JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Involving chronically ill patients in the management of their health is widely recognized as a vital component of high-quality healthcare. In order to assume the role of informed participants, however, patients need both access to their health information as well as assistance in interpreting such data. Smart phone technology with text messaging (SMS) functionality offers a convenient and minimally demanding mechanism for providing such a dual capability to patients. To date, numerous such digital tools have been developed for use in various chronic and progressive disease conditions, including for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective:

To describe the application of a human centered design (HCD) approach to inform the development of a framework for a digital health intervention to support symptom management and treatment adherence in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods:

We reviewed the HCD approach which consists of three phases: understanding, ideation, and implementation. To develop our framework, methods were mapped to the objectives of each phase.

Results:

We developed a four-phase framework that was informed by an HCD approach. The first three phases in the framework, which consisted of understanding, ideation, and implementation, were consistent with the HCD approach. In addition, we added a fourth phase, post-implementation assessment, to enable evaluation of patient engagement and intervention impact on symptom self-management.

Conclusions:

Applying HCD-based methods demands commitment to an iterative approach to intervention design. Each phase of our framework yields critical findings for ensuring that the final product is understandable, acceptable, and feasible, and provides value to the patient such that the intervention is both engaging and positively impacts patient outcomes. Clinical Trial: N/A