User Needs Assessment of ASTHMAXcel Voice: A Novel Mobile Health App for Asthma Management

Existing mobile health apps for asthma predominantly focus on patient education related to self-management. Through a federally-funded project in the U.S., we developed ASTHMAXcel Voice, a novel app that incorporates voice biomarkers and social determinants of health to enhance asthma self-management, shared decision-making, and facilitation of referrals for low-income populations through personalized digital data and collaborations with multiple health services and stakeholders. As part of the user-centered design effort, we conducted a series of user needs assessment focus groups with patients, providers, and community health workers. The results provide valuable insights into (1) perceived usefulness of ASTHMAXcel Voice particularly the new feature utilizing voice biomarkers, and (2) potential adoption and use barriers, and mitigation strategies, when implementing the app in real-world settings.