Multimodal mental models: Understanding users’ design expectations for mHealth apps

Brennen, J. Scott; Lazard, Allison J.; Adams, Elizabeth Troutman

doi:10.1177/1460458219882271

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Nowadays, mHealth devices and apps are being increasingly adopted by end-users. Regardless of health literacy, apps that satisfy user expectations can be expected to be used more [47]. Previous studies on the design of mHealth apps have helped gain a better understanding of users' design expectations [29], [31], [47], [48].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regardless of health literacy, apps that satisfy user expectations can be expected to be used more [47]. Previous studies on the design of mHealth apps have helped gain a better understanding of users' design expectations [29], [31], [47], [48]. However, most focus on standalone applications, and to our knowledge, ours is the first study that considers the use of more than one mHealth app and expectations from future apps.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toward a Unified mHealth Platform: A Survey of Current User Challenges and Expectations

et al. 2023

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Mobile health (mHealth) applications have become ubiquitous and have enabled selfmonitoring to help provide better health outcomes. However, the wide availability of mHealth apps introduces new challenges when users need to download and use several apps. While past app evaluations have highlighted many issues, the surrounding work is limited. This study aims to analyse the current user challenges and expectations from future mHealth apps. This information is important to inform and guide the design of better and more attractive mHealth platforms of the future. For our empirical investigation of user feedback, we designed an anonymous online survey using key dimensions from the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Value Proposition Canvas. Our survey was distributed via online channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn, and we received 70 valid responses that indicated challenges such as functional overlaps between different apps, unnecessary features, and poor customizability. Similarly, most respondents expressed their preference for a single platform to manage their health. These challenges suggest the need to design more capable unified mHealth platforms that can be tailored to a user's needs. While the development of such platforms raise valid questions around the increase in software complexity and privacy concerns around user data, an open design can address these concerns and offer a better experience. Overall, these findings indicate the need for more research into mHealth app design strategies where the regular use of more than one app must be considered to create better, more engaging mHealth apps.INDEX TERMS mHealth, eHealth, mHealth apps, usability survey, user challenges, user expectations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a Unified mHealth Platform: A Survey of Current User Challenges and Expectations

et al. 2023

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“…Thus, the design interface of the PWA follows the common start page, menu and subsequent pages according to the topics. 34 A human–computer interaction expert was consulted to detect design interface issues which require fixing. Further improvisation was done based on user’s feedback during the formative stage to ease usage as users were more willing to use a mobile health device if it is simple to use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and validation of a progressive web application to educate partial denture wearers

Lim

Tarib

et al. 2022

Health Informatics J

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Effective delivery of post-insertion instructions is essential for denture care and oral health. This study aimed to develop a progressive web application (PWA) to educate patients’ chairside and serve as a reference material. A need analysis was conducted before prototype development. Subsequently, the prototype was subjected to content verification, design appraisal and usability testing. The results of usability testing revealed a user task success rate of 94.4%, with an adjusted Wald 95% confidence interval of 83–100%. User satisfaction assessed using the Single Ease Questionnaire and System Usability Score reported a mean score of 6.13 (95% CI: 5.69–6.55) and 85.9 (95% CI: 82.2–89.6), respectively, indicating good usability. This study highlights the systematic approach of developing an evidence-based educational PWA to meet the usability standards for mobile applications. This PWA is useful in clinical studies to explore mobile technologies’ potential in educating denture wearers, especially in the older population.

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“…Participants selected features from a list they “would expect to find in a health app.” The list was generated from structured interviews about fitness tracker apps [ 38 ] and included 12 features: menu, search option, settings option, logo, log/input data option, share with friend option, summary statistics, summary graph/chart, calendar, page title, login, and user profile. For each expected (ie, selected) feature, respondents were shown a smartphone screen divided into a grid of 60 distinct clickable hot spot regions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

App Designs and Interactive Features to Increase mHealth Adoption: User Expectation Survey and Experiment

Lazard¹,

Brennen²,

Belina³

2021

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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Background Despite the ubiquity of smartphones, there is little guidance for how to design mobile health apps to increase use. Specifically, knowing what features users expect, grab their attention, encourage use (via predicted use or through positive app evaluations), and signal beneficial action possibilities can guide and focus app development efforts. Objective We investigated what features users expect and how the design (prototypicality) impacts app adoption. Methods In a web-based survey, we elicited expectations, including presence and placement, for 12 app features. Thereafter, participants (n=462) viewed 2 health apps (high prototypicality similar to top downloaded apps vs low prototypicality similar to research interventions) and reported willingness to download, attention, and predicted use of app features. Participants rated both apps (high and low) for aesthetics, ease of use, usefulness, perceived affordances, and intentions to use. Results Most participants (425/462, 92%) expected features for navigation or personal settings (eg, menu) in specific regions (eg, top corners). Features with summary graphs or statics were also expected by many (395-396 of 462, 86%), with a center placement expectation. A feature to “share with friends” was least expected among participants (203/462, 44%). Features fell into 4 unique categories based on attention and predicted use, including essential features with high (>50% or >231 of 462) predicted use and attention (eg, calorie trackers), flashy features with high attention but lower predicted use (eg, links to specific diets), functional features with modest attention and low use (eg, settings), and mundane features with low attention and use (eg, discover tabs). When given a choice, 347 of 462 (75%) participants would download the high-prototypicality app. High prototypicality apps (vs low) led to greater aesthetics, ease of use, usefulness, and intentions, (for all, P<.001). Participants thought that high prototypicality apps had more perceived affordances. Conclusions Intervention designs that fail to meet a threshold of mHealth expectations will be dismissed as less usable or beneficial. Individuals who download health apps have shared expectations for features that should be there, as well as where these features should appear. Meeting these expectations can improve app evaluations and encourage use. Our typology should guide presence and placement of expected app features to signal value and increase use to impact preventive health behaviors. Features that will likely be used and are attention-worthy—essential, flashy, and functional—should be prioritized during app development.

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Multimodal mental models: Understanding users’ design expectations for mHealth apps

Cited by 6 publications

References 26 publications

Toward a Unified mHealth Platform: A Survey of Current User Challenges and Expectations

Toward a Unified mHealth Platform: A Survey of Current User Challenges and Expectations

Development and validation of a progressive web application to educate partial denture wearers

App Designs and Interactive Features to Increase mHealth Adoption: User Expectation Survey and Experiment

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