JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Hemodialysis patients receive dialysis thrice weekly for about four hours per session. Intradialytic hypotension (IDH)—low blood pressure during hemodialysis—is a serious but common complication of hemodialysis. Although dialysis patients already participate in their care, activating patients towards IDH prevention may reduce their risk of IDH, and interactive, technology-based interventions hold promise as a platform for patient activation. However, little is known about the usability challenges that hemodialysis patients may face when using tablet-based-based informatics interventions, especially while dialyzing.

Objective:

To test the usability of a patient-facing, tablet-based intervention that includes theory-informed educational modules and motivational interviewing-based mentoring from patient peers via videoconference.

Methods:

We conduct a usability evaluation of the tablet-based intervention using think-aloud methods and structured observations.

Results:

Findings cluster around the general constraints such as use of one arm, dexterity issues, low vision and lack of experience with touch-screen devices. Our task-by-task usability results shows that specific sections with the greatest difficulty for users are logging into the intervention, interacting with the quizzes, goal setting, and entering and exiting video conference rooms used to engage with peers during motivational interviewing sessions.

Conclusions:

We present implications for designing informatics interventions for patients on dialysis and detail resulting changes to be implemented in the next version of this intervention. We frame these implications first through the context of the role the patients physical body plays when interacting with the intervention and then through the digital considerations for software and interface interaction.