Salari Raheleh, Fatehi Farhad, Mehdizadeh Hamed
Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Faculty of Management and Medical Information Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Healthc Inform Res. 2024 Oct;30(4):312-323. doi: 10.4258/hir.2024.30.4.312. Epub 2024 Oct 31.
The spread of misinformation through the internet can lead to dangerous behavioral changes and erode trust in reliable sources, especially during public health crises like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To combat this issue, innovative strategies that leverage information technology are essential. This study focused on developing and evaluating a mobile application (app), COVID-Iran, aimed at countering COVID-19 misinformation by delivering accurate, reliable, and credible information.
The development of the app involved a multi-step, user-centered approach that integrated qualitative expert consultations with quantitative survey research to pinpoint and validate key features. The app was initially prototyped using Enterprise Architect software and subsequently developed using Android Studio and MySQL. We conducted a usability evaluation using the System Usability Scale (SUS), where participants engaged in various tasks related to information seeking, self-assessment, and health management. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS version 19.
The findings revealed a high usability level (SUS score of 81.35), with participants reporting ease of use and learnability. The app effectively countered misinformation by providing access to trusted sources and evidence-based counterarguments. User feedback emphasized the app's strengths in clarity, accuracy, trustworthiness, and its comprehensive approach. Plans for future improvements include the integration of artificial intelligence to deliver personalized content.
Despite limitations such as the small sample size and potential self-selection bias, this study highlights the significant potential of mHealth apps to provide reliable health information and combat misinformation.
通过互联网传播的错误信息可能导致危险的行为改变，并削弱对可靠来源的信任，尤其是在像2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）这样的公共卫生危机期间。为应对这一问题，利用信息技术的创新策略至关重要。本研究聚焦于开发和评估一款移动应用程序（应用）COVID-Iran，旨在通过提供准确、可靠和可信的信息来对抗COVID-19错误信息。
该应用的开发采用了多步骤、以用户为中心的方法，将定性专家咨询与定量调查研究相结合，以确定并验证关键特性。该应用最初使用Enterprise Architect软件进行原型设计，随后使用Android Studio和MySQL进行开发。我们使用系统可用性量表（SUS）进行了可用性评估，参与者参与了与信息搜索、自我评估和健康管理相关的各种任务。使用SPSS 19版中的描述性统计对数据进行分析。
研究结果显示该应用具有较高的可用性水平（SUS评分为81.35），参与者报告其易于使用且具有可学习性。该应用通过提供访问可信来源和基于证据的反驳观点的途径，有效地对抗了错误信息。用户反馈强调了该应用在清晰度、准确性、可信度及其全面方法方面的优势。未来改进计划包括整合人工智能以提供个性化内容。
尽管存在样本量小和潜在的自我选择偏差等局限性，但本研究突出了移动健康应用在提供可靠健康信息和对抗错误信息方面的巨大潜力。
