| dc.description.abstract | Liver cancer is a critical global health concern, particularly in developing countries
and low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) such as Bangladesh, where the health
infrastructure and public awareness are limited. The increasing incidence of liver cancer in
Bangladesh is mainly driven by risk factors such as Hepatitis B and C, liver cirrhosis, and
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Bangladesh faces significant challenges in combating liver
cancer, including a lack of systematic data collection, limited healthcare resources, and
low public awareness, with 18.8% of Bangladeshi people diagnosed with liver cancer, while
7% of them have a family history of liver cancer and there has been a record of death due
to the disease by 64.2%. Provided the increasing smartphone usage in Bangladesh, mobile
health (mHealth) applications (apps) offer a promising solution for the management of
liver cancer disease. The app was created especially for the Bangladeshi population after
it was realized that there were no mHealth apps available in Bangla for liver cancer.
A mobile registry app would enable real-time data entry, improve accessibility in rural
areas, and integrate with existing health systems. Therefore, the ‘LiverCare Registry’
app was created to serve as a platform for doctors, researchers, and patients to update
medical records, conduct research, and track treatments, respectively. It also includes
a chatbox feature for peer communication, enabling patients to connect with others in
similar conditions for support. However, the core feature of the app is data collection
through a comprehensive liver cancer registration form.
The development of the ‘LiverCare Registry’ app followed a User-Centered Design
(UCD) approach, involving detailed scientific articles that were used for the literature
review. The need-finding survey consisted of 24 questions, which helped to gather user
requirements and shape the features of the app. Starting with a low-fidelity prototype,
the sketches were hand-drawn. The process was then followed by a high-fidelity prototype
that was created using Figma, designed with the preferences from users’ feedback collected
from the low-fidelity prototype evaluation.
Respondents preferred the most common features i.e., Liver Cancer Prevention, Symp-
toms and Medications, Education on Liver Cancer, Communication with Doctors, and A
registry form with an option for uploading medical files. The design focused on simplic-
ity, user-friendliness, and approachability in Bangla. The app offers some more features which are as follows: Reminders of Appointments, Reminders of Medications, Choosing Hospitals, Chatbox, and Research.
The questionnaire of the survey led to useful feedback on several critical points in
developing the features for the ‘LiverCare Registry’ app. Through research, it was found
that self-management routines are very important to maintain health by engaging in the
app and using it actively. Liver cancer patients or the ones who fear getting infected by
the disease need suggestions about which medicine to take according to symptoms (or
according to the current stage of cancer) and to study more about liver cancer so that
they can prevent it, respectively. Hence, the ‘LiverCare Registry’ app has featured all
the functions that will assist people in preventing and/or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Continuous user feedback on the low-fidelity prototype has shown that about 92.3% of
the participants are eagerly willing to use our app and 7.7% have shown unwillingness to
use the app. Future upgrades of the app will emphasize launching it as a final product
to be used and add additional features such as personalized recommendations including
predictions on whether a user may be at risk of liver cancer and suggestions for treatment
plans if cancer is detected, the app will be able to check the validity and authenticity of 4 medical reports and data can be transferred from doctors to researchers anonymously. All these advancements will be possible through the app of machine learning (ML). This app provides self-management guidance, setting reminders, scheduling appoint-
ments, a list of medications that correspond to related symptoms, uploading health reports and prescriptions, and viewing news, events, and health information. In addition to these, our app also allows patients to communicate with doctors online via video call. Also, there is a feature where the users can communicate with others who have similar health
issues. The patients can choose their preferred hospitals for scheduled appointments and
treatment in case of emergency. Furthermore, the researchers can use anonymous clinical
data and patients’ reports for their research purposes through our app. This approach helps the Bangladeshi population to prevent liver cancer and the patients who are al- ready suffering can at least take suggestions from the app to maintain their health and
prevent it from getting worse. Furthermore, it potentially serves as a model for similar initiatives globally for liver cancer patients. The ‘LiverCare Registry’ app ensures aid-ing in health management, enhancing the understanding of the disease, and promoting a healthier lifestyle for the Bangladeshi people. | en_US |
