Usability Inspection of a Mobile Cancer Telerehabilitation System

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2022 Jan 14:289:405-409. doi: 10.3233/SHTI210944.

Abstract

Cancer rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to address physical impairments and progressive disablement experienced by patients with cancer. Access to CR is limited by multiple barriers. Previous studies demonstrated that telemedicine approaches may facilitate access to rehabilitation services however usability and acceptance of cancer telerehabilitation has not been systematically evaluated. This goal of this study was usability inspection of a mobile cancer telerehabilitation system based on cognitive walkthroughs and heuristics evaluations, supplemented by surveys to capture health literacy, patient engagement, and acceptance. The System Usability Scale provided a standardized reference for usability and satisfaction, and the mean result of 83.2±16.9 placed this mobile interface in the top 10th percentile. A semi-structured qualitative interview provided actionable feedback, which informed the next iteration of this project. Overall, this mobile telerehabilitation system was considered by cancer patients easy-to-use, satisfying, and engaging with 91% of participants planning to use it in the future.

Keywords: Cancer rehabilitation; mobile health; telemedicine; usability inspection.

MeSH terms

  • Heuristics
  • Humans
  • Motivation
  • Neoplasms*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Telerehabilitation*