Usability
In terms of usability, Apps4health has positive points and others that need improvement.
On the positive side, the application is efficient in its tasks, as well as being intuitive (especially in the app search section), having clear language and relying on graphic elements (images and icons) to facilitate understanding.
However, it also has its shortcomings. In many sections, if you want to go back to the previous page, this is not possible. When you select the back button, the app takes you back to the home page, making state recovery and navigation sometimes a bit tedious. In addition, with the exception of the search engine, the functions are not always very understandable, making learning difficult for new users (although, on the other hand, the app has courses for this).
Accessibility for people with reduced or no visibility
In this sense, the application has to improve:
- Not compatible with screen readers like TalkBack.
- The contrast of elements does not guarantee good visibility, as there is a lot of grey on white.
- The size of elements is often not large and there is no option to customize this. The same goes for text fonts.
- The courses and their explanations are based almost entirely on texts and visual content, but do not have other alternatives (such as audio description).
Accessibility for people with hearing difficulties
Because of the way the app works, using Apps4health will not cause any problems for people with hearing difficulties.
Accessibility for people with cognitive difficulties
Although the application meets usability criteria, it does not guarantee a high degree of usability. Therefore, always taking into account the level of cognitive difficulties, the application still needs to improve to become accessible in this sense.
Accessibility for people with reduced mobility
Apps4Health works mostly through buttons. However, many of them are not very large and there is no option to enlarge them.
However, writing is not necessary at any time to use the app, except when you want to filter a specific app by name in the search engine.
Highlights
- Dual function of help and training. Apps4Health combines a search engine for health applications (focused on migrants, but for general use) with training content, which can be used by professionals/trainers or by migrants themselves. Thus, in addition to performing its function, the application also promotes the training of the users themselves.
- App Catalog. The app contains information about 65 apps in the health field, covering several fields and being, in this sense, quite complete.
- Adaptability and search engine filters. Thanks to information about the applications and the filters, the search engine can recommend the most suitable applications to the user (thus adapting to their preferences and needs).
Improvement points
- Adding the iOS app. This would be very positive for the application to increase its reach, especially considering that the app itself shares the download link for the AppStore of those health applications that are available on it.
- Improve the design of the app. Improving the design would be positive to make usability and navigation a more pleasant experience.
- Screen reader optimization and customization options. Making the app compatible with readers like TalkBack would greatly improve visual accessibility, as would allowing text and element sizes to be increased (the latter would also benefit physical accessibility). Improving the contrast of elements would also be a positive benefit.
- Add more options to courses. Courses, while rich in content, can be lacking in elements and access to them. Adding more elements, such as narrations or videos with audio, would be good in this regard. Similarly, making them more interactive would improve the user experience.