Human Factors Engineering and User-Centered Design for Mobile Health Technology: Enhancing Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Satisfaction

MobileMobile health (mHealth)Mhealth technologies can offer a low-cost, easy-access approach to support health and healthcareHealthcare. However, their design and implementation do not always fit end-users and care practices, presenting a significant barrier to success. This chapter specifies that applying human factors engineering and user-centeredUser centered design is critical for improving fit. To illustrate the impactImpact of human factors engineering and user-centeredUser centered design on mHealthMhealth technology design and implementation, two mHealth projects are presented. One concerns the use of a tablet-based patient-centeredPatient centered system in the self-care of type II diabetes and hypertension. The other is on the use of a mobileMobile app developed for informal caregiversCaregivers of patientsPatient with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementiasDementia. The projects leveraged theoriesTheories and methodologiesMethodology covering key aspects of human factors and user-centeredUser centered design, including evidence-basedEvidence based solutions, needs analysis, participation of domain experts, heuristicHeuristic evaluation, think-aloud and cognitiveCognitive walkthroughWalkthrough protocols, technology acceptance modeling, and pragmatic randomizedRandomized controlled trials. In the two cases, users and contexts of use were analyzed for their needs and characteristics, usabilityUsability and accessibilityAccessibility challenges were minimized, and technology feasibilityFeasibility and effectiveness were verified. Overall, we underscore that human factors engineering and user-centeredUser centered design are indispensable parts of mHealth technology design and implementation. They can essentially lead to enhanced effectiveness and efficiencyEfficiency of care and increased satisfactionSatisfaction of both those providing and receiving it. Moreover, mHealthMhealth technologies continue to grow as part of care services used or provided by individuals of various kinds. Therefore, mHealth technologies must be designed and implemented to account for the needs and characteristics of a wide range of individuals and care journeys.