Developing a Theory-Based Summative Testing Approach to Evaluate a Mobile Health App for Older Adults

We describe a method of selecting and organizing tasks for summative testing of a new mobile health (mHealth) app by older adults. Summative evaluations of mobile health apps often focus on “ease of use” assessed by time to complete tasks and the number of use errors. This is not an optimal approach for older users who are more likely to have slower response times and be less experienced with these technologies. In testing with older users, it is important to incorporate the expected process of learning a new app without the use of training or extensive instructions. We drew on the theories of Mastery Learning, Cognitive Load, and Teach to Goal to inform our selection of tasks and the organization of task scenarios to better simulate the users’ patterns of exploration, learning, and initial use of a mobile app. This research has general relevance for human factors professionals involved in planning, conducting, and reporting the findings from summative evaluations for a broad range of mHealth apps and user groups.