A New Approach to Enhancing Engagement in eHealth Apps

Oakley-Girvan, Ingrid; Docherty, John P.

doi:10.2196/38886

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…A newer and evolving understanding of the foundational importance of user engagement with mHealth suggests that this problem comes from a lack of appreciation by mHealth app designers of the complex and multicomponent structures behind user engagement. We have built on prior knowledge and work to develop a model of engagement that accounts for the complexity of engagement [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We developed apps to collect specific data from participants over 1 week’s duration through questionnaires available on their smartphones before and after exposure to videos, as shown in Table 1 . The videos were based on a review of the literature defining and studying each of these 3 target areas: health literacy, technical competence, and feelings about participation in clinical trials [ 24 ]. Each concept area was tested separately, with questionnaires specific to the educational component.…”

Section: How We Conducted the Exploratory Mini-experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We developed a conceptual model to optimize patient engagement based on different phases of the engagement process [ 24 ]. Because digital literacy and anxiety have been shown to be negatively correlated with engagement [ 25 ], we established an approach to develop and test the educational components of our conceptual model to enhance app engagement by increasing health literacy, enhancing technical competence, and improving feelings about clinical trials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Designing mHealth Apps to Incorporate Evidence-Based Techniques for Prolonging User Engagement

Monachelli,

Davis,

Barnard

et al. 2024

Interact J Med Res

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Maintaining user engagement with mobile health (mHealth) apps can be a challenge. Previously, we developed a conceptual model to optimize patient engagement in mHealth apps by incorporating multiple evidence