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PreprintCited by 0Mobile Health and mHealth ApplicationsDigital Mental Health InterventionsUsability and User Interface Design

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An mHealth App and System Architecture for Respiratory Disease Management: Design Principles, Tool Development, and Pilot Usability Study (Preprint)

Open access
Chao, Andrew, Martignetti, Lisa, Groh, René, Kist, Andreas M, Li-Jessen, Nicole YK·2025·JMIR Formative Research
DOI 10.2196/preprints.73584PMC PMC12612645

Preprint — published as 10.2196/73584 · Paper page

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) apps are software interfaces that enable users to access and manage wearable technology through smartphones and tablet devices for health improvement purposes. However, many respiratory disease mHealth apps lack transparent development documentation, compromising user confidence in their quality, functionality, and usability. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and evaluate AIrway, a companion mHealth app designed to interface with an in-house wearable device for monitoring airway symptoms following established mHealth development and reporting standards. METHODS: The development cycle of AIrway comprised 2 study phases. In phase 1, AIrway, a native Android app, was developed following academic and industrial standards (Android material design and Morville’s design principles) and privacy regulations (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). Core functionalities included location-based environmental monitoring, a clinical diary with action plans, Bluetooth connectivity, and real-time data storage. In phase 2, the usability of AIrway was evaluated by software app developers using standardized assessment tools, namely, the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale survey and the IQVIA questionnaire. RESULTS: AIrway successfully fulfilled 7 of 8 development criteria on usability, privacy, security, appropriateness, transparency, safety, and technical support, with only the technology aspects requiring refinement. Accessibility assessments confirmed that AIrway’s content and interface were comprehensible to the general population (grade 9-10 reading level). Technical testing demonstrated reliable Bluetooth data transmission for up to 10 minutes without interruption. User evaluation scores for the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (3.6/5.0) and IQVIA (8/11) were comparable to those of similar mHealth apps on the market. CONCLUSIONS: By adhering to established mHealth app design principles, AIrway achieved the necessary accessibility standards and wireless communication capabilities for wearable device integration. Future development will focus on expanding cross-platform compatibility and conducting usability evaluation with intended patient populations to validate its clinical effectiveness and support ongoing improvements.

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Figures

Figure 1 The design flowchart of the AIrway app. The login and registration interface allowed users to input their login information and create an account. The location permission interface allowed users to turn on or off the device’s location for parsing local weather information. The account interface allowed users to complete the profile setup. The app also had interfaces today, report, profile, and help for data visualization and information delivery. ACQ: Asthma Control Questionnaire; BCSS: Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Scale; CAT: COPD Assessment Test; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FAQ: frequently asked question; NRS: Numeric Rating Scale.
Figure 1 The design flowchart of the AIrway app. The login and registration interface allowed users to input their login information and create an account. The location permission interface allowed users to turn on or off the device’s location for parsing local weather information. The account interface allowed users to complete the profile setup. The app also had interfaces today, report, profile, and help for data visualization and information delivery. ACQ: Asthma Control Questionnaire; BCSS: Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Scale; CAT: COPD Assessment Test; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FAQ: frequently asked question; NRS: Numeric Rating Scale.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Clinical diary interfaces of AIrway. (A) An Asthma Control Questionnaire question is presented in the asthma diary interface. (B) The Numerical Rating Scale question is presented in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diary interface. The diary interface presented 1 question per page with “Back” and “Next” buttons along with a progress bar.
Figure 2 Clinical diary interfaces of AIrway. (A) An Asthma Control Questionnaire question is presented in the asthma diary interface. (B) The Numerical Rating Scale question is presented in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diary interface. The diary interface presented 1 question per page with “Back” and “Next” buttons along with a progress bar.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 AIrway visualization interfaces. (A) Today, (B) report, (C) profile, and (D) help interfaces were designed for information delivery.
Figure 3 AIrway visualization interfaces. (A) Today, (B) report, (C) profile, and (D) help interfaces were designed for information delivery.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Firestore cloud architecture and data flow of the AIrway app. The storage structure comprised a “users” collection containing individual documents identified by authentication UIDs. UID: user ID.
Figure 4 Firestore cloud architecture and data flow of the AIrway app. The storage structure comprised a “users” collection containing individual documents identified by authentication UIDs. UID: user ID.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 5 Results of AIrway app usability and functionality. (A) Technical raters’ means and SDs of uMARS and (B) technical raters’ IQVIA functionality scores (n=5).
Figure 5 Results of AIrway app usability and functionality. (A) Technical raters’ means and SDs of uMARS and (B) technical raters’ IQVIA functionality scores (n=5).CC BY · PubMed Central

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Citations

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Metadata

Authors
Chao, A., Martignetti, L., Groh, R., Kist, A. M., & Li-Jessen, N. Y.
Affiliations
  • McGill University (CA)
  • Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
ORCID
Venue
JMIR Formative Research
Publisher
JMIR Publications Inc.
Published
2025-03-07
Volume
9
Pages
e73584-e73584
ISSN
2561-326X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2196/preprints.73584
PMC
PMC12612645
OpenAlex
W4412518588
Cited by
0
References
1
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • JMIR Formative Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (1r01dc021461-01a1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Usability and User Interface Design
Keywords
mobile health apps, respiratory disease management, airway symptoms, app usability, Android app development, Bluetooth connectivity, clinical diary, privacy and security, accessibility, respiratory tract
MeSH terms
Wearable Electronic Devices, Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Surveys and Questionnaires, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Telemedicine, Disease Management, Mobile Applications

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