Development of I-HASMEA: A Participatory Action Research Study of a Mobile HIV Self-Management Application for Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV in Thailand

Thai men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV face stigma and fragmented care that undermine effective self-management. Although mobile health (mHealth) interventions show promise, culturally grounded nurse-led digital solutions remain limited in low- and middle-income settings. This formative study developed the Interactive HIV/AIDS Self-Management Education Application using a nurse-led participatory action research approach. Three iterative cycles-exploration, co-design, and evaluation-engaged MSM living with HIV, nurses, clinicians, and information technology specialists to ensure contextual relevance, privacy, sensitivity, and usability. The finalized prototype integrates tailored self-management education, symptom and mood tracking, and medication reminders. Usability testing with nine participants demonstrated excellent perceived usability (median system usability scale score = 87.5, interquartile range = 82.5-90.0; observed range = 78.8-92.5). The M (SD) system usability scale score was 86.4 (5.8) on a possible range of 0-100. Findings support feasibility and usability and inform future effectiveness and implementation research.