Assessing the Usability of M-Health Applications: A Comparison of Usability Testing, Heuristics Evaluation and Cognitive Walkthrough Methods

Mobile health applications have increasingly become an important channel for providing services in the health sector. However, poor usability can be a major barrier for the rapid adoption of mobile services. The purpose of this study is to compare the relative performance of three usability evaluation methods, namely, usability testing, heuristics evaluation, and the cognitive walkthrough methods in determining the usability level of mobile health applications. The study also explores the relationship between the metrics of usability testing and the current level of mobile health applications in Saudi Arabia. An experimental approach has been used in this study, which gathered qualitative and quantitative data. The methods were used to assess two mobile health interfaces and were compared on the number, severity, and types of usability problems identified. Correlation tests were also carried out to examine areas of overlap between usability testing metrics. The heuristic evaluation found significantly greater numbers of usability problems than the other techniques. The usability testing method, however, detects problems of greater severity. There is also a significant correlation between the number of usability issues found and how long it takes to perform tasks in usability tests. Moreover, the level of usability of the Saudi applications tested is below expectation and in need of further improvement. Based on the study results, both usability testing and heuristic evaluation should be employed during the design process of mobile health applications for maximum effectiveness. Additionally, it is recommended that SUS questionnaires should not be the sole method of determining the usability level of mobile health applications.

@article{Alhadreti2024,
  title     = {Assessing the Usability of M-Health Applications: A Comparison of Usability Testing, Heuristics Evaluation and Cognitive Walkthrough Methods},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {15},
  number    = {11},
  year      = {2024},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Obead Alhadreti},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2024.0151136},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2024.0151136}
}