Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivors
Purpose: The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow health IT system (TOLF) is a patient-centered, web-and-mobile-based educational and behavioral health IT system focusing on safe, innovative, and pragmatic self-care strategies for lymphedema symptom management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate usability, fea...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2016-09-01
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| Series: | Internet Interventions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782916300173 |
| _version_ | 1811228974673559552 |
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| author | Mei R. Fu, PhD, RN, FAAN Deborah Axelrod, MD, FACS Amber A. Guth, MD, FACS Yao Wang, PhD Joan Scagliola, MSN, RN Karen Hiotis, MD Kavita Rampertaap, RN, BSN, CPON Nardin El-Shammaa, BA |
| author_facet | Mei R. Fu, PhD, RN, FAAN Deborah Axelrod, MD, FACS Amber A. Guth, MD, FACS Yao Wang, PhD Joan Scagliola, MSN, RN Karen Hiotis, MD Kavita Rampertaap, RN, BSN, CPON Nardin El-Shammaa, BA |
| author_sort | Mei R. Fu, PhD, RN, FAAN |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow health IT system (TOLF) is a patient-centered, web-and-mobile-based educational and behavioral health IT system focusing on safe, innovative, and pragmatic self-care strategies for lymphedema symptom management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate usability, feasibility, and acceptability of TOLF among the end-user of breast cancer survivors.
Methods: Two types of usability testing were completed with 30 breast cancer survivors: heuristic evaluation and end-user testing. Each participant was asked to think aloud while completing a set of specified tasks designed to explicate and freely explore the system features. A heuristic evaluation checklist, the Perceived Ease of Use and Usefulness Questionnaire, and The Post Study System Usability Questionnaire were used to evaluate usability of the system. Open-ended questions were used to gather qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were summarized thematically.
Results: Breast cancer survivors were very satisfied with the system: 90% (n = 27) rated the system having no usability problems; 10% (n = 3) noted minor cosmetic problems: spelling errors or text font size. The majority of participants 96.6% (n = 29) strongly agreed that the system was easy to use and effective in helping to learn about lymphedema, symptoms and self-care strategies. Themes from the qualitative data included empowerment, high quality information, loving avatar simulation videos, easy accessibility, and user-friendliness.
Conclusions: This usability study provided evidence on breast cancer survivor's acceptance and highly positive evaluation of TOLF's usability as well as feasibility of using technologically-driven delivery model to enhance self-care strategies for lymphedema symptom management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:06:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7803e6384a1d4258a2da0ab5d84593da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2214-7829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:06:34Z |
| publishDate | 2016-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Internet Interventions |
| spelling | doaj.art-7803e6384a1d4258a2da0ab5d84593da2022-12-22T03:37:25ZengElsevierInternet Interventions2214-78292016-09-015C566410.1016/j.invent.2016.08.001Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivorsMei R. Fu, PhD, RN, FAAN0Deborah Axelrod, MD, FACS1Amber A. Guth, MD, FACS2Yao Wang, PhD3Joan Scagliola, MSN, RN4Karen Hiotis, MD5Kavita Rampertaap, RN, BSN, CPON6Nardin El-Shammaa, BA7NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, United StatesDepartment of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United StatesDepartment of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United StatesDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY, United StatesNYU Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, United StatesDepartment of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United StatesNYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, United StatesNYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, United StatesPurpose: The-Optimal-Lymph-Flow health IT system (TOLF) is a patient-centered, web-and-mobile-based educational and behavioral health IT system focusing on safe, innovative, and pragmatic self-care strategies for lymphedema symptom management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate usability, feasibility, and acceptability of TOLF among the end-user of breast cancer survivors. Methods: Two types of usability testing were completed with 30 breast cancer survivors: heuristic evaluation and end-user testing. Each participant was asked to think aloud while completing a set of specified tasks designed to explicate and freely explore the system features. A heuristic evaluation checklist, the Perceived Ease of Use and Usefulness Questionnaire, and The Post Study System Usability Questionnaire were used to evaluate usability of the system. Open-ended questions were used to gather qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were summarized thematically. Results: Breast cancer survivors were very satisfied with the system: 90% (n = 27) rated the system having no usability problems; 10% (n = 3) noted minor cosmetic problems: spelling errors or text font size. The majority of participants 96.6% (n = 29) strongly agreed that the system was easy to use and effective in helping to learn about lymphedema, symptoms and self-care strategies. Themes from the qualitative data included empowerment, high quality information, loving avatar simulation videos, easy accessibility, and user-friendliness. Conclusions: This usability study provided evidence on breast cancer survivor's acceptance and highly positive evaluation of TOLF's usability as well as feasibility of using technologically-driven delivery model to enhance self-care strategies for lymphedema symptom management.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782916300173Self-careLymphedema symptomsHealth ITUsabilityFeasibilityBreast neoplasmsBreast cancer survivorLymphedemaSymptoms |
| spellingShingle | Mei R. Fu, PhD, RN, FAAN Deborah Axelrod, MD, FACS Amber A. Guth, MD, FACS Yao Wang, PhD Joan Scagliola, MSN, RN Karen Hiotis, MD Kavita Rampertaap, RN, BSN, CPON Nardin El-Shammaa, BA Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivors Internet Interventions Self-care Lymphedema symptoms Health IT Usability Feasibility Breast neoplasms Breast cancer survivor Lymphedema Symptoms |
| title | Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivors |
| title_full | Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivors |
| title_fullStr | Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivors |
| title_short | Usability and feasibility of health IT interventions to enhance Self-Care for Lymphedema Symptom Management in breast cancer survivors |
| title_sort | usability and feasibility of health it interventions to enhance self care for lymphedema symptom management in breast cancer survivors |
| topic | Self-care Lymphedema symptoms Health IT Usability Feasibility Breast neoplasms Breast cancer survivor Lymphedema Symptoms |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782916300173 |
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