Heuristic Evaluation of Play4Fit Health and Fitness App: A Comparison Between Experts and Novices Evaluators

Heuristic evaluation (HE) can be used to effectively identify usability issues in various interfaces. However, it has not been widely used in evaluating smartphone apps, especially in the health and fitness domain. One reason is the lack of HCI experts, which makes incorporating HE into the design process difficult. This paper presents the results of a study that compared HE performed by three HCI experts and three novices in evaluating a gamification app for health and fitness on a smartphone. The study used Smartphone Mobile Application heuRisTics (SMART), which focuses on smartphone apps, and a severity rating scale to determine the severity of the usability issues. These issues were mapped to the SMART heuristic. The findings indicate that novices may identify usability issues that the experts overlooked. While the experts identified eighteen usability issues, the novices found only four; however, the novice’s findings may be used as a substitute for HE when experts are unavailable. Both experts and novices identified two similar usability issues, but their severity ratings differed. One possible solution to address the lack of usability issues identified by novices in HE is to use more novices instead of experts in the evaluation process

Heuristic Evaluation of Play4Fit Health and Fitness App: A Comparison Between Experts and Novices Evaluators

Heuristic evaluation (HE) can be used to effectively identify usability issues in various interfaces. However, it has not been widely used in evaluating smartphone apps, especially in the health and fitness domain. One reason is the lack of HCI experts, which makes incorporating HE into the design process difficult. This paper presents the results of a study that compared HE performed by three HCI experts and three novices in evaluating a gamification app for health and fitness on a smartphone. The study used Smartphone Mobile Application heuRisTics (SMART), which focuses on smartphone apps, and a severity rating scale to determine the severity of the usability issues. These issues were mapped to the SMART heuristic. The findings indicate that novices may identify usability issues that the experts overlooked. While the experts identified eighteen usability issues, the novices found only four; however, the novice’s findings may be used as a substitute for HE when experts are unavailable. Both experts and novices identified two similar usability issues, but their severity ratings differed. One possible solution to address the lack of usability issues identified by novices in HE is to use more novices instead of experts in the evaluation process

Demarcating mobile phone interface design guidelines to expedite selection

Guidelines are recommended as a tool for informing user interface design. Despite a proliferation of guidelines in the research literature, there is little evidence of their use in industry, nor their influence in academic literature. In this paper, we explore the research literature related to mobile phone design guidelines to find out why this should be so. We commenced by carrying out a scoping literature review of the mobile phone design guideline literature to gain insight into the maturity of the field. The question we wanted to explore was: “Are researchers building on each others’ guidelines, or is the research field still in the foundational stage?” We discovered a poorly structured field, with many researchers proposing new guidelines, but little incremental refinement of extant guidelines. It also became clear that the current reporting of guidelines did not explicitly communicate their multi-dimensionality or deployment context. This leaves designers without a clear way of discriminating between guidelines, and could contribute to the lack of deployment we observed. We conducted a thematic analysis of papers identified by means of a systematic literature review to identify a set of dimensions of mobile phone interface design guidelines. The final dimensions provide a mechanism for differentiating guidelines and expediting choice

Context-awareness for mobile sensing: a survey and future directions

The evolution of smartphones together with increasing computational power have empowered developers to create innovative context-aware applications for recognizing user related social and cognitive activities in any situation and at any location. The existence and awareness of the context provides the capability of being conscious of physical environments or situations around mobile device users. This allows network services to respond proactively and intelligently based on such awareness. The key idea behind context-aware applications is to encourage users to collect, analyze and share local sensory knowledge in the purpose for a large scale community use by creating a smart network. The desired network is capable of making autonomous logical decisions to actuate environmental objects, and also assist individuals. However, many open challenges remain, which are mostly arisen due to the middleware services provided in mobile devices have limited resources in terms of power, memory and bandwidth. Thus, it becomes critically important to study how the drawbacks can be elaborated and resolved, and at the same time better understand the opportunities for the research community to contribute to the context-awareness. To this end, this paper surveys the literature over the period of 1991-2014 from the emerging concepts to applications of context-awareness in mobile platforms by providing up-to-date research and future research directions. Moreover, it points out the challenges faced in this regard and enlighten them by proposing possible solutions

Bench Tracker: Improving Actionable Insights in Smartwatch Fitness Application by Increasing Usability Through Simplification

