Designing an mHealth application to bridge health disparities in Latina breast cancer survivors: a community-supported design approach

ABSTRACTLatina breast cancer patients in the USA report significantly worse cancer-related symptom burden and health-related quality of life than non-Hispanic whites. However, health literacy (e.g. knowledge about cancer, coping skills and communication) has been found to improve quality of life. In this paper, we present a case study of the methodology used to design Mi Guia (My Guide), a mobile application that aims to improve symptom burden and health-related quality of life among Hispanic women who have completed active treatment for breast cancer by increasing their health literacy. We developed a community-supported approach to building the application, which involved: (1) eliciting feedback from community leaders such as support group organizers and facilitators who are bilingual in Spanish and English, prioritize patients’ preferences and best interests and have a unique knowledge of the women and their needs; (2) conducting a formal evaluation of design principles based on previous interaction de...