Session A: 9AM – 10:30AM
Nursing. Session A – Poster Presentations, Ballroom, Union
Location: Ballroom, A. Ray Olpin University Union
Usability of the Revised Color Me Healthy App for Children with Cancer
Sydney Gilliland, University of Utah
Faculty Mentor: Lauri Linder, University of Utah
SESSION A (9:00-10:30AM)
POSTER A85
Background: The gold standard for symptom reporting in healthcare is self-reporting. Verbal self-reporting is often difficult for children. Children may be more able to accurately and confidently report their symptoms using an mHealth device. The Color Me Healthy app has been developed to facilitate self-reporting in children with cancer. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the usability of the revised Color Me Healthy app from the perspectives of children and their parents. Methods: This User Centered Design study was guided by the Technology Acceptance Model with attention to Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness. Children (6-12 years of age) receiving cancer treatment and their parents were invited to participate in usability evaluations in which they were guided through the app and asked to complete specific tasks within the app. Children and parents participated in brief interviews, and parents also completed the Technology Acceptance Model Perceived Usefulness Scale (TAM PUS). As 5 dyads completed usability evaluations, data were summarized and shared with the developer team to guide additional refinements. Results: Fourteen racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse parent-child dyads participated. After 3 cycles of usability evaluations, children and parents were able to complete key tasks independently, supporting its ease of use. Children and parents also indicated their preference for using the app as a method of symptom reporting, supporting its perceived usefulness. TAM PUS scores also provided evidence that parents deemed the app useful to understand and respond to their child’s symptoms. Discussion: mHealth devices, the Color Me Healthy app in particular, are promising methods of symptom self-reporting in children with cancer. The revised version of the Color Me Healthy app demonstrates ease of use and perceived usefulness. Future directions include evaluation of the clinical utility of the revised app in a future study.
Health Narratives of Children with Cancer Using an mHealth App
Hakop Kardzhyan, University of Utah
Faculty Mentor: Lauri Linder, University of Utah
SESSION A (9:00-10:30AM)
POSTER A86
Introduction. The Color Me Healthy mHealth app was designed to help children with cancer communicate their symptoms. The app supports children to express their individual experiences through checklists, brief free-text questions, diary entries, and drawing features. This secondary analysis presents the narratives of two children who used the Color Me Healthy app during its initial feasibility and acceptability evaluation. Methods. The feasibility/acceptability study included 19 children 6-12 years of age (median 8 years) with cancer who were asked to use the app for at least 5 days between clinical visits. This secondary analysis used close reading techniques with attention to time, voice, setting, mood, perspective, and symbolism to gain a deeper understanding of each child’s individual experiences and common themes across children’s data. Results. Patient 1 is a 6-year-old boy with osteosarcoma who used the app for 3 days and reported pain, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and decreased appetite. He also related favorites, such as cheetahs, the color blue, and interacting with others whether playing board games or playing army. Patient 2 is a 7-year-old girl with leukemia who used the app for 9 days. Her symptoms included pain, fatigue, “a lump in my throat,” and “a cold sore.” Social interactions including spending time with grandparents and going to school were important. She also related that fatigue restricted school attendance. Conclusion. Through the Color Me Healthy app, children were given a means to relate their individual narratives, thoughts, and feelings. Although some similarities were present across children, we also saw individuality in their day-to-day experiences dealing with their illnesses. Applying this information about patients directly could help create a better patient-provider relationship and overall increase the quality of care that these children may receive throughout their treatment.