Evaluation and Comparison of Two Media-Rich Radiology Apps Regarding Pathology of the Lumbar Spine: Lessons for Medical Education App Developers and Content Creators

Background: Mobile applications have become an increasingly popular component of medical education over the past 2 decades. Visual layout and aesthetics are important considerations in app design given Generation Z's strong preference for visually appealing digital content. In this study, we evaluate students’ perceptions of an educational app related to pathology of the lumbar spine before and after a redesign of its workflow and illustrations. Objective, Material and Methods: A professional user experience and interface designer was recruited for the revision of an iOS app focused on anatomy and pathology of the lumbar spine on abdominal computed tomography (CT). Revisions focused on developing the app to make it more visually appealing, increasing ease of use, and fixing bugs. An IRB-approved study was conducted in which participants were asked to interact with the original and revised versions of the app prior to completing a survey regarding their perception of the graphics, animation style, overall app design, and content. Results: Overall impressions of the revised app were more positive than the original app, with 89% of respondents finding the revised app's graphics to be visually appealing compared to 39% regarding the original app. Further, 95% of respondents indicated that the revised app's layout was organized and user-friendly compared to 73% regarding the original. Both apps received similarly positive ratings for participants’ understanding of the presented materials. Conclusion: User feedback is key when designing mobile health and educational applications. Feedback may be sought via formal usability testing or app-specific surveys. The aesthetics, layout, and ease of use of mobile apps are important considerations and, in the absence of content alteration, may influence user engagement. Knowledge regarding these factors may guide content creators when developing and deploying mobile health applications.