T. Schwab1,2, J. Langell1,2 1University Of Utah,Center for Medical Innovation,Salt Lake City, UT, USA 2University Of Utah,Department Of Surgery,Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Introduction: The use of mobile technologies and software applications offers the opportunity for improvements in global healthcare delivery. If the potential for these technologies are to be realized, human factors must be considered when designing applications, devices, and other mobile interfaces. The goal of human factors in the design process is to decrease patient safety risks and improve clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness and value of human factors-based application design for global health innovation.
Methods: We implemented a 4-stage development process (Figure 1) for global health mobile application design by 12 teams to develop a medical application prototype for use by developing world populations. The stepwise development process involves design specifications and market requirements identification, app software optimization, app implementation testing and user feedback, and establishing a system to promote continual improvement during the life of the application. Teams provided feedback through formal surveys and interviews to highlight key aspects of the development process which directly contributed to successful app design. Teams scored all components of the design process based on clinical outcome value. “Significant outcome value” was defined as an overall 90 out of 100-point score, or higher.
Results:
Five elements of the design process were identified as having significant outcome value in the medical app development process. 1) User observation: Outcomes score of 119/120. Defined as “Understand the clinical problem and the correlated patient characteristics though user observation and validation.” 2) Safety: Outcomes score of 117/120. Defined as “Address and ensure safety in every stage of the mobile medical application process, including development of a risk assessment model.” 3) Ease of navigation: Outcomes score of 110/120. Defined as “A functional and well-designed navigational menu, intuitive interface, and simple multitasking functions.” 4) Anatomy: Outcomes score of 108/120. Defined as “Human hand anatomy and capabilities consideration in the interface design process for optimal flow, function and performance.” 5) Environment: Outcomes score of 104/120. Defined as “Identification of unique environmental factors early in the design and development process resulting in overcoming potential challenges.”
Conclusion: To encourage adoption of medical mobile applications in developing regions, developers must create safe, accurate and layman-friendly applications. This can be effectively accomplished through an iterative human factors–based design process involving the targeted end user.
