Patient-centered design in developing a mobile application for oral anticancer medications

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Digital Health
• Patient Education

Background:

• Oral anticancer medications (OAMs) require significant patient education for adherence and efficacy.
• Existing educational tools may not cater to diverse learning styles or individual patient needs.
• Mobile applications offer a scalable platform for patient-centered education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the usability and feasibility of a customizable mobile application for educating patients on OAMs.
• To enhance patient understanding and adherence to oral anticancer medication regimens.

Main Methods:

• An interdisciplinary team, including patient partners, designed a tablet-based educational app with EMR integration.
• The app incorporates learning style theories, offering text, visuals, animations, and audio for 11 OAMs.
• Usability and feasibility were evaluated through early-phase testing with 30 patient subjects.

Main Results:

• Patient feedback during usability testing was largely positive, highlighting the usefulness of drug information and patient stories.
• App limitations, such as the digital divide, were identified and addressed through prototype modifications.
• Feasibility testing confirmed the app's usefulness across various age groups, particularly for patients new to OAM therapy.

Conclusions:

• The developed mobile app shows potential as a valuable tool for cancer patients initiating OAM therapy.
• User feedback supports the app's benefit in improving patient education and potentially adherence to OAMs.
• The design processes and lessons learned are transferable to other healthcare settings.