kristen, Skourtes, Nicholas, Holmes, David, White, Joel, Kalenderian, Elsbeth, Walji, Muhammad F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communications industry
International economic relations
Laboratories
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Research and Applications
Telecommunications services industry
Usability testing
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Summary:The use of interactive mobile health (mHealth) applications to monitor patient-reported postoperative pain outcomes is an emerging area in dentistry that requires further exploration. This study aimed to evaluate and improve the usability of an existing mHealth application. The usability of the application was assessed iteratively using a 3-phase approach, including a rapid cognitive walkthrough (Phase I), lab-based usability testing (Phase II), and pilot testing (Phase III). The study team conducted Phase I, while providers and patients participated in Phase II and III. The rapid cognitive walkthrough identified 23 potential issues that could negatively impact user experience, with the majority classified as system issues. The lab-based usability testing yielded 141 usability issues.; 43% encountered by patients and 57% by dentists. Usability problems encountered during pilot testing included undelivered messages due to mobile phone carrier and service-related issues, errors in patients' phone number data entry, and problems in provider training. Through collaborative and iterative work with the vendor, usability issues were addressed before launching a trial to assess its efficacy. The usability of the mHealth application for postoperative dental pain was remarkably improved by the iterative analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration.
ISSN:2574-2531
2574-2531
DOI:10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae018