Digital Methodology for Mobile Clinical Decision Support Development in Long-Term Care

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Long-Term Care Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated remote operations in healthcare settings.
• Sustaining clinical support technology development in long-term care posed infection risk challenges.
• Traditional in-person methodologies were not feasible during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt traditional design and evaluation methods for a mobile clinical decision support app.
• To implement a completely digital design methodology for the MAISIE app.
• To assess the feasibility of remote development for clinical support technology in long-term care.

Main Methods:

• Adapted traditional design and evaluation methodology to a digital-first approach.
• Developed the Mobile Application Information System for Integrated Evidence (MAISIE) app remotely.
• Removed in-person contact between research teams, developers, and nursing home staff/residents.

Main Results:

• Successfully maintained project continuity for MAISIE app development with only minor challenges.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of remote work for clinical support technology projects.
• Identified team skills, experience, and relationships as crucial for digital adaptation.

Conclusions:

• A digital design methodology can successfully sustain clinical support technology initiatives in long-term care.
• Remote development is feasible for software that can be installed without in-person technical support.
• Adaptability and strong team dynamics are key to maintaining project momentum in digital environments.