Developing an mHealth Application for Empowering Cancer Survivors with Disabilities: A User-Centered Co-Design Approach (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND The transition from active treatment to long-term cancer survivorship leaves the needs of many cancer survivors unaddressed as they struggle with physical, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of cancer and its treatment. The lack of guidance following treatment has forced cancer survivors to manage long-term effects on their own, impacting their overall health, quality of life, and social participation. OBJECTIVE To bridge this gap, we aim to design a self-management mobile health (mHealth) application for cancer survivors with disabilities that will offer interventions to improve their quality of life and increase their self-efficacy to manage cancer as a chronic condition. METHODS We organized three co-design workshops with cancer survivors for developing and critiquing personas and prototypes. RESULTS These workshops helped us define the challenges cancer survivors with disabilities face as well as important considerations when designing an mHealth app for cancer survivors with disabilities, such as including flexibility, engagement, socialization, and a minimalistic design. We also outline guidelines for other researchers when planning their own co-design workshops. CONCLUSIONS Using a user-centered co-design process aided us in developing a prototype of an mHealth application for cancer survivors with disabilities.