Fatigue Assessment with Visualizations of Patient-Generated Data: An Evaluation with Informatics-Savvy Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

AbstractSevere and chronic fatigue is a prevalent symptom in multiple chronic conditions. Its complexity, its multifaceted nature and its varied manifestations across different conditions require a nuanced approach for accurate assessment by healthcare professionals. In our research, informatics-savvy public health nurses from a Digital Health Services and Health Promotion Master’s program evaluated various visualizations of patient-generated health data which could potentially be collected through a mobile app designed for people with Multiple Sclerosis. The data visualization prototypes could be a tool to support fatigue assessment and effective communication during consultations and their design was based on prior suggestions from healthcare professionals with experience in fatigue assessment. The patient-generated health data represented in the prototypes comprised a combination of fatigue-related factors and physical activity tracked by Google Fit. This study presents the recommendations of the participants regarding various aspects linked to the visualizations of patient-generated health data, including their utility in the clinical setting, the most suitable types of data summaries, usability aspects and the possibility of meaningful interrelations between distinct types of data. The results of our study emphasize the importance of well-designed data visualizations to support healthcare professionals in decision-making and to improve patient participation in the chronic care process. The iterative design process of the prototypes ensures that the final visualizations have proper usability and the potential to become clinically relevant, and instrumental in the effective assessment of fatigue in chronic management.