Patients' UX Impact on Medication Adherence in Czech Pilot Study for Chronically Ill

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive and multistage approach to the development of the user experience (UX) for an mHealth application targeting older adult patients with chronic diseases, specifically chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study adopts a mixed methods approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative components. The underlying hypothesis posits that baseline medicine adherence knowledge (measured by the MARS questionnaire), beliefs about medicines (measured by the BMQ questionnaire), and level of user experience (measured by the SUS and UEQ questionnaires) act as predictors of adherence change after a period of usage of the mHealth application. However, contrary to our expectations, the results did not demonstrate the anticipated relationship between the variables examined. Nevertheless, the qualitative component of the research revealed that patients, in general, expressed satisfaction with the application. It is important to note that the pilot testing phase revealed a notable prevalence of technical issues, which may have influenced participants' perception of the overall UX. These findings contribute to the understanding of UX development in the context of mHealth applications for older adults with chronic diseases and emphasise the importance of addressing technical challenges to enhance user satisfaction and engagement.

Keywords: UX; eHealth; mHealth application; medication adherence.

Figure 4

Activity screens (from top left to bottom left: Today’s activities, Video consultations with doctors, Conversations with doctors, Ordering supplies, from top middle to bottom middle: Today’s activities, Video consultations with doctors, Conversations with doctors, Medical supplies, Prescriptions, from top right to bottom right: Important notifications, Today’s activities, Upcoming consultations).

Figure 6

Colour variants of the home screen; from the left: dark, bright, and coloured version.

Figure 1

The development and testing sequence of the application.

Figure 2

First version of the wireframe prototype (from top left: My activities—list of completed and scheduled activities, including medication intake and blood pressure measurements, My health—display of health metrics such as blood pressure, pulse, saturation etc., My appointments—details of upcoming medical appointments, from bottom left: My prescriptions—list of prescribed medications, Health tips—general health advice and tips, My conversations—communication with healthcare providers).

Figure 3

Second version of the wireframe prototype based on user feedback (from top left: Today’s measurements—list of completed and scheduled measurements, Medication schedule—details of scheduled medication intake for the day, My health metrics—display of health metrics, from bottom left: My prescriptions, Consultations—details of upcoming medical consultations).

Figure 5

Confirmation of the medication consumption screen (on the top: confirmation of medication consumption, at the bottom: reminder about not taking medication).

Figure 7

Medical aids ordering bright- (left) and dark-coloured screen variations (right).

Figure 8

Age distributions of HF (left) and COPD (right) use case participants.

Figure 9

UEQ Dimensions (from top left: Attractiveness, top right: Perspicuity, middle left: Efficiency, middle right: Dependability, lower left: Stimulation, lower right: Novelty) and Quality (bottom left: Pragmatic, bottom right: Hedonic).

Figure 10

From top left: UEQ Overall score, BMQ Necessity score change, BMQ concern score change and BMQ NCD change for patients with COPD (left) and HF (right).

Figure 11

SUS score for patients with COPD (left) and HF (right).

Figure 12

UEQ Short benchmark comparison of COPD (left) and HF (right) use cases.

Figure 13

Change in the MARS score for COPD (left) and HF (right) patients.