ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed Methods
BackgroundMany individuals with suicide risk present to acute care settings such as emergency departments (EDs). However, staffing and time constraints mean that many EDs are not well equipped to deliver evidence-based interventions for patients experiencing suicidality. An e...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2023-01-01
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| Series: | JMIR Formative Research |
| Online Access: | https://formative.jmir.org/2023/1/e41422 |
| _version_ | 1797734463899172864 |
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| author | Celine Larkin Soussan Djamasbi Edwin D Boudreaux Fatima Varzgani Roscoe Garner Mariam Siddique John Pietro Bengisu Tulu |
| author_facet | Celine Larkin Soussan Djamasbi Edwin D Boudreaux Fatima Varzgani Roscoe Garner Mariam Siddique John Pietro Bengisu Tulu |
| author_sort | Celine Larkin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundMany individuals with suicide risk present to acute care settings such as emergency departments (EDs). However, staffing and time constraints mean that many EDs are not well equipped to deliver evidence-based interventions for patients experiencing suicidality. An existing intervention initiated in the ED for patients with suicide risk (Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation [ED-SAFE]) has been found to be effective but faces trenchant barriers for widespread adoption.
ObjectiveOn the basis of the ED-SAFE intervention, we aimed to develop 2 apps for patients with suicide risk: a web app guiding patients through safety planning in the ED (ED app) and a smartphone app providing patients components of the ED-SAFE program on their phones after discharge (patient app). We then tested the usability of these apps with patients presenting to the ED with suicide risk.
MethodsUsing a user-centered design framework, we first developed user personas to explore the needs and characteristics of patients who are at risk for suicide using inputs from clinicians (n=3) and suicidologists (n=4). Next, we validated these personas during interviews with individuals with lived experience of suicidality (n=6) and used them to inform our application designs. We field-tested the apps with ED patients presenting with suicide risk (n=14) in 2 iterative cycles to assess their usability and engagement using a mixed methods approach. We also rated the quality and fidelity of the safety plans created.
ResultsWe developed 2 interoperable and complementary apps. The first is a web app designed for use on a tablet device during ED admission that guides the patient by creating a safety plan using a chatbot-style interface. The second is a smartphone app for use after discharge and allows the patient to view, edit, and share their completed safety plan; access self-care education, helplines, and behavioral health referrals; and track follow-up appointments with the study clinician. The initial prototype usability testing (n=9) demonstrated satisfactory scores (ED app System Usability Scale [SUS], mean 78.6/100, SD 24.1; User Engagement Scale, mean 3.74/5, SD 0.72; patient app SUS, mean 81.7/100, SD 20.1). After refining the apps based on participant feedback, the second cycle testing (n=5) showed improvement (ED app SUS, mean 90.5/100, SD 9.9; User Engagement Scale, mean 4.07/5, SD 0.36; patient app SUS, mean 97.0/100, SD 1.9). The quality ratings for completed safety plans were satisfactory (Safety Planning Intervention Scoring Algorithm-Brief, mean 27.4, SD 3.4).
ConclusionsBy adopting a user-centered approach and creating personas to guide development, we were able to create apps for ED patients with suicide risk and obtain satisfactory usability, engagement, and quality scores. Developing digital health tools based on user-centered design principles that deliver evidence-based intervention components may help overcome trenchant implementation barriers in challenging health care settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:44:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8442d6fc43284ce8929fb6e0c97b2917 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2561-326X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:44:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Formative Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-8442d6fc43284ce8929fb6e0c97b29172023-08-28T23:30:51ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Formative Research2561-326X2023-01-017e4142210.2196/41422ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed MethodsCeline Larkinhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2961-0585Soussan Djamasbihttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8638-8402Edwin D Boudreauxhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3223-6371Fatima Varzganihttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2110-4805Roscoe Garnerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1128-426XMariam Siddiquehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5211-9789John Pietrohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9414-2258Bengisu Tuluhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7226-1830 BackgroundMany individuals with suicide risk present to acute care settings such as emergency departments (EDs). However, staffing and time constraints mean that many EDs are not well equipped to deliver evidence-based interventions for patients experiencing suicidality. An existing intervention initiated in the ED for patients with suicide risk (Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation [ED-SAFE]) has been found to be effective but faces trenchant barriers for widespread adoption. ObjectiveOn the basis of the ED-SAFE intervention, we aimed to develop 2 apps for patients with suicide risk: a web app guiding patients through safety planning in the ED (ED app) and a smartphone app providing patients components of the ED-SAFE program on their phones after discharge (patient app). We then tested the usability of these apps with patients presenting to the ED with suicide risk. MethodsUsing a user-centered design framework, we first developed user personas to explore the needs and characteristics of patients who are at risk for suicide using inputs from clinicians (n=3) and suicidologists (n=4). Next, we validated these personas during interviews with individuals with lived experience of suicidality (n=6) and used them to inform our application designs. We field-tested the apps with ED patients presenting with suicide risk (n=14) in 2 iterative cycles to assess their usability and engagement using a mixed methods approach. We also rated the quality and fidelity of the safety plans created. ResultsWe developed 2 interoperable and complementary apps. The first is a web app designed for use on a tablet device during ED admission that guides the patient by creating a safety plan using a chatbot-style interface. The second is a smartphone app for use after discharge and allows the patient to view, edit, and share their completed safety plan; access self-care education, helplines, and behavioral health referrals; and track follow-up appointments with the study clinician. The initial prototype usability testing (n=9) demonstrated satisfactory scores (ED app System Usability Scale [SUS], mean 78.6/100, SD 24.1; User Engagement Scale, mean 3.74/5, SD 0.72; patient app SUS, mean 81.7/100, SD 20.1). After refining the apps based on participant feedback, the second cycle testing (n=5) showed improvement (ED app SUS, mean 90.5/100, SD 9.9; User Engagement Scale, mean 4.07/5, SD 0.36; patient app SUS, mean 97.0/100, SD 1.9). The quality ratings for completed safety plans were satisfactory (Safety Planning Intervention Scoring Algorithm-Brief, mean 27.4, SD 3.4). ConclusionsBy adopting a user-centered approach and creating personas to guide development, we were able to create apps for ED patients with suicide risk and obtain satisfactory usability, engagement, and quality scores. Developing digital health tools based on user-centered design principles that deliver evidence-based intervention components may help overcome trenchant implementation barriers in challenging health care settings.https://formative.jmir.org/2023/1/e41422 |
| spellingShingle | Celine Larkin Soussan Djamasbi Edwin D Boudreaux Fatima Varzgani Roscoe Garner Mariam Siddique John Pietro Bengisu Tulu ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed Methods JMIR Formative Research |
| title | ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed Methods |
| title_full | ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed Methods |
| title_fullStr | ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed Methods |
| title_full_unstemmed | ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed Methods |
| title_short | ReachCare Mobile Apps for Patients Experiencing Suicidality in the Emergency Department: Development and Usability Testing Using Mixed Methods |
| title_sort | reachcare mobile apps for patients experiencing suicidality in the emergency department development and usability testing using mixed methods |
| url | https://formative.jmir.org/2023/1/e41422 |
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