Usability Evaluation of an Adaptive Information Recommendation System for Breast Cancer Patients

AMIA Annu Symp Proc. 2020 Mar 4:2019:494-503. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

We report on the usability of a mobile application, MyPath, that connects patients with personalized information based on their diagnosis and care plan and adapts over time as they progress through the cancer trajectory. We conducted usability tests with cancer survivors and health professionals, measuring three usability factors which could be affected by adaptive content: learnability, errors, and effectiveness. Our results indicate that the adaptive information did not obstruct usability of the system. Participants identified several strengths of the application, including the integration of clinical and non-clinical information, the segmentation of a large information set to reduce mental burden, and the inclusion of multiple media types to accommodate different learning styles. Participants also identified potential barriers to use and offered ideas for future developments. We share how we integrated this feedback into the MyPath system design and reflect on lessons for future personal health information systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • Attitude to Computers*
  • Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Databases as Topic
  • Female
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Mobile Applications*
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • User-Computer Interface