TY - JOUR
AU - E. R. Eaves
AU - E. Doerry
AU - S. A. Lanzetta
AU - K. M. Kruithoff
AU - K. Negron
AU - K. Dykman
AU - O. Thoney
AU - C. C. Harper
A1 - 
AB - PURPOSE AND APPROACH: Women in recovery describe stigma, negative treatment, and limited support as barriers to achieving their health and parenting goals. Mobile health technologies carefully tailored to support the unique needs of recovery communities can provide less burdensome alternatives to in-person services for women transitioning out of substance use treatment. An iterative design process integrated women's interests into the structure, content, and interaction flow of a mobile health (mHealth) app. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants included women in recovery from opioid, alcohol, and polysubstance use disorders in a comprehensive housing program in urban Arizona. METHODS: Five focus groups with 3-7 participants each (n = 27 total) informed creation of the mHealth app. Informed by theoretical models of usability and person-centered design, development involved an iterative series of focus groups in which we asked women to comment on interest in using each feature. This provided a qualitative priority framework for feature development. We then modified the app and repeated the process to gauge consensus and continually refine our prototype. RESULTS: Women were interested in access to resources, such as housing, counseling, and parenting advice in settings known to treat women in recovery with respect. They also asked for positive messages, chatting with peers, and access to expert answers. They were less interested in points-based learning modules and "scored" activities, leading us to develop a "daily challenges" concept that builds good habits, but does not feel like "classwork". Women's recommendations shaped an mHealth app tailored to maximize utility, access, and safety for this at-risk population. CONCLUSION: Integration of user-centered design with applied ethnographic techniques guided the development of a custom-tailored mHealth app responsive to lived experiences and needs of women in recovery. Future research should evaluate the potential for user-centered apps to increase self-efficacy, perceived social support, and to reduce risk of relapse.
AD - Department of Anthropology, 3356Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.; Center for Health Equity Research, 3356Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.; School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, 3356Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
AN - 35815770
BT - Am J Health Promot
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities; HIT & Telehealth
CP - 1
DA - Jan
DO - 10.1177/08901171221113834
DP - NLM
ET - 20220710
IS - 1
JF - Am J Health Promot
LA - eng
N2 - PURPOSE AND APPROACH: Women in recovery describe stigma, negative treatment, and limited support as barriers to achieving their health and parenting goals. Mobile health technologies carefully tailored to support the unique needs of recovery communities can provide less burdensome alternatives to in-person services for women transitioning out of substance use treatment. An iterative design process integrated women's interests into the structure, content, and interaction flow of a mobile health (mHealth) app. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants included women in recovery from opioid, alcohol, and polysubstance use disorders in a comprehensive housing program in urban Arizona. METHODS: Five focus groups with 3-7 participants each (n = 27 total) informed creation of the mHealth app. Informed by theoretical models of usability and person-centered design, development involved an iterative series of focus groups in which we asked women to comment on interest in using each feature. This provided a qualitative priority framework for feature development. We then modified the app and repeated the process to gauge consensus and continually refine our prototype. RESULTS: Women were interested in access to resources, such as housing, counseling, and parenting advice in settings known to treat women in recovery with respect. They also asked for positive messages, chatting with peers, and access to expert answers. They were less interested in points-based learning modules and "scored" activities, leading us to develop a "daily challenges" concept that builds good habits, but does not feel like "classwork". Women's recommendations shaped an mHealth app tailored to maximize utility, access, and safety for this at-risk population. CONCLUSION: Integration of user-centered design with applied ethnographic techniques guided the development of a custom-tailored mHealth app responsive to lived experiences and needs of women in recovery. Future research should evaluate the potential for user-centered apps to increase self-efficacy, perceived social support, and to reduce risk of relapse.
PY - 2023
SN - 0890-1171 (Print); 0890-1171
SP - 56
EP - 64+
ST - Applying User-Centered Design in the Development of a Supportive mHealth App for Women in Substance Use Recovery
T1 - Applying User-Centered Design in the Development of a Supportive mHealth App for Women in Substance Use Recovery
T2 - Am J Health Promot
TI - Applying User-Centered Design in the Development of a Supportive mHealth App for Women in Substance Use Recovery
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities; HIT & Telehealth
U3 - 10.1177/08901171221113834
VL - 37
VO - 0890-1171 (Print); 0890-1171
Y1 - 2023
ER -