Keep a breast: a qualitative study of motivations for selecting, downloading and using a breast cancer self-exam mobile app

Keep a breast: a qualitative study of motivations for selecting, downloading and using a breast cancer self-exam mobile app Public Deposited

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Abstract

Despite the rapid spread of mobile health apps, there is little understanding of consumer motivations for selecting, downloading, and using specific health apps. The purpose of this exploratory study was to address this under-researched area, focusing on a particular health app - the Keep-A-Breast self exam app. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 Keep-A-Breast app downloaders to understand motivations for seeking out and downloading health-related apps, and for downloading and using the Keep-A-Breast app itself. Factors that participants indicated considering when selecting and downloading a general health-related app fell into three categories: Ratings and reviews; Convenience and Improved Efficiency; and Relevance. For the Keep-A-Breast app specifically, three factors emerged regarding why users selected and downloaded the app: Trust in the Organization; Perceived Relevance and Susceptibility; and Convenience. Finally, the study revealed that participants reported using the app to reinforce behavior change because of 4 attributes: Ease of use and simplicity; Reinforcement of intentions; Increased consistency and improved technique of breast self-exams; and Social sharing. Implications of this study for health app design, dissemination, and future research will be discussed.

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