Development of a Smartphone-Based Self-Management Application for Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Background For patients with left ventricular assist devices, self-management is essential for maintaining health. A smartphone-based self-management application may help them practice self-management. Objective In this study, we aimed to develop an application to facilitate the self-management of patients with left ventricular assist devices and evaluate its usability. Methods A group of investigators developed a smartphone-based self-management application using the ADDIE model, between March and July 2023 in South Korea. Ten healthcare professionals and 5 pairs of patients with left ventricular assist devices and their family caregivers used the application for 5 days. The application's usability was verified using the Mobile Application Rating Scale and the user version of this scale. The participants' evaluations of the experience of using the application were collected using semistructured interviews. Results The application was composed of functions such as self-management information and a health diary. The score for application usability was 4.6 of 5 on both scales. Two themes were derived from qualitative interviews: “establishment of an essential self-management system for patients with LVADs” and “suggestions to make the app tailored to the patient.” Conclusions The developed application's usability was highly evaluated in quantitative and qualitative aspects. Therefore, introducing this application into healthcare could be a useful strategy to help patients improve their self-management.