Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Nov 4, 2019
Date Accepted: Jun 3, 2020
Creating a smartphone app for caregivers of children with atopic dermatitis with caregivers, healthcare professionals and digital health experts: Participatory co-design
ABSTRACT
Background:
Smartphone apps could support patients and caregivers in disease self-management. However, since patients’ experience and needs might not always align with clinical judgments, the eliciting and engaging of perspectives of all stakeholders in the smartphone app design process is of paramount importance.
Objective:
The objectives of this study are (i) to better understand the needs of and challenges facing caregivers and healthcare professionals who care for children with atopic dermatitis, and (ii) to explore the desirable features and content for a smartphone app which would support atopic dermatitis self-management.
Methods:
This study adopted a qualitative participatory co-design methodology involving three focus group discussions: Workshop 1 focused on caregivers; Workshop 2 engaged with healthcare professionals, and in the last workshop, caregivers and researchers were asked to design the wireframe prototype. The participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, a technology acceptance questionnaire, and a workshop evaluation form.
Results:
Twelve caregivers participated in the first workshop, and ten HCPs in the second. Eight caregivers and four researchers attended the third. Three superordinate themes that reflected caregivers’ and HCPs’ challenges and needs were identified: ‘empowerment by education’, ‘confusion over treatment’, and ‘emotional impact’. Workshop participants also raised a series of suggestions in relation to the features and contents of the AD self-management app, which informed the last co-design workshop, and also described their needs and challenges. In the last workshop, the participants developed a wireframe prototype of the app in accordance with identified requirements and recommendations.
Conclusions:
The co-design approach was found to be a successful mean of engaging with the participants as it allowed them to express their creativity, and helped us to articulate the root of the clinical problems. The co-design workshop was successful in creating and generating new ideas and solutions for smartphone app development.
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