Survey of User Needs: Mobile Apps for mHealth and People with Disabilities

This paper presents data and analysis from survey research conducted by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Information and Communication Technology Access for Mobile Rehabilitation (mRehab RERC) on the use and unmet needs for mHealth mobile apps by people with disabilities in the United States. Quantitative and qualitative data are reported on user experiences with mHealth apps to map the behavior, interests and needs of people with specific types of disability (physical, cognitive, sensory, emotional/psychological, and speech). Summary results are presented for all respondents and each disability type. Slightly more than half of the participants in this sample (53.2%) reported using mHealth apps. Fitness and exercise apps were the mHealth apps most used by respondents with disabilities, followed by hospital/clinical portal apps. Symptom and disease management apps are the least commonly used, even though these would seem to be important for people with chronic conditions. Text-based responses regarding unmet needs for mHealth apps can be sorted into accessibility needs and functionality needs. In general, respondents with sensory limitations were more likely to identify accessibility needs. However, all disability groups identified both types of unmet needs. These results can help inform research and development efforts to provide mHealth apps that meet the needs of people with disabilities.