User-needs based app for patients with inflammatory bowel disease: development and usability study

Abstract

Background: As digital healthcare solutions evolve, mobile applications (apps) have become essential tools for managing chronic conditions. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic, rare disease that requires lifelong management. Mobile apps can help IBD patients by providing tools for self-monitoring and improving shared decision-making with healthcare professionals.

Objective: This study aimed to develop a digital healthcare app specifically designed to meet the unique needs of IBD patients. The app sought to enhance self-management capabilities while improving the quality of communication between patients and healthcare providers through comprehensive usability evaluations.

Methods: The study followed a four-step process: (1) Design of six core features based on patient needs and expert feedback; (2) Development of the app's architecture, database, and interface as an initial concept version, followed by testing and deployment; (3) Heuristic evaluation with 15 experts, a four-week usability test with 20 IBD patients, and focus group interviews to gather feedback; and (4) Refinement and upgrade of the app to version 1.0 based on usability test results and further feedback.

Results: The results of this study followed these steps: 1. Incorporating feedback from IBD patients and experts, the core features of the app were designed to include a Personalized Health Summary, Symptom Tracking, and Medication Adherence Monitoring using Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs). 2. A prototype version of "WITH-Jang" was developed, integrating these key features and undergoing initial testing. 3. Usability testing was conducted with 15 experts and 20 IBD patients to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. 4. Based on the evaluation results, the app was refined with a simplified and intuitive UI and an updated "My Health Summary" page, leading to the release of WITH-Jang 1.0.

Conclusions: The WITH-Jang app supports proactive self-health management by addressing the core needs of IBD patients. It visualizes symptom and medication data and enhances communication between patients and healthcare providers, enabling personalized care and shared decision-making, making it a valuable tool for chronic disease management.