JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with over 2 million new cases in 2018 worldwide. Each year more than 10,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Taiwan. Most women are between 40 to 65 years old with stages 0 to II at time of diagnosis. Their 5-year survival rate is 87.2% relative to those who do not have breast cancer. Evidence has shown that self-management support from mobile health applications (Apps) can improve quality of life in survivorship. While many breast cancer self-management Apps exist, they are rarely adopted by Taiwanese women due to non-effective use of language, non-validated language and cultural translations, and lack of trust.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the information needs of Taiwan women with breast cancer to inform App development.

Methods:

The five-step design thinking approach including empathy, define, ideate, prototype and test was used through focus group and individual interviews to collect Taiwan breast cancer women’s expectations of the App. Thematic analysis was used to identify information needs.

Results:

A total of eight major themes including treatment, physical activity, diet, emotional support, health record, social resources, experience sharing and expert consultation were identified. Minor themes included a desire to use the App under professional supervision and a trustworthy App manager to ensure the credibility of information.

Conclusions:

A mobile health application that addresses the eight main themes and simplifies the process of using a mobile App could facilitate disease self-management for Taiwanese women with breast cancer.