Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience Study

BackgroundAccessible self-management interventions are required to support people living with breast cancer. ObjectiveThis was an industry-academic partnership study that aimed to collect qualitative user experience data of a prototype app with built-in peer and c...

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Main Authors: Phillippa Lally, Christine N May, E Siobhan Mitchell, Meaghan McCallum, Andreas Michaelides, Abigail Fisher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2024-12-01
Series:JMIR Cancer
Online Access:https://cancer.jmir.org/2024/1/e48170
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author Phillippa Lally
Christine N May
E Siobhan Mitchell
Meaghan McCallum
Andreas Michaelides
Abigail Fisher
author_facet Phillippa Lally
Christine N May
E Siobhan Mitchell
Meaghan McCallum
Andreas Michaelides
Abigail Fisher
author_sort Phillippa Lally
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundAccessible self-management interventions are required to support people living with breast cancer. ObjectiveThis was an industry-academic partnership study that aimed to collect qualitative user experience data of a prototype app with built-in peer and coach support designed to support the management of health behaviors and weight in women living with breast cancer. MethodsParticipants were aged ≥18 years, were diagnosed with breast cancer of any stage within the last 5 years, had completed active treatment, and were prescribed oral hormone therapy. Participants completed demographic surveys and were asked to use the app for 4 weeks. Following this, they took part in in-depth qualitative interviews about their experiences. These were analyzed using thematic analysis. ResultsEight participants (mean age, 45 years; mean time since diagnosis, 32 months) were included. Of the 8 participants, 7 (88%) were white, 6 (75%) had a graduate degree or above, and 6 (75%) had stage I-III breast cancer. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) Support for providing an app earlier in the care pathway; (2) Desire for more weight-focused content tailored to the breast cancer experience; (3) Tracking of health behaviors that are generally popular; and (4) High value of in-app social support. ConclusionsThis early user experience work showed that women with breast cancer found an app with integrated social and psychological support appealing to receive support for behavior change and weight management or self-management. However, many features were recommended for further development. This work is the first step in an academic-industry collaboration that would ultimately aim to develop and empirically test a supportive app that could be integrated into the cancer care pathway.
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spelling doaj-art-fd146b3be60845e7b9a0ad2e83b83dfb2024-12-20T21:30:55ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Cancer2369-19992024-12-0110e4817010.2196/48170Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience StudyPhillippa Lallyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4847-4163Christine N Mayhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4367-5310E Siobhan Mitchellhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7851-6283Meaghan McCallumhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0677-5619Andreas Michaelideshttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4983-5001Abigail Fisherhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9284-6780 BackgroundAccessible self-management interventions are required to support people living with breast cancer. ObjectiveThis was an industry-academic partnership study that aimed to collect qualitative user experience data of a prototype app with built-in peer and coach support designed to support the management of health behaviors and weight in women living with breast cancer. MethodsParticipants were aged ≥18 years, were diagnosed with breast cancer of any stage within the last 5 years, had completed active treatment, and were prescribed oral hormone therapy. Participants completed demographic surveys and were asked to use the app for 4 weeks. Following this, they took part in in-depth qualitative interviews about their experiences. These were analyzed using thematic analysis. ResultsEight participants (mean age, 45 years; mean time since diagnosis, 32 months) were included. Of the 8 participants, 7 (88%) were white, 6 (75%) had a graduate degree or above, and 6 (75%) had stage I-III breast cancer. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) Support for providing an app earlier in the care pathway; (2) Desire for more weight-focused content tailored to the breast cancer experience; (3) Tracking of health behaviors that are generally popular; and (4) High value of in-app social support. ConclusionsThis early user experience work showed that women with breast cancer found an app with integrated social and psychological support appealing to receive support for behavior change and weight management or self-management. However, many features were recommended for further development. This work is the first step in an academic-industry collaboration that would ultimately aim to develop and empirically test a supportive app that could be integrated into the cancer care pathway.https://cancer.jmir.org/2024/1/e48170
spellingShingle Phillippa Lally
Christine N May
E Siobhan Mitchell
Meaghan McCallum
Andreas Michaelides
Abigail Fisher
Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience Study
JMIR Cancer
title Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience Study
title_full Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience Study
title_fullStr Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience Study
title_full_unstemmed Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience Study
title_short Prototype of an App Designed to Support Self-Management for Health Behaviors and Weight in Women Living With Breast Cancer: Qualitative User Experience Study
title_sort prototype of an app designed to support self management for health behaviors and weight in women living with breast cancer qualitative user experience study
url https://cancer.jmir.org/2024/1/e48170
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