JMIR Form Res. 2026 Jan 21;10:e77631. doi: 10.2196/77631.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are prevalent, yet people from marginalized communities are less likely to use digital health technologies to support self-management behaviors. Community engagement can inform health care design to enhance a hypertension self-management mHealth intervention.
OBJECTIVE: We applied human-centered design (HCD) to determine appropriate iterations of an existing hypertension intervention.
METHODS: Through an equity-focused, community-centered approach, we strove to optimize an mHealth app. We used validated theories and frameworks as well as an HCD methodology organized into three fundamental design skills: (1) methods to directly observe user experiences, (2) methods to analyze barriers to ideal intervention use, and (3) methods to design future iterations.
RESULTS: In October 2023, we conducted a series of HCD activities with a community advisory board (n=8) to refine an mHealth intervention for hypertension. Participants tested app prototypes with blood pressure monitors and suggested content modifications to enhance intervention fidelity. Among 6 participants, usability testing scored 67.5 (benchmark 68, "above average"), with all users finding the tool easy to use. Feedback identified critical needs, barriers, and work-arounds for future mHealth iterations.
CONCLUSIONS: This study was a novel use case example of HCD as a patient-centered methodology to improve a hypertension management tool.
PMID:41564295 | DOI:10.2196/77631