Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study
BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) technology takes advantage of smartphone features to turn them into research tools, with the potential to reach a larger section of the population in a cost-effective manner, compared with traditional epidemiological methods. Although mHealth apps have been widely i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2019-10-01
|
| Series: | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| Online Access: | http://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/10/e14769/ |
| _version_ | 1818832566360211456 |
|---|---|
| author | Fernandez, Maria P Bron, Gebbiena M. Kache, Pallavi A Larson, Scott R Maus, Adam Gustafson Jr, David Tsao, Jean I Bartholomay, Lyric C Paskewitz, Susan M Diuk-Wasser, Maria A |
| author_facet | Fernandez, Maria P Bron, Gebbiena M. Kache, Pallavi A Larson, Scott R Maus, Adam Gustafson Jr, David Tsao, Jean I Bartholomay, Lyric C Paskewitz, Susan M Diuk-Wasser, Maria A |
| author_sort | Fernandez, Maria P |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) technology takes advantage of smartphone features to turn them into research tools, with the potential to reach a larger section of the population in a cost-effective manner, compared with traditional epidemiological methods. Although mHealth apps have been widely implemented in chronic diseases and psychology, their potential use in the research of vector-borne diseases has not yet been fully exploited.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the usability and feasibility of The Tick App, the first tick research–focused app in the United States.
MethodsThe Tick App was designed as a survey tool to collect data on human behaviors and movements associated with tick exposure while engaging users in tick identification and reporting. It consists of an enrollment survey to identify general risk factors, daily surveys to collect data on human activities and tick encounters (Tick Diaries), a survey to enter the details of tick encounters coupled with tick identification services provided by the research team (Report a Tick), and educational material. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we evaluated the enrollment strategy (passive vs active), the user profile, location, longitudinal use of its features, and users’ feedback.
ResultsBetween May and September 2018, 1468 adult users enrolled in the app. The Tick App users were equally represented across genders and evenly distributed across age groups. Most users owned a pet (65.94%, 962/1459; P<.001), did frequent outdoor activities (recreational or peridomestic; 75.24%, 1094/1454; P<.001 and 64.58%, 941/1457; P<.001, respectively), and lived in the Midwest (56.55%, 824/1457) and Northeast (33.0%, 481/1457) regions in the United States, more specifically in Wisconsin, southern New York, and New Jersey. Users lived more frequently in high-incidence counties for Lyme disease (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 3.5, 95% CI 1.8-7.2; P<.001) and in counties with cases recently increasing (IRR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.2; P=.03). Recurring users (49.25%, 723/1468) had a similar demographic profile to all users but participated in outdoor activities more frequently (80.5%, 575/714; P<.01). The number of Tick Diaries submitted per user (median 2, interquartile range [IQR] 1-11) was higher for older age groups (aged >55 years; IRR 3.4, 95% CI 1.5-7.6; P<.001) and lower in the Northeast (IRR[NE] 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.7; P<.001), whereas the number of tick reports (median 1, IQR 1-2) increased with the frequency of outdoor activities (IRR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.8; P<.001).
ConclusionsThis assessment allowed us to identify what fraction of the population used The Tick App and how it was used during a pilot phase. This information will be used to improve future iterations of The Tick App and tailor potential tick prevention interventions to the users’ characteristics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T02:05:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dae5707c13bd4a9196312a859d3081b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2291-5222 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T02:05:04Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| spelling | doaj.art-dae5707c13bd4a9196312a859d3081b52022-12-21T20:40:57ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR mHealth and uHealth2291-52222019-10-01710e1476910.2196/14769Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative StudyFernandez, Maria PBron, Gebbiena M.Kache, Pallavi ALarson, Scott RMaus, AdamGustafson Jr, DavidTsao, Jean IBartholomay, Lyric CPaskewitz, Susan MDiuk-Wasser, Maria ABackgroundMobile health (mHealth) technology takes advantage of smartphone features to turn them into research tools, with the potential to reach a larger section of the population in a cost-effective manner, compared with traditional epidemiological methods. Although mHealth apps have been widely implemented in chronic diseases and psychology, their potential use in the research of vector-borne diseases has not yet been fully exploited. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the usability and feasibility of The Tick App, the first tick research–focused app in the United States. MethodsThe Tick App was designed as a survey tool to collect data on human behaviors and movements associated with tick exposure while engaging users in tick identification and reporting. It consists of an enrollment survey to identify general risk factors, daily surveys to collect data on human activities and tick encounters (Tick Diaries), a survey to enter the details of tick encounters coupled with tick identification services provided by the research team (Report a Tick), and educational material. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we evaluated the enrollment strategy (passive vs active), the user profile, location, longitudinal use of its features, and users’ feedback. ResultsBetween May and September 2018, 1468 adult users enrolled in the app. The Tick App users were equally represented across genders and evenly distributed across age groups. Most users owned a pet (65.94%, 962/1459; P<.001), did frequent outdoor activities (recreational or peridomestic; 75.24%, 1094/1454; P<.001 and 64.58%, 941/1457; P<.001, respectively), and lived in the Midwest (56.55%, 824/1457) and Northeast (33.0%, 481/1457) regions in the United States, more specifically in Wisconsin, southern New York, and New Jersey. Users lived more frequently in high-incidence counties for Lyme disease (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 3.5, 95% CI 1.8-7.2; P<.001) and in counties with cases recently increasing (IRR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.2; P=.03). Recurring users (49.25%, 723/1468) had a similar demographic profile to all users but participated in outdoor activities more frequently (80.5%, 575/714; P<.01). The number of Tick Diaries submitted per user (median 2, interquartile range [IQR] 1-11) was higher for older age groups (aged >55 years; IRR 3.4, 95% CI 1.5-7.6; P<.001) and lower in the Northeast (IRR[NE] 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.7; P<.001), whereas the number of tick reports (median 1, IQR 1-2) increased with the frequency of outdoor activities (IRR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.8; P<.001). ConclusionsThis assessment allowed us to identify what fraction of the population used The Tick App and how it was used during a pilot phase. This information will be used to improve future iterations of The Tick App and tailor potential tick prevention interventions to the users’ characteristics.http://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/10/e14769/ |
| spellingShingle | Fernandez, Maria P Bron, Gebbiena M. Kache, Pallavi A Larson, Scott R Maus, Adam Gustafson Jr, David Tsao, Jean I Bartholomay, Lyric C Paskewitz, Susan M Diuk-Wasser, Maria A Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| title | Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study |
| title_full | Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study |
| title_fullStr | Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study |
| title_short | Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study |
| title_sort | usability and feasibility of a smartphone app to assess human behavioral factors associated with tick exposure the tick app quantitative and qualitative study |
| url | http://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/10/e14769/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fernandezmariap usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT brongebbienam usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT kachepallavia usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT larsonscottr usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT mausadam usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT gustafsonjrdavid usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT tsaojeani usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT bartholomaylyricc usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT paskewitzsusanm usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy AT diukwassermariaa usabilityandfeasibilityofasmartphoneapptoassesshumanbehavioralfactorsassociatedwithtickexposurethetickappquantitativeandqualitativestudy |