User experience testing of the mobile pulmonary rehabilitation (m-PR™) app in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Mobile health (mHealth) technologies are emerging to support the delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). This study aimed to explore the ease of use, satisfaction and acceptability of an Australian mobile pulmonary rehabilitation app (m-PR™) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this mixed methods observational study, participants with COPD were recruited following PR assessment. Participants were educated on m-PR™ which contained symptom monitoring, individualised exercise training with exercise videos, education videos, goal setting, health notifications and medication action plan. Participants used m-PR™ for 4-8 weeks. At baseline, participants were surveyed to assess level of technology engagement. At follow-up, participants completed the system usability survey (SUS), a satisfaction survey and a semi-structured interview. Fifteen participants (mean age 70 [SD 10] years, 53% female) completed the study. Technology usage was high with 73% (n = 11) self-rating their technology competence as good or very good. The SUS score of 71 (SD 16) demonstrated above average perceived usability of m-PR™. The satisfaction survey indicated that 67% (n = 10) enjoyed m-PR™ and 33% (n = 5) were neutral. Most participants found the different m-PR™ components somewhat easy or very easy to use (range 69-100%) and somewhat helpful or very helpful (range 76-100%). Interview responses revealed that m-PR™ elicited divergent feelings among participants, who reported both positive and negative feelings towards the app's features, the effort required to use it and data security. The majority of participants found m-PR™ enjoyable, easy to use and helpful in managing their COPD. Further research is warranted to understand the effectiveness of mHealth to deliver PR.