Design and evaluation of simple UI for mobile healthcare application

Abstract

In 2008, the Japanese government enacted a new healthcare law that requires companies to reduce the weight of overweight employees suffering from so-called metabolic syndrome, and the weight of their spouses. In 2013, companies that fail to reduce the weight of their employees and their spouses will be penalized. So, companies aim to introduce tools to support to loose weight. At first, we developed the first version of mobile application, named HIPPO (Healthcare Information Platform Project), to support to loose weight in 2007. This application worked well during two months and 76% of users whose BMI was 25 or over lost their weight. However, this problem was that many users could not continue to use this application and users who could continued to use this application could loose weight. We thought that to develop application that made user continue to use was important. So, in 2008, redesigned the system architecture and application from three view points, (1) Address real user needs, (2) Rethink and streamline the data-entry model for food and exercise, (3) Make the user experience personal and engaging. We designed one simple application with limited functions and use email as a support tool. As the result, 84% of uses could continue to use the second generation application.