Empowering WHISE women: usability testing of a mobile application to enhance blood pressure control

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Abstract
Background: High blood pressure (hypertension) disproportionately affects African American/Black (Black) women. Previous research suggests that self-managing hypertension may be challenging, yet mobile applications (apps) can help to empower patients and increase medication adherence. We developed questions to test the usability of evaluating the WHISE (Wellness, Hypertension, Information Sharing, Self-Management, Education) mobile app for Black women with hypertension. Methods: Fifteen participants completed usability testing; five were potential app users (Black women with hypertension); each invited two of their peers to participate. Each testing session (n=5) included a brief overview of the app, time for participants to complete surveys and have an active discussion about the app (concurrent and retrospective think-aloud, concurrent and retrospective probing, per usability.gov), and observation of participants’ body language during the session. Testing sessions were designed to familiarize participants with the app’s features and examine their navigating ability. Results: The app received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 80% of participants finding it to be a valuable tool in hypertension management. Participants praised the app’s user-friendliness and educational value, with one stating, ‘It is a good educational piece for helping people manage hypertension, at least to understand its basics.’ Another participant highlighted the potential for community support, saying, ‘Having a community, having some people to be accountable, to check in with and see how things are going, could encourage and motivate people to be more diligent about managing their hypertension.’ Some participants also provided constructive feedback, suggesting font size adjustments (73%) and color scheme changes (60%) for certain screens. Conclusions: Based on the feedback we received, we were able to mitigate the participants’ concerns about font size and color and create tutorial videos to guide future users in using the app. We completed these changes prior to deploying the app in our randomized clinical controlled trial.

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