Design of Customized Mobile Application for Patient Adherence to Oral Anticancer Medications Utilizing User-Centered...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Informatics
• Patient Education

Background:

• Adherence and compliance to oral anticancer medications (OAMs) are critical for treatment efficacy but often challenging for patients due to complex regimens.
• Effective patient education is essential to improve understanding and adherence to OAM therapy.
• Existing educational tools may lack engagement or fail to adequately address the complexities of OAMs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a tablet-based educational application (app) aimed at improving patient understanding of OAMs.
• To create an engaging and effective user interface (UI) incorporating animations.
• To reinforce key aspects of taking oral anticancer medications through user-centered design (UCD).

Main Methods:

• Employed a user-centered design (UCD) approach, involving oncology clinicians and patients early in the development process.
• Focused on the initial design and development phase of a tablet-based educational application.
• Incorporated animations to visually convey complex medical information and concepts related to OAMs.

Main Results:

• The initial phase successfully designed and developed a tablet-based educational app prototype.
• Consultations with patients and clinicians informed the UCD process, ensuring relevance and usability.
• Animations were integrated to enhance the clarity and engagement of educational content.

Conclusions:

• A user-centered design approach is effective for developing patient-facing health applications.
• Animations can significantly improve the understanding of complex medical information for patients on OAMs.
• The developed educational app shows promise as a tool to enhance patient engagement and adherence to oral anticancer medications.