Choi Soyoung, Chlebek Christian Joseph
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
Mhealth. 2024 Apr 3;10:17. doi: 10.21037/mhealth-23-65. eCollection 2024.
Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) are crucial in delivering health information and services to older adults. Despite their importance, blind and visually impaired (BVI) older individuals often face significant challenges in app accessibility and usability. This study delves into the design preferences and expectations of BVI older users and underscores the necessity of user-centered design for inclusive mHealth apps.
Conducted in September 2023, the study comprised six focus group interviews. Each session involved two to four participants who began with self-introductions, followed by discussions centered on three open-ended interview questions.
The study involved 14 participants: four with severe low vision and 10 totally blind. The primary design principles highlighted were "customizability" and "simplicity". The participants stressed the importance of intuitively designed main pages aligning with user patterns. Further, the participants articulated the following mHealth app feature or menu recommendations: editable profiles, emergency contact access, adaptable data presentation, data exportation, audible color details, customizable colors for varying visual needs, audible error feedback, feasible data input methods, toolbars, and habit-establishing reminders. Discussions also touched on the vital role of clear health data visualizations and comprehensible app-based health information.
The findings illuminate paths for software developers and health scientists working towards more inclusive mHealth solutions. It is essential during the development phase to prioritize app learnability to accommodate a broad range of users, ensuring that even those with disabilities can effectively use technological innovations to address health disparities.
移动健康(mHealth)应用程序对于向老年人提供健康信息和服务至关重要。尽管其很重要,但失明和视力受损的老年人在应用程序的可访问性和可用性方面往往面临重大挑战。本研究深入探讨了失明和视力受损老年用户的设计偏好和期望,并强调了以用户为中心设计包容性移动健康应用程序的必要性。
该研究于2023年9月进行,包括六次焦点小组访谈。每次访谈有两到四名参与者,他们首先进行自我介绍,然后围绕三个开放式访谈问题展开讨论。
该研究涉及14名参与者,其中四名有严重视力低下,十名完全失明。突出的主要设计原则是“可定制性”和“简单性”。参与者强调了直观设计的主页与用户模式相匹配的重要性。此外,参与者阐述了以下移动健康应用程序功能或菜单建议:可编辑个人资料、紧急联系人访问、适应性数据呈现、数据导出、可听颜色细节、针对不同视觉需求的可定制颜色、可听错误反馈、可行的数据输入方法、工具栏和习惯养成提醒。讨论还涉及清晰的健康数据可视化和基于应用程序的可理解健康信息的重要作用。
这些发现为致力于开发更具包容性移动健康解决方案的软件开发人员和健康科学家指明了方向。在开发阶段,必须优先考虑应用程序的易学性,以适应广泛的用户群体,确保即使是残疾人士也能有效利用技术创新来解决健康差距问题。