Healthc Inform Res.  2013 Dec;19(4):250-260. 10.4258/hir.2013.19.4.250.

Effects of a Smartphone Application on Breast Self-Examination: A Feasibility Study

• Heo J
• Chun M
• Lee KY
• Oh YT
• Noh OK
• Park RW

• KMID: 2229500
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4258/hir.2013.19.4.250

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aims of this study were to develop a smartphone application to encourage breast self-examination (BSE), and to evaluate the effects of this application in terms of modifying BSE behavior.
METHODS
A smartphone application, based on the Android OS, was developed with functions including a BSE date alarm, a reminder to encourage mother and daughter to practice BSE together, record keeping, and educational content with video clips. Females aged 19 and over were enrolled to evaluate the effectiveness of the application. Two series of questionnaires were carried out (before and after use of the application) by e-mail, telephone, and face-to-face interviews between July and September 2012.
RESULTS
Forty-five subjects were enrolled in the study (age 29.5-5.9 years). Of the participants, only 28 (62.2%) had ever practiced BSE and only one of these (2.2%) was carried out at the appropriate time, based on the results of the baseline survey. After using the application, the number of participants practicing BSE increased from 28 to 32 (62.2% to 71.1%, p = 0.503). In subgroup analysis (age < 30 years), the number of participants using BSE increased from 8 to 18 (36.4% to 81.8%, p = 0.002), and the number of those using it at the appropriate time rose from 1 to 15 (2.2% to 33.3%, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The use of the developed smartphone application increased BSE in females younger than 30 years. To confirm the long-term benefits of the mobile application, additional studies must be carried out.

Keyword

Breast Cancer; Breast Self-Examination; Cellular Phone

MeSH Terms

Breast Neoplasms
Breast Self-Examination*
Breast*
Electronic Mail
Feasibility Studies*
Female
Humans
Mothers
Nuclear Family
Smartphone
Surveys and Questionnaires
Telephone

Figure

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  Figure 1 Mobile application development. The application was developed in three stages, based on feedback from the public and an expert panel. The experts comprised a medical informatics professor, a radiation oncologist, a breast cancer surgeon, and nurses.

• 

  Figure 2 Overview of smart application. (A) A "reminder" of the optimal day to perform breast self-examination (BSE), (B) record keeping, (C) BSE video clip, and (D) breast cancer prevention information.

• 

  Figure 3 Breast self-examination (BSE) reminders. The recommended day for BSE was generated using data about the last menstrual period and menstrual cycle and was stored in the smartphone. When the recommended day approached, a series of three reminders was triggered.

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  Figure 4 Breast self-examination (BSE) reminder procedure. (A) Input user menstrual cycle, (B) calculate recommended day for BSE, and (C) alarm when the recommended day approaches.

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  Figure 5 The 'mother motivation function'. (A) An alert saying "call mother" is generated. If the user clicks on the alarm notification bar, the application asks her to call her mother. (B) An option for the user to state that she is "with mom" is then generated, and the application records whether breast self-examination was performed with her mother.

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