(PTFS04-01-24) User-Centered Development of a Mobile Application for Management of Hypertension Disorders of Pregnancy: A Study Protocol

Objectives: Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP) are a significant cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Mobile health technologies can enable HDP management by providing patient education, facilitating patient-provider communication, and reinforcing BP self-monitoring through reminders and positive feedback. Our aim is to develop a mobile app prototype for HDP management by taking a user-centered design approach and to assess the usability and acceptability of the prototype’s features among predominantly low-income women with HDP in New Jersey (NJ).

Methods: The content and features for the app were identified based on a literature review, relevant theory-based behavioral strategies, best practices in app design, and discussions with subject matter experts. An interactive prototype was then developed to test the app’s proposed interface, navigation sequences, features, and functions. Next, key informant interviews (KIIs) will be conducted with 4 Maternal & Fetal Medicine specialists to gather their insight into patients’ needs and the relevance of the prototype’s features and functions. Concurrently, 9 pregnant women with current or recent diagnosis of HDP will be recruited from two OB-GYN clinics in NJ for interviews and usability testing via a Think Aloud approach. During the video-recorded usability testing, women will be asked to complete 8 specific functional tasks on the app prototype and verbalize their thoughts and reactions aloud while completing the task. Additional interview questions will be posed to gauge digital health literacy, potential barriers and facilitators to uptake of the proposed mobile app, and perceived ease of use and usefulness (within the Technology Acceptance Model framework) of the proposed HDP app.

Results: We have completed the HDP app prototype while patient and provider interviews are currently underway.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this will be the first formative user research study to guide a user-centered development of a mobile app for HDP, integrating both patient and provider feedback while also accounting for digital health literacy.

Funding Sources: New Jersey Health Foundation