DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.181812.1 ISSN: 2046-1402

Development and Validation of a Needs Assessment Guide for mHealth-Based Self-Management among Patients with Hypertension

Prajwal L. Salins, Sabu K Mandapam, Bhageerathy Reshmi, Raksha Kamath, Suma Nair, Poornima P. Kundapur
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Background Given the significant global burden of hypertension and the perception of service quality significantly influences a patient’s satisfaction and their willingness to engage with mobile health (mHealth) interventions, this study aimed to develop and validate a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide to explore the self-management needs, preferences, and barriers of patients with hypertension for designing a contextually relevant mHealth application. Methods The FGD guide was developed via literature review and validated through a two-step process. First, face validity was assessed by a panel of five experts to evaluate flow, clarity, and comprehensiveness. Subsequently, content validity was quantified by a separate panel of ten experts using a structured assessment, with results analyzed via the Content Validity Index (CVI), Content Validity Ratio (CVR), and Kappa statistics. The guide was also pilot-tested with a small sample to refine clarity and depth before final use. Results Expert evaluations demonstrated high item-level content validity, with CVR and Kappa coefficient values ≥0.8 and ≥ 0.89, respectively. The S-CVI (universal agreement) indicated moderate content validity, while the S-CVI (average method) revealed high content validity. Feedback from both healthcare professionals and hypertensive patients resulted in improvements to wording, clarity, and contextual relevance, thereby enhancing the guide’s comprehensibility and cultural alignment. Conclusion This systematically developed FGD guide demonstrates moderate to high content validity and acceptable reliability. It is a suitable, validated tool for exploring patient-reported experiences in hypertension self-management to inform patient-centered mHealth interventions.

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