Patients' Experienced Usability and Satisfaction With Digital Health Solutions in a Home Setting: Instrument Validation Study.

BACKGROUND

The field of digital health solutions (DHS) has grown tremendously over the past years. DHS include tools for self-management, which support individuals to take charge of their own health. The usability of DHS, as experienced by patients, is pivotal to adoption. However, well-known questionnaires that evaluate usability and satisfaction use complex terminology derived from human-computer interaction and are therefore not well suited to assess experienced usability of patients using DHS in a home setting.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop, validate, and assess an instrument that measures experienced usability and satisfaction of patients using DHS in a home setting.

METHODS

The development of the "Experienced Usability and Satisfaction with Self-monitoring in the Home Setting" (GEMS) questionnaire followed several steps. Step I consisted of assessing the content validity, by conducting a literature review on current usability and satisfaction questionnaires, collecting statements and discussing these in an expert meeting, and translating each statement and adjusting it to the language level of the general population. This phase resulted in a draft version of the GEMS. Step II comprised assessing its face validity by pilot testing with Amsterdam University Medical Center's patient panel. In step III, psychometric analysis was conducted and the GEMS was assessed for reliability.

RESULTS

A total of 14 items were included for psychometric analysis and resulted in 4 reliable scales: convenience of use, perceived value, efficiency of use, and satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the GEMS questionnaire demonstrated its reliability and validity in assessing experienced usability and satisfaction of DHS in a home setting. Further refinement of the instrument is necessary to confirm its applicability in other patient populations in order to promote the development of a steering mechanism that can be applied longitudinally throughout implementation, and can be used as a benchmarking instrument.