Methods: Semi-structured interviews, observation, and quantitative standardized measures were used in this study. A convenience sample of 12 elderly patients with DMII was recruited for the study. Descriptive and inferential analysis was used to analyze the quantitative data. Content analysis was used to organize the emerging usability themes.
Results: The average score of System Usability Scale (SUS) was 91.60 (SD =5.65) and 92.05 (SD =11) for week 1 and week 4 respectively. The overall experience was expressed in eleven overarching themes emerged and were categorized as the following: overall satisfaction, ease of use, ease of navigation, simplicity, usefulness and helpfulness, presentation, efficiency, errors, functionality and features, and excitement and acceptance. Observation sessions showed that most users were able to complete easy and moderate tasks with a high success rate (95-100%), in a short amount of time (0.08 to 2.21 minutes per task) and with minimal errors (0-3 errors per task). Twenty-four suggested features to be considered in the next version of the ASSISTwell or any future DMII application were highlighted in this study.
Conclusion: Examining usability is an essential step in application development to ensure that the application's features match users' expectations and needs and minimize the likelihood of user errors and difficulties in using the system. As technology advances, apps such as ASSISTwell will become increasingly available to support self-management of chronic health problems and disability. Rehabilitation nurses will be at the forefront of incorporating technology into practice