Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 31, 2025

Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
Developing a smartphone application to support social connectedness and wellbeing in young people with cystic
Jacinta Francis1, Donna Cross1, Andre Schultz2
1Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Background:
Young people with cystic fibrosis (CF) may be at increased risk of social isolation and mental illness. This study aimed to design and evaluate the usability and acceptability of a smartphone application (app) to support the social connectedness and wellbeing of young people living with CF.
Methods:
Young people with CF aged 12-17 years (N = 22) were recruited from two paediatric hospitals in Australia. Study participants tested the CF app for six weeks before responding to an online survey about the app's usability and acceptability. A subsample of participants (n = 20) discussed the app's strengths and weaknesses during 11 online group interviews.
Results:
During the six-week testing period, 77% of participants used the app at least once a week and 82% accessed the app from a smartphone. Usability of the CF app was rated high. Most participants agreed the app was easy to use (86%) and felt comfortable using it (96%). Acceptability of the app was moderate. 77% of participants agreed they would recommend the app to others. Recommendations to improve the app's functionality and acceptability included locating the chatroom within the app rather than redirecting users to a web browser and allowing users to personalise images, wellness tips and videos.
Conclusions:
This study developed and tested a highly usable, and moderately acceptable, smartphone app to improve the psychosocial health of young people living with CF. Future research will test the efficacy of the CF app on users' social connectedness and wellbeing.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cystic Fibrosis: Management
Sinus disease and chronic...
Social Relationships and Well-Being
Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation,...
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Cognitive Development During Adolescence

