Improving Support Through Technology - Pilot Testing of a User-Centered Mobile Health App for Family Caregivers

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley

Family caregivers often begin caregiving unexpectedly and without adequate training or support, compromising their own health. A user-centered process used interviews and co-design to develop a multi-component Family Caregiver App that integrates self-care with caregiving education. In a three-week cohort study with 12 caregivers (mean age 44.5), usability (MAUQ) averaged 5.49, with strong perceptions of ease of use and usefulness. Participants reported intuitive navigation and accessible prompts, and feasibility indicators showed full completion and sustained engagement across modules.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Care needs and design approach

Study aims and evaluation measures

Results: usability, acceptability, and feasibility

Implications for caregiver support

276 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.925 IMPROVING SUPPORT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY: PILOT TESTING OF A USER-CENTERED MOBILE HEALTH APP FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS Haomin Hu1, I Made Agus Setiawan2, Zara Ambadar3, Andi Saptono2, Heidi Donovan1, Brad Dicianno3, Bambang Parmanto2, and Yong Kyung Choi1, 1. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 2. University of Pittsburgh Department of Health Information Management, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 3. University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Family caregivers (caregivers) often begin their caregiving roles unexpectedly without adequate training or support. They prioritize caregiving over self-care, leading to compromised health outcomes. In response, we employed user-centered approaches to interview caregivers, co-design solutions, and develop a multi-component Family Caregiver App. While many digital solutions focus solely on caregiving skills, our Family Caregiver App uniquely integrates self-care alongside caregiving education. This study aimed to evaluate the app’s usability, acceptability, and feasibility in a three-week cohort with 12 caregivers averaging 44.5 (±13.69) years of age. Usability was measured with the Mobile Health App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ), ranging from 1 (disagree) to 7 (agree), resulting inan average score of 5.49 (±0.92) . Acceptability, assessed through MAUQ subscales (ease of use: 5.62 ± 0.72, usefulness: 5.11 ± 1.35) and qualitative feedback guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), revealed positive user perceptions. Caregivers highlighted the app’s simple and accessible user interface, intuitive prompts, and straightforward navigation as key facilitators of ease of use. Additionally, cross-platform compatibility and tailored caregiver-focused features contributed significantly to the perceived usefulness and participants’intentions for continued app use. Feasibility metrics indicated high engagement, with all caregivers completing the study and meeting predefined app usage criteria (average usage >1/3 days across more than four modules) . Our findings consistently demonstrate that the Family Caregiver App is usable, acceptable, and feasible. Integrating user-centered and inclusive design principles offers a promising avenue to support caregivers, holistically addressing their caregiving responsibilities and well-being.

FAQs

What problem does the study address for family caregivers?

Family caregivers often start caregiving unexpectedly without adequate training or support, leading them to prioritize caregiving over self-care and compromising health outcomes.

What is unique about the Family Caregiver App described in the abstract?

It uses a user-centered, multi-component approach and uniquely integrates self-care alongside caregiving education rather than focusing only on caregiving skills.

How was the app evaluated and what were the main outcomes?

Usability was measured with the Mobile Health App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ) and acceptability used MAUQ subscales plus qualitative feedback guided by TAM; feasibility was assessed via engagement and completion, with findings showing the app is usable, acceptable, and feasible.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley