The Journal of mHealth Vol 3 Issue 1 (Feb/Mar 2016) | Page 7

Fundamentals of UX Design for mHealth Apps
important to research patient and
provider expectations to ensure the
app meets those expectations and
maximizes functionality.
»» Involve clinicians and specialists
practicing in relevant domains. Providers know their patients (a.k.a your
users), and can help to determine
key objectives and features for your
app. Of course, seeking input from
providers also ensures that provider
expectations for app functionality
and usability are met. Constructive
feedback can be utilized throughout
the design process to create prototypes, wireframes, and mockups.
»» Once the app is live, facilitate open
communication with users by implementing a comprehensive feedback
system. This provides the opportunity for honest user input after the
initial design stage.
FUNCTIONALITY AND USABILITY
Once user expectations are known, specific functionality and usability features
can be determined. Like any app, mobile
health apps need to stand out from other
competing apps in the market and “stick”
with the user. At the same time, mHealth
apps need to be comprehensible because
health can be an unpleasant, confusing,
or scary subject for many users.
Data visualization is an effective strategy for improving usability. Health care
is notoriously difficult to navigate, but
mHealth can be part of the solution by
implementing design features that simplify the process:
»» Declutter by eliminating extraneous
text, visuals, or sound. Too much
stimulation can confuse users, discouraging them from using the app.
The visuals that are included should
be clean, consistent, and absolutely
necessary.
»» Data visualization should always
help fulfill the app’s overall objective, whether it’s to track activity,
monitor blood pressure, or educate
users about healthy eating habits. For
instance, the world’s first free-market telemedicine app that Intersog
has built for Video Medicine, Inc4
aims to provide accessible, affordable, non-emergency medical care
by connecting doctors and patients.
To facilitate this goal, the app utilizes
features that indicate provider’s specialty, rate, online/offline status, and

in which states they’re licensed to
practice.
Specific functionality features vary
widely depending on an app’s specific
objectives. Still, there are some core principles to keep in mind:
»» mHealth apps should always provide
users with clear instructions on how
to manage a specific disease.
»» Current and updated research or data
should be shared in a comprehensible way to keep users informed and
educated on their condition.
»» Although a majority of mHealth
apps utilize the tracking feature, it is
crucial to do so in a way that is comprehensible to the user, and does not
confuse or distract them from the
overall goal of the app.
»» Flexibility and control, meaning that
users should be able to easily and
efficiently control interactions and
carry out tasks.
»» For optimal functionality, data reliability is key. Although mHealth
apps vary widely by overall function, no app can achieve optimum
functionality if data is not accurate
or reliable. An activity tracker app
that does not accurately capture or
reliably transmit data will never be
able to benefit users. An effective
strategy to help ensure data reliability is to test apps at every stage
in the desi