This thesis describes a smartwatch solution, called Bench Tracker for fitness monitoring using Apple Watches and Apple iPhone devices. The system involves a mobile based application that allows users to track and monitor bench press workouts in real-time to create actionable insights. By creating actionable insights on a smartwatch application, and improving the application’s usability through simplification, users agreed they would use the fitness application created that specifically tracked bench presses. A leading fitness app was used as the comparator, and it was discovered that users were undecided if they would use this app for bench press tracking. This paper presents the relevant background of work in this area, the system architecture that was designed and developed to support this application, the app, the analysis of how data collected from the Apple Watch provides ‘actionable insights’, and a report on the findings of real use test case scenarios. Overall it was discovered that Bench Tracker was successful in providing a high level of actionable insight to users by having a high level usability. This was demonstrated by creating a niche fitness application (Bench Tracker) that had the core workflow and purpose to monitor users bench press. This was validated by the System Usability Scale (SUS) test which was 75.2 for Bench Tracker and in contrast a leading fitness application tested in the study 57.5 (68 is considered average

Co-creation of an ICT-supported cancer rehabilitation application for resected lung cancer survivors: design and evaluation

Background Lung cancer (LC) patients experience high symptom burden and significant decline of physical fitness and quality of life following lung resection. Good quality of survivorship care post-surgery is essential to optimize recovery and prevent unscheduled healthcare use. The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can improve post-surgery care, as it enables frequent monitoring of health status in daily life, provides timely and personalized feedback to patients and professionals, and improves accessibility to rehabilitation programs. Despite its promises, implementation of telehealthcare applications is challenging, often hampered by non-acceptance of the developed service by its end-users. A promising approach is to involve the end-users early and continuously during the developmental process through a so-called user-centred design approach. The aim of this article is to report on this process of co-creation and evaluation of a multimodal ICT-supported cancer rehabilitation program with and for lung cancer patients treated with lung resection and their healthcare professionals (HCPs). Methods A user-centered design approach was used. Through semi-structured interviews (n = 10 LC patients and 6 HCPs), focus groups (n = 5 HCPs), and scenarios (n = 5 HCPs), user needs and requirements were elicited. Semi-structured interviews and the System Usability Scale (SUS) were used to evaluate usability of the telehealthcare application with 7 LC patients and 10 HCPs. Results The developed application consists of: 1) self-monitoring of symptoms and physical activity using on-body sensors and a smartphone, and 2) a web based physical exercise program. 71 % of LC patients and 78 % of HCPs were willing to use the application as part of lung cancer treatment. Accessibility of data via electronic patient records was essential for HCPs. LC patients regarded a positive attitude of the HCP towards the application essential. Overall, the usability (SUS median score = 70, range 35–95) was rated acceptable. Conclusions A telehealthcare application that facilitates symptom monitoring and physical fitness training is considered a useful tool to further improve recovery following surgery of resected lung cancer (LC) patients. Involvement of end users in the design process appears to be necessary to optimize chances of adoption, compliance and implementation of telemedicine

Mobile apps for cognitive restructuring: a review and comparative analysis

Cognitive restructuring is a central component of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and thought records have for decades been a widely used method for helping clients to identify, evaluate, and modify dysfunctional thoughts. The widespread adoption of mobile technology along with changing habits and expectations of therapy clients have led to the development of numerous mobile apps aimed at replicating this core aspect of CBT. This review identifies, describes, and compares current CBT apps that include digitized versions of thought records. Searches of the Apple App Store, Android Google Play Store, published literature, and relevant websites yielded 19 apps that were reviewed and compared with respect to their representation and sequencing of common cognitive restructuring elements. The apps were also compared across a variety of variables of likely relevance to practicing clinicians, including cost, data security, empirical support, user reviews, provision of additional clinical tools, and the involvement of mental health professionals in their development. The review aims to be a resource for practicing clinicians interested in selecting a cognitive restructuring app that replicates paper-based thought records in digital form. Following a discussion of limitations of the current review, recommendations and future directions are described

Evaluating diabetes mobile applications for health literate designs and functionality, 2014

INTRODUCTION: The expansion of mobile health technologies, particularly for diabetes-related applications (apps), grew exponentially in the past decade. This study sought to examine the extent to which current mobile apps for diabetes have health literate features recommended by participants in an Institute of Medicine Roundtable and compare the health literate features by app cost (free or not). METHODS: We used diabetes-related keywords to identify diabetes-related apps for iOS devices. A random sample of 110 apps (24% of total number of apps identified) was selected for coding. The coding scheme was adapted from the discussion paper produced by participants in the Institute of Medicine Roundtable. RESULTS: Most diabetes apps in this sample addressed diabetes management and therapeutics, and paid apps were more likely than free apps to use plain language strategies, to label links clearly, and to have at least 1 feature (a “back” button) that helps with the organization. CONCLUSION: Paid apps were more likely than free apps to use strategies that should be more useful and engaging for people with low health literacy. Future work can investigate ways to make free diabetes mobile apps more user-friendly and accessible

