Development, Usability, and Quality Evaluation of a Mobile Application to Enhance the Functional Aspects of Social Relationships Among Cancer Patients: An Applied-Developmental Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Background and Aims Beyond the physical burden of illness, cancer patients often face significant disruptions in their functional social relationships, profoundly impacting their overall well-being. This study aimed to develop, assess usability, and evaluate the quality of a mobile application designed to address these perceived relational challenges.Methods This study was conducted in four sequential phases. First, a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis were carried out to identify the functional social relationship needs of cancer patients. These needs were subsequently prioritized and validated through expert consensus via the Delphi technique and panel discussions. On the basis of the validated needs, general and specific objectives were formulated, and educational content was systematically developed through an extensive literature review, and then refined and validated by the research team. An m-Health application was designed and developed by integrating the validated content into a structured digital platform. Finally, usability and quality were assessed via the System Usability Scale and the Mobile App Rating Scale. Data analysis was performed in SPSS with both descriptive and inferential statistical methods.Results The application was developed with six modules. Usability testing from the patients' perspective yielded a mean score of 88.62 (95 CI: 81.97-95.27), reflecting high satisfaction, strong perceived usefulness, and a high likelihood of recommendation to other cancer patients. Moreover, the app received an overall mean score of 4.15 (SD = 0.21), indicating a good-quality design with minimal variability among reviewers.Conclusion The developed m-Health application demonstrated high usability and effectiveness in enhancing perceived aspects of social relationships among cancer patients. Positive evaluations from both patients and experts highlight its potential as a supportive tool for addressing relational challenges in oncology care.