Designing a mobile application for complementary and alternative medicine: A usability approach

Abstract

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing rapidly, and this trend has a significant impact on conventional healthcare. The lack of CAM disclosure between patients and physicians presents a serious challenge for successful treatment. The current study addresses this problem by proposing a CAM mobile application designed with a focus on usability. The goal of the study is to provide a platform where patients, physicians, and CAM practitioners can communicate, exchange ideas, and share their experiences. The mobile application is centered on the needs of the different user groups, and it provides an easy to navigate interface with responsive design, which is based on best practices in human-computer interaction. The study extends current knowledge by incorporating design science principles in the application development process and focuses on the usability of the proposed artifact to ensure successful communication on CAM between patients, physicians, and CAM practitioners.