CF Hero app motivates children with cystic fibrosis to adhere to the demanding treatment

How do we help streamline and improve
long inhalation sessions and respiratory rehabilitation?

Motivation

Thanks to the gamification, the CF Hero application encourages you to follow the inhalation plan and outperform your previous scores.

Breathing technique

The app fosters correct breathing technique during inhalation and respiratory rehabilitation.

Playful learning

With funny and educational comics, the CF Hero app breaks down some taboos of everyday life with CF.

Building habits

CF Hero app relies on a playful design to make teenagers more willing to follow the prescribed therapy and, most importantly, to make them know why they are practicing it.

Taking responsibility

The app helps transfer the responsibility for treatment to the patient.

Motivation

Breathing technique

Playful learning

Building habits

Taking responsibility

Motivation

Breathing technique

Playful learning

Building habits

Taking responsibility

A number of experts and patients were involved in the application

Physicians, physiotherapists and psychologists from CF centres have been involved in designing the mechanics of CF Hero. We collaborated with habit-building specialists.

At various stages of the project, we tested the app concepts and then the app with selected CF patients, incorporating their feedback into the current version of CF Hero.

CF Hero app is built
on 4 basic modules:

1) Inhalation and breathing rehabilitation

A pulsating “Oxie” sets the pace for inhaling and exhaling along with text instructions. For staying on this screen, the app user earns a virtual currency called “Oxie coins”, which can then be used for purchases in other modules of the app. At the same time, the user receives rewards (badges) for completing certain tasks.

2) Shop

In the shop, you can use your earned “Oxie coins” to provide your character with attractive clothes or items and create a unique character to your liking.

3) Comics Store

When following the inhalation plan, the user step by step opens up categories/comic boxes showing in an entertaining way normal and unusual life situations and their possible impact on the health of the character. In this section, emphasis was put on fun, exaggeration as well as on an instructive, but not too mentor-like, message of the story.

4) Diary

The diary keeps a summary of all inhalations and physio made by the user with the app. The user can track his/her success in following the plan. The results can be shared with you or his/her physiotherapist / doctor.

1) Inhalation and breathing rehabilitation

2) Shop

3) Comics Store

4) Diary

1) Inhalation and breathing rehabilitation

2) Shop

3) Comics Store

4) Diary

1) Inhalation and breathing rehabilitation

2) Shop

3) Comic store

4) Diary

1) Inhalation and breathing rehabilitation

2) Shop

3) Comic store

4) Diary

What do experts say about the CF Hero mobile app?

“As a physiotherapist, I highly recommend CF Hero. I use it myself with many young patients. It helps them adhere to treatment and I see the greatest effect in improving the quality of inhalation. In addition, a great benefit is that during inhalation and respiratory rehabilitation, the patient has fun and at the same time learns important information about his illness. ”

“We are proud that the CF Hero application was created under the auspices of our CF Club. It is already helping CF patients in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We believe that CF Hero can also help abroad.”

“CF Hero can help children and adolescents to build a habit of regular inhalation sessions. I value the alternative scenarios, allowing children and teenagers to experiment in a safe application space.”

"Maintaining a demanding treatment regimen day after day is not easy. However, regularity of treatment and its correct implementation is crucial for a successful fight against the disease. CF Hero is a great help in this regard. ”

“It is never easy to maintain motivation for daily treatment. Especially with respiratory rehabilitation, which requires proper execution and takes a plenty of time. There are many winding paths to building a solid habit, and CF Hero can be a good guide.”

"When something must be repeated every day, one can easily lose motivation. I recommend the CF Hero app because it playfully helps where inhalation and rehabilitation might no longer run smoothly. Also, I think it can well serve not only children but also adults.”

"Children with a long-term illness face a number of challenges. One of them is to accept their illness, learn to live with it and incorporate treatments into their daily routines. This is the only way to ensure a sufficient quality and intensity of healthcare. Even in the time of modern drugs for cystic fibrosis, this is still essential for maintaining good health. And CF Hero can help with this daunting task.”

What do experts say about the CF Hero mobile app?

"As a physiotherapist, I highly recommend CF Hero. I use it myself with many young patients. It helps them adhere to treatment and I see the greatest effect in improving the quality of inhalation. In addition, a great benefit is that during inhalation and respiratory rehabilitation, the patient has fun and at the same time learns important information about his illness."

"CF Hero can help children and adolescents to build a habit of regular inhalation sessions. I value the alternative scenarios, allowing children and teenagers to experiment in a safe application space.”

What do other CF patients and their parents say about the CF Hero app?

"The app is entertaining, I don't get bored when inhaling, I breathe regularly. At the same time I get information, useful tips and I have fun with it. Suddenly, duty has turned into fun, and at the same time I take care of my health."

"We have a son with CF, but he is 5 years old and now he is resisting everything. The app has helped us a lot to motivate him positively to both inhalation and rehabilitation. We are very grateful for having such help available."

"The app is well done. It helps me a lot, I usually inhale for about 30 minutes. And now! ... 10 minutes. How come…? Just a little tip: More difficulty levels for older patients might be good to add. While inhaling, I feel like I could have kept on going longer… but these are just trifles."

"Every inhalation used to be a struggle with our 14-year-old teenage daughter. I downloaded the app for her and, although I didn’t expect much, now I’m in awe. She doesn´t bargain about inhaling and we don’t have to keep persuading her to do it. Hopefully it will last. ”

"I would like to thank you very much for this absolutely amazing app 🙂. Our son is totally thrilled. He never liked inhalations before and today? He is supposed to inhale twice a day saline solution and more frequently when he is sick. We used to argue and had to remind him all the time. I guess every parent of a teenager knows what I'm talking about. 😊 With the app he enjoys inhalation, we don’t have to force him and wait for it... He inhales 4 times a day now. 🙂 We were very surprised, because there used to be so much hassle before."

"I've been using the app since its beginning. I had to skip for few days but it is definitely a great helper for every day."

What do other CF patients
and their parents say about the CF Hero app?

"I've been using the app since its beginning. I had to skip for few days but it is definitely a great helper for every day."

Why are we doing this?

From our own experience we know how challenging it is to follow the daily routine for CF patients. Although the progression is often unpredictable, patients themselves can positively influence it by adhering to treatment and lifestyle choices. The goal of CF Hero application is to make long inhalations and respiratory rehabilitations that the patients have to undergo every day more efficient and effective.