Key requirements for developing a self-care mobile application for tuberculosis: A mixed-method approach based on...

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases and is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study aimed to identify and analyze the data and functional requirements for the development of a TB self-care mobile application. The present study was conducted in three phases. Initially, scientific literature was thoroughly examined in the PubMed, WOS, and Scopus databases. Additionally, relevant applications were analyzed via the Google Play and App Store. A specialized panel that included experts in infectious diseases, medical informatics, and health information management evaluated the gathered requirements. In the concluding stage, the specified requirements were assessed using a closed-ended questionnaire distributed to 20 patients diagnosed with tuberculosis and 20 specialists in the field. In the second phase, the 65 key requirements were clustered into two broad categories: data requirements, including 45 items, and functional requirements, comprising 20 items. These requirements were evaluated by an expert panel. Based on this clustering, the requirements were incorporated into a closed-ended questionnaire and administered to 20 tuberculosis patients and 20 infectious disease specialists. The results showed that functional requirements had a higher priority than data requirements. Additionally, clinical items in the data requirements subcategory were more important than administrative items from the participants' perspective.