Usability assessment of a mobile app for patients with peripherally inserted central catheters

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate usability of the Meu PICC (My PICC) app for follow-up of outpatients using peripherally inserted central catheters through the validated System Usability Scale instrument. Method: a cross-sectional study that applied the System Usability Scale to 30 patients using peripherally inserted central catheters, ten nurses and eight Information and Communication Technology professionals to assess usability of the app. Results: a statistical difference was observed between age and usability (p=0.006), as well as a negative correlation between app use time and usability (p=0.002). As per the System Usability Scale adjectival classification, 40.0% and 33.3% of the patients considered the app as the best possible to be imagined and as excellent, respectively. In relation to the nurses, 70.0% considered the app as the best possible to be imagined and 20.0% as excellent; of the Information and Communication Technology professionals, 50.0% considered the app as the best possible to be imagined and the other 50.0%, as excellent. Conclusion: the usability assessment showed that patients, nurses and ICT professionals considered the app useful for monitoring patients using PICCs and evaluated it as appropriate, evaluating it as the best possible to be imagined or as excellent. These results corroborate use of the Meu PICC app in the monitoring of outpatient use of PICCs.