Title : Usability and Acceptability of a Mobile App for Emergency Room Providers to Examine Child Abuse Victims: A Mixed Methods Study
Abstract:
Background and Significance
Clinical guideline adherence can improve patient outcomes. Because mobile apps are promising approaches to enhance providers’ use of clinical guidelines, we designed and developed a mobile application called Sexual Assault Care Algorithm (SACA) for rapid decision-making and guidance for health care providers of child sex-abuse victims, especially those working in emergency rooms.
Objective
This study provides a preliminary evaluation of the usability and acceptability of SACA.
Materials and Methods
We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design, which included an initial quantitative survey (including Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire and Acceptability e-Scale) and a follow-up qualitative study from interviews, observations, and documentation. Then we linked the qualitative data with the initial quantitative data to determine how the follow-up qualitative data help explain the initial quantitative results. The results were illustrated using a joint display table.
Results
Four providers completed the study. Both usability score (3.70 (SD, 1.21)) and acceptability score (3.79 (SD, 1.14)) were relatively high. Average time per question using SACA was 2 minutes, which is faster than using paper-based guidelines. The average accuracy rates were the same (67%) using both guidelines. The qualitative data provided insight into the initial survey results and helped identify areas to optimize.
Discussion
SACA is easy to use and useful. App training should consider users’ age, work experience, reading comprehension level, thinking process.
Conclusions
Our data provide preliminary evidence of high usability and acceptability of SACA in a sample of providers. SACA may improve provider’s compliance with the decision-making guidelines.