Signal processing measurement of the results of the up-down hop test using sensors

The advancement of mobile technology and sensor development has profoundly impacted several sectors, including physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences. This study focuses on measuring the Up-Down Hop Test findings with sensor technologies to improve clinical assessments and rehabilitation outcomes and contribute to the growth of sports science. By incorporating sensors into mobile devices, the study investigates novel techniques for objectively analyzing data from the Up-Down Hop Test, providing a complete understanding of the patient’s lower limb function and stability. Using sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, allows for the accurate capturing of movement data, which is essential for assessing the efficiency of rehabilitation programs and establishing an individual’s readiness to resume physical activity. The study describes the limitations of traditional ways of evaluating Up-Down Hop Test results, which rely on subjective assessments and physical measurements. The study uses sensor technology to overcome these issues, suggesting a more ob jective and efficient assessment process. This method improves the accuracy and reliability of test findings and facilitates the formulation of tailored rehabilitation plans based on quantitative data analysis. A thorough literature analysis offers the study’s theoretical underpinning, em phasizing the importance of the Up-Down Hop Test in physical therapy and the po tential benefits of introducing sensor technology into its evaluation. Related works are discussed, contrasting various techniques and their clinical usefulness, highlight ing the need for trustworthy, objective, and cost-effective tools for assessing athletic performance and healing. The methodology section describes the methods used to execute and evaluate the sensor-based assessment of the Up-Down Hop Test, including sensor selection, data collection protocols, and analytic approaches. Pilot tests and statistical analysis have validated the suggested method’s effectiveness, proving its ability to provide a complete knowledge of test results and guide rehabilitation efforts. The study’s findings support the viability of using sensor technology to correctly quantify Up-Down Hop Test outcomes. It provides valuable insights into the healing process and aids evidence-based decision-making in physical therapy practices. This study adds to the expanding body of knowledge about using sophisticated technology in healthcare, recommending future directions for developing more effective and tailored rehabilitation treatments.RESUMO: O estudo sobre a utilização da tecnologia de sensores para aprimorar a avaliação do Up-Down Hop Test em fisioterapia e ciências da reabilitação representa um avanço significativo na forma como abordamos a reabilitação física e a ciência do desporto. A utilização de acelerómetros, giroscópios e magnetómetros para capturar dados precisos de movimento pode revolucionar a objetividade e eficiência das avaliações clínicas, contribuindo, em última análise, para planos de reabilitação mais personalizados e eficazes. O foco em superar as limitações das avaliações subjeti vas tradicionais com essas tecnologias aborda uma necessidade crítica de métodos mais confiáveis e quantitativos na avaliação da função e estabilidade dos membros inferiores. A análise minuciosa da literatura fornece uma base sólida para a importância da integração da tecnologia de sensores nas avaliações de fisioterapia. Destaca a necessidade de ferramentas objetivas, confiáveis e custo-eficazes na avaliação do desempenho atlético e recuperação, pavimentando o caminho para uma aceitação e implementação mais amplas dessas tecnologias em ambientes clínicos. A metodologia, incluindo a seleção de sensores apropriados, o estabelecimento de protocolos de coleta de dados e a utilização de abordagens analíticas para interpretar os dados, mostra uma abordagem bem pensada para a realização deste estudo. A validação da sua metodologia através de testes piloto e análise estatística reforça o potencial das avaliações baseadas em sensores em oferecer uma compreensão mais matizada dos resultados do Up-Down Hop Test. Os resultados que destacam a viabilidade e eficácia da utilização da tecnologia de sensores para a quantificação precisa dos resultados da reabilitação são incrivelmente promissores. Esta abordagem não só ajuda no monitoramento do processo de cura, mas também melhora a tomada de decisões baseada em evidências nas práticas de terapia. Ao contribuir para o crescente corpo de conhecimento sobre a aplicação de tecnologias avançadas na saúde, o seu estudo aponta para direções futuras empolgantes para o desenvolvimento de intervenções de reabilitação mais eficientes e personalizadas. Para contribuir ainda mais para este campo, poderia ser benéfico explorar a integração de algoritmos de aprendizagem automática com os dados coletados dos sensores para uma análise e modelagem preditiva ainda mais sofisticadas dos resultados da reabilitação. Além disso, investigar os impactos a longo prazo das avaliações baseadas em sensores na recuperação dos pacientes e o potencial para a integração dessas tecnologias em programas de reabilitação em casa poderia oferecer insights valiosos sobre a sua aplicabilidade e eficácia mais amplas