Evaluation of a mobile application (PPLife) for training prison staff on infectious disease management: a design science research approach

Technological innovations in healthcare propose applying scientific knowledge to solve health-related problems. Prison environments present unique challenges for infectious disease control due to overcrowding and limited healthcare access. This study aimed to describe the evaluation process of the mobile application “PPLife”, developed to provide information on infectious diseases as a support tool for prison system workers. The PPLife application was developed using Design Science Research (DSR) methodology comprising 12 stages, with the first seven dedicated to application development. The app provides information on tuberculosis, HIV, viral hepatitis, and syphilis through three main tabs: Concepts, Diagnosis, and Indicators. Evaluation was conducted through structural and functional testing based on ISO/IEC 25010:2011 standards. This analysis involved 29 professionals from the prison system and health sectors during a state congress in November 2022. Participants used smartphones containing the PPLife prototype and completed a self-guided questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale to assess four characteristics: functionality, reliability, usability, and efficiency. Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated using Microsoft Excel, with values between 0.40–0.59 were classified as fair, values between 0.60–0.74 as good, and values ≥ 0.75 as excellent. The 29 experts included prison system workers (34.4%) and health professionals (55.2%) with mean age of approximately 42.8 years and 15 years of work experience. Of the 17 evaluation questions, 16 (94.1%) achieved CVI ≥ 0.75, while one question (5.88%) received CVI = 0.72. Usability achieved the highest score (CVI = 0.94, excellent) and reliability the lowest (CVI = 0.84, good). The overall application CVI was 0.89, classified as good. Twenty-eight participants provided feedback with suggestions for improvement. The PPLife mobile application demonstrated good validity as an informative, innovative, and effective tool for disseminating infectious disease information within the prison system, supporting evidence-based decision-making for healthcare management.