JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Despite the importance of their perspectives, end-users (e.g., patients and caregivers) are not typically engaged by academic researchers in the development of mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) for the perioperative cardiac surgery setting.

Objective:

To describe a process for, and the impact of, patient engagement in the development of a mHealth app that supports patient and caregiver involvement with enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) during the perioperative period of cardiac surgery.

Methods:

Engagement occurred at the level of consultation and took the form of an advisory panel. Patients that underwent cardiac surgery (2017-2018) at St. Boniface Hospital (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and their caregivers were approached for participation. A qualitative exploration determined the impact of patient engagement on the development (i.e., design and content) of the mHealth app. This included a description of (a) the key messages generated by the advisory panel, (b) how key messages were incorporated into the development of the mHealth app, and (c) feedback from the developers of the mHealth app about the key messages generated by the advisory panel.

Results:

The advisory panel (n = 10 members) generated 23 key messages to guide the development of the mHealth app. Key design-specific messages centered around access, tracking, synchronization, and reminders. Key content-specific messages centered around professional roles and medical terms, educational videos, cardiac surgery procedures, travel, nutrition, medications, resources, and physical activity. This information was directly incorporated into the design of the mHealth app, as long as it was supported by the existing functionalities of the underlying platform. For example, the platform did not support the scheduling of reminders by users, identifying drug interactions, or synchronizing with other devices. The developers of the mHealth app noted that key messages resulted in: the integration of a vast range and volume of information and resources, instead of ones primarily focused on surgical information; content geared towards expectations management; and an expanded focus to include caregivers and other family members, so that these stakeholders may be directly included in the provision of information, allowing them to be better informed, prepare along with the patient, and be involved in recovery planning.

Conclusions:

Patient engagement may facilitate the development of a detail-oriented and patient-centered mHealth app whose design and content are driven by the lived experiences of end-users. Clinical Trial: None.