A mobile app (AMOR Mama) for women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy: Functionality and usability study

Abstract

Background: Mobile apps targeting women with breast cancer can facilitate access to information, improve well-being, and record reports of treatment-related symptoms. However, it is important to confirm the benefits of these apps before they are used as a tool in clinical care. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the functionality and the usability of a mobile app created to guide and monitor patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy. Methods: The evaluation process of the mobile app was performed in 2 steps with 8 professionals, including nurses, physician, medical physicists, and communication networks engineer. The first step was the focus group, which allowed obtaining suggestions proposed by the participants regarding the improvement of the mobile app. The second step was the individual filling in of an evaluation tool to obtain objective measures about the mobile app. A minimum concordance index of 80% was considered to ensure the adequacy of the material. Results: After the mobile app was evaluated by 8 professionals, only 1 item of the evaluation tool, that is, concerning the potentiality of the app to be used by users of different educational levels, obtained a concordance index <80%. Conclusions: The mobile app titled "AMOR Mama" was considered suitable, which suggests its contribution to an educational health technology to guide and monitor patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy. More studies with this target population should be carried out to assess the performance and quality of the mobile app during its use.