iCanCope With Pain: Cultural Adaptation and Usability Testing of a Self-Management App for Adolescents With Persistent Pain in Norway

Abstract

Background Persistent or chronic pain is a common health problem among adolescents. Thus, it is important that they receive evidence-based strategies for symptom management. iCanCope with Pain is a mobile phone app designed to help adolescents cope with chronic pain. The app comprises 5 evidence- and theory-based features: (I) symptom trackers for pain, sleep, mood, physical function, and energy; (II) goal setting to improve pain and function; (III) a coping toolbox of pain self-management strategies; (IV) social support; and (V) age-appropriate pain education. The iCanCope with Pain app is based on theory, identified health care needs, and current best practices for pain self-management. Objective The objectives of this study were to describe the translation and cultural adaptation of the app into the Norwegian context and evaluate the app’s usability using a phased approach. Methods Phase 1 included translation and cultural adaptation of the app into the Norwegian context. This process used an expert panel of researchers and target group representatives who were responsible for the linguistic quality assurance and assessment. In phases 2 and 3 the app’s usability was tested. For phase 2, the assessments of usability and user experiences included observation, the think aloud method, audiovisual recordings, questionnaires, and individual interviews in a laboratory setting. For phase 3, the assessment of usability and user experience over a 2-week home-based test included questionnaires and individual end-user interviews. Overall, app usability was determined based on ease of use, efficiency, and user satisfaction. Qualitative data were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data. Results End users did not report any misunderstandings or discrepancies with the words or phrasing of the translated and culturally adapted app. Participants in both the laboratory- and home-based usability tests found the app self-explanatory and reported that all 5 of its features were easy to use. All tasks were completed within the allocated time frame (ie, efficiency), with few errors. Overall System Usability Scale scores were high, with average scores of 82 and 89 out of 100 from laboratory- and field-based tests, respectively. Participants liked the idea of a social support function (feature IV), although qualitative and internet server data revealed that this feature was rarely used. Conclusions This study described the cultural and linguistic adaptation and usability testing of the Norwegian version of the iCanCope with Pain app. High user satisfaction, ease of use, efficiency, and only minor errors cumulatively indicated that no changes to the app were needed, with the exception of facilitating user interaction within the social support feature. The app will...

Health-related quality of life in adolescents with persistent pain and the mediating role of self-efficacy: a cross-sectional study

“…Most questions included a neutral option, thus resulting in all items being answered. The electronic survey was pre-tested [39]. The first page of the survey contained demographics information such as age, gender and parental education.…”

“Context, content, and system” supporting digital health hub (DHH)–enabled models of care (MoCs) for fragility hip fractures: perspectives of diverse multidisciplinary stakeholders in South Australia from qualitative in-depth interviews

“…Musculoskeletal conditions, including fragility fractures, are among the key contributors to the global burden of disease [27] and are predicted to increase, in terms of both their impact and prevalence, due to an aging population and the increased prevalence of noncommunicable diseases [27,28]. Emerging evidence suggests that digital health interventions improve care outcomes for fragility fractures, osteoarthritis, and chronic low back and neck pain [29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. Nevertheless, critical questions need to be raised around what constitutes a digital health "intervention package," and its effectiveness must be tested pragmatically according to the local implementation context [1].…”

Successful Role of Smart Technology to Combat COVID-19

“…With the increase in the use of technology, mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are developed as software applications that are installed on smart devices such as smartphones and smart wearable's to broadcast health knowledge and resources [1]. mHealth app is easily adaptable, accessible, and acceptable for having the ability to support social distancing efforts, self-testing, quarantine monitoring, and contact tracing.…”