Usability Testing of a Digital Assessment Routing Tool: Protocol for an Iterative Convergent Mixed Methods Study.

Area of Science:

• Digital health innovations
• Musculoskeletal health management
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Musculoskeletal conditions cause significant global disability and healthcare costs.
• Digital health tools are prioritized but often poorly adopted due to inadequate development and testing.
• Rigorous clinical trials are essential for proving efficacy, yet often lack sufficient pre-trial usability assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To iteratively assess and mitigate usability issues in the Digital Assessment Routing Tool (DART) using a mixed-methods design.
• To optimize user experience and adoption of DART for seamless integration into clinical pathways.
• To provide a robust methodology for future mobile health usability studies.

Main Methods:

• Employing an iterative convergent mixed-methods design over 4 months with 20-30 adult participants.
• Collecting quantitative data using ISO 9241-210-2019 standards and the System Usability Scale.
• Focusing qualitative data collection on specific usability problems identified through participant feedback for targeted improvements.

Main Results:

• Ethical approval obtained from Queen Mary University of London Ethics of Research Committee (QMREC2018/48/048) on June 4, 2020.
• Study recruitment was ongoing at manuscript submission, with data collection completion and results publication anticipated in 2021.

Conclusions:

• The study will yield evidence on DART's usability and acceptance, guiding necessary improvements for user adoption.
• Successful implementation of DART is expected to enhance patient access to appropriate care and reduce musculoskeletal service burdens.
• The rigorous approach to mobile health innovation can serve as a model for other digital health application developers.