Science Communication & Media
Evaluating the Usability of a Health Technology Application to Combat Misinformation from the Community-Based Organization Perspective Amanda J Llaneza* Amanda Llaneza Muhammed Idris Ramadhan Malik Maya Korin Faven Araya Kristelle Pierre Rocio Baez Rodriguez Luz Claudio
Introduction: Health misinformation is a threat to public and environmental health. Health-related community-based organizations (CBOs) are trusted public health components of local communities. Health technology apps employed by CBOs have the potential to provide population-specific and culturally appropriate health information to combat misinformation. The objective of this study was to test the usability of a health technology application from the CBO perspective.
Methods: The Community Health Information Equity Forum (CHIEF), is an online platform developed to engage communities in dissemination of health messaging, built in collaboration for and with local communities in New York City. This study involved quantitative and qualitative methods to establish perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use of the application from the perspective of members of CBOs. Participants completed a demographic survey, a series of tasks on the CHIEF app, commented on challenges and ease of use, and the Health Information Technology Usability Scale (Health-ITUES) post assessment survey. Frequencies and percent were used to describe the study sample, mean, and standard deviation were used to describe the overall Health-ITUES score, where a higher score (ranged from 1 to 5) indicated greater usability. A content analysis framework was utilized to systematically examine and interpret the qualitative data.
Results: Eight representatives from regional CBOs in New York City participated. All participants were female, 50% identified as Black/African American, 25% as Hispanic/Latino, and 25% as White. Most (75%) work in organizations that serve the borough of Brooklyn, 25% in the borough of Manhattan, and 67% were not currently satisfied with the current way their organization communicates with their constituents. The mean Health-ITUES score was 4.81 (SD: 0.17) for the CHIEF app. Patterns identified from the qualitative data were user experience design, functionality features, and outreach features.
Discussion: The CHIEF application demonstrated potential in serving as a trusted tool and means of interaction between community members and health-based CBOs.