BMT4me <i>En Español</i> : Multisite Feasibility and Usability Testing of a Spanish‐Language mHealth Adherence Support App for Spanish‐Speaking Caregivers of Children After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cancer Treatment
BACKGROUND: Medication nonadherence during the first 100 days after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and during oncology treatment increases risk for complications. BMT4me is a caregiver-facing mobile health (mHealth) application providing medication reminders, symptom tracking, and note-taking features to support medication management. Spanish-speaking caregivers are frequently excluded from digital adherence interventions due to the lack of language-accessible tools. PROCEDURE: We conducted a multisite, mixed-methods usability testing of a Spanish-language version of BMT4me ("BMT4me en Español") with Spanish-speaking caregivers of children (ages 2-17 years) post-HSCT or with an oncology diagnosis on active treatment. Caregivers completed a facilitated, three-step usability session (unobtrusive observation, interactive observation, and debriefing), followed by a semi-structured interview, and then completed the system usability scale (SUS). Quantitative outcomes were summarized descriptively; qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis with constant comparison. RESULTS: Fifteen participants enrolled at each site for a total of 30 participants. Across both sites, the recruitment rate was 91%. All participants completed all parts of the study. The SUS score (M = 80.09; SD = 17.35) was above average (>68). Two key qualitative themes emerged: (1) the perceived positive impact of BMT4me on managing a serious illness and (2) the acceptance and sociocultural relevance of BMT4me for Spanish-speaking families. Caregivers also shared suggestions to add educational content and multiuser functionalities to BMT4me. CONCLUSIONS: The acceptance and perceived positive impact of the Spanish BMT4me app indicates that socioculturally relevant, Spanish mHealth interventions have strong potential to support Spanish-speaking caregivers in pediatric oncology and HSCT settings.
Authors
- Micah Skeens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6786-8128)
- M. K. Peek
- Emre Sezgın (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8798-9605)
- Bianca Franklin
- Melissa Beauchemin
Institutions
- Nationwide Children's Hospital (US)
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
- The Ohio State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Pediatric Blood & Cancer
- Published
- 2026-07-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/1545-5017.70509
- Primary Topic
- Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Institutes of Health