title: A user-centered model for designing consumer mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobile technologies are a useful platform for the delivery of health behavior interventions. Yet little work has been done to create a rigorous and standardized process for the design of mobile health (mHealth) apps. This project sought to explore the use of the Information Systems Research (ISR) framework as guide for the design of mHealth apps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our work was guided by the ISR framework which is comprised of 3 cycles: Relevance, Rigor and Design. In the Relevance cycle, we conducted 5 focus groups with 33 targeted end-users. In the Rigor cycle, we performed a review to identify technology-based interventions for meeting the health prevention needs of our target population. In the Design Cycle, we employed usability evaluation methods to iteratively develop and refine mock-ups for a mHealth app.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through an iterative process, we identified barriers and facilitators to the use of mHealth technology for HIV prevention for high-risk MSM, developed 'use cases' and identified relevant functional content and features for inclusion in a design document to guide future app development. Findings from our work support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for designing future mHealth apps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this work provide detailed descriptions of the user-centered design and system development and have heuristic value for those venturing into the area of technology-based intervention work. Findings from this study support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for future mHealth app development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of the ISR framework is a potentially useful approach for the design of a mobile app that incorporates end-users' design preferences.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: rb897@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schnall
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakken
authors.affiliation: HIV Center, Division of Gender, Sexuality and Health, NYS Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY, United States; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: HIV Center, Division of Gender, Sexuality and Health, NYS Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carballo-Dieguez
authors.affiliation: National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carry
authors.affiliation: National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gelaude
authors.affiliation: National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
authors.forename: Jocelyn Patterson
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mosley
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Travers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D040421:Cell Phone; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D008297:Male; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D063731:Mobile Applications; D012985:Software Design; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Design science; HIV; MSM; Mobile apps; User-centered; mHealth