JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mobile health apps have potential to improve chronic disease self-management, however, their adoption is not widespread and equitable among all patient segments. Customer discovery and value proposition design methodology is a form of stakeholder engagement, and is based on marketing and lean startup business methods. As applied in healthcare, customer discovery and value proposition methodology can be used to understand the clinical problem and articulate the product’s hypothesized unique value proposition relative to alternative options that are available to end users.

Objective:

This paper describes the experience of academic researchers in applying customer discovery and value proposition methodology learned through the I-Corps@NCATS program, to identify potential stakeholders, their needs, adaptability, and sustainability of a chronic disease management mobile application (CDapp). The motivation for our work with CDapp is to improve healthcare outcomes for all segments of the population, particularly among older patients with multiple and common chronic diseases (CD).

Methods:

Data obtained through key informant interviews was analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis methods, and the value proposition framework to identify the needs, challenges (pains), and potential benefits (gains) of our stakeholders, defined as customer segments and influencers, and their roles in managing chronic health conditions

Results:

Our results showed that the primary consumers (end users) of CDapp were the patients. The app adopters (decision-makers) were medical center leaders including population health department managers and insurance providers, while the consumer adoption influencers (influencers or saboteurs) were clinicians and patient caregivers. Our interviewees highlighted that in order to have an app adopted, it needed to show multi-pronged value specific to each customer segment. We developed an ecosystem map to visualize the clinical practice workflow and how an app for CD management might integrate within an academic healthcare center or system. A value proposition for the identified customer segments was generated. Each stakeholder segment was working within a different framework to improve patient self-management. Patients needed help to adhere to self-care activities and they needed tailored health education. Healthcare leaders aimed to improve the quality of care while reducing costs and workload. Clinicians wanted to improve patient education and care while reducing their own time burden. Our results also showed that within academic medical centers, there were variations regarding patients’ self-reported abilities to manage their disease.

Conclusions:

Rapid customer discovery is an intuitive method for identifying the needs of multiple stakeholder segments, such as the adoption and use of CDapp to manage chronic diseases. The customer discovery and value proposition methodology can be used as an alternative or complementary approach to formative research refreshing to generate valuable information in a brief period of time.