Meet Kica: Design, prototyping and user testing of a mobile application based on the WHO Caregiver Skills Training

IF 2.6 2区医学 Q1 EDUCATION, SPECIAL

Research in Developmental Disabilities Pub Date : 2025-03-28 DOI:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104978

Giulia de Leonardis, Monica Vanoncini, Giulia Gatti, Alice Arnoldi, Alessandro Gabbiadini, Mariachiara Fioravanti, Laura Zampini , Erica Salomone

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Mobile-health approaches to caregiver-mediated interventions for autism hold great potential for implementation scale-up. However, essential phases of an application development cycle are often overlooked. This study reports on the development process of Kica, a novel mobile application based on the WHO Caregiver Skills Training (CST).

Methods and procedures

Contents and delivery methods for the initial prototype were designed with a user-centered approach, adapting CST contents and learning activities (Phase 1). In Phase 2, a comprehensive usability test of the prototype was then performed with 19 parents of 2–6-year-old autistic children. Participants rated the overall usability on the System Usability Scale (SUS) and received either the Cognitive Walkthrough (CW) task to assess app’s ease of navigation or the Think-Aloud (TA) task for feedback on design, content, and usability. The prototype was then redesigned considering usability findings.

Outcomes and results

We report high usability on the SUS and high task success rates on the CW, except for three tasks more likely to be failed by participants with lower Italian proficiency. Thematic analysis of TA identified appreciation for the focus on caregiver/child interactions, ease of workflows navigation and enjoyability of visual branding. Suggestions included enhancing progress tracking and personalization and reducing text.

Conclusion and implications

Usability testing highlighted strengths and areas for improvement that were incorporated into a revised prototype. Overall, the findings indicate good acceptability and support formal testing of feasibility and preliminary clinical efficacy through pilot testing.

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认识Kica：基于世卫组织护理人员技能培训的移动应用程序的设计、原型设计和用户测试

背景：移动医疗方法对护理人员介导的自闭症干预具有巨大的实施规模潜力。然而，应用程序开发周期的关键阶段经常被忽略。本研究报告了基于世卫组织护理人员技能培训（CST）的新型移动应用程序Kica的开发过程。方法和步骤根据CST的内容和学习活动（第一阶段），以用户为中心设计初始原型的内容和交付方法。在第二阶段，对19名2 - 6岁自闭症儿童的父母进行了原型的全面可用性测试。参与者在系统可用性量表（SUS）上对整体可用性进行评分，并接受认知漫步（CW）任务来评估应用程序的导航便利性，或者听取声音思考（TA）任务来评估设计、内容和可用性。然后根据可用性发现对原型进行了重新设计。结果和结果我们报告了SUS的高可用性和CW的高任务成功率，除了三个任务更有可能被意大利语熟练程度较低的参与者失败。对TA的专题分析确定了对看护人/儿童互动、工作流程导航的便利性和视觉品牌的愉悦性的赞赏。建议包括加强进度跟踪和个性化以及减少文本。结论和含义可持续性测试突出了在修订原型中需要改进的优势和领域。总体而言，本研究结果具有良好的可接受性，支持通过中试正式验证可行性和初步临床疗效。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Research in Developmental Disabilities Multiple-

CiteScore

5.50

自引率

6.50%

发文量

178

期刊介绍： Research In Developmental Disabilities is aimed at publishing original research of an interdisciplinary nature that has a direct bearing on the remediation of problems associated with developmental disabilities. Manuscripts will be solicited throughout the world. Articles will be primarily empirical studies, although an occasional position paper or review will be accepted. The aim of the journal will be to publish articles on all aspects of research with the developmentally disabled, with any methodologically sound approach being acceptable.