Currently submitted to: JMIR Human Factors
Date Submitted: Aug 4, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Aug 12, 2026 - Oct 7, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Digital Bridge Tool for Hospital-to-Home Transitions in Older Adults with Multimorbidity: A Multi-Method Usability Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Transition from hospital to home is a vulnerable time for patients with multimorbidity (i.e., the occurrence of 2+ chronic conditions) due to the complexity of care and risk of complications. One way to improve care transitions is through technologies that enable effective communication between hospital/primary care providers and with patients.
Objective:
This study aims to evaluate the usability of the Digital Bridge tool, a communication tool to enable transitions from hospital to home, to guide the design and development process.
Methods:
The study follows a multi-method approach involving both a quantitative survey and a qualitative approach (i.e., think-aloud exercise and cognitive walkthrough). Data were collected via think-aloud, cognitive walkthrough, and Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) and analyzed through rapid qualitative analysis and descriptive statistics.
Results:
Users reported positive usability experiences with the technology. 19 participants completed the PSSUQ (mean score: 2.97) with the benchmark mean at 2.82 (99% CI 2.62–3.02). Given that the observed overall PSSUQ score falls within the confidence interval of the benchmark, this indicates a positive usability experience across participants. Insights from the qualitative data indicated that although both providers and patients have similar communication needs around care transitions, such as access to up-to-date discharge information to facilitate smooth transitions for patients, their priorities differed. For instance, providers indicated their need for technology that integrates into clinical workflows, while patients require technology that easily helps them manage their care.
Conclusions:
The differing priorities from both user groups pose an interesting implementation challenge, emphasizing the need for iterative design and continuous usability testing. This ensures that the technology is tailored to meet the unique needs of both user groups. Clinical Trial: The broader Digital Bridge study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04287192; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04287192). The present manuscript reports findings from a usability sub-study conducted within the broader registered research program.
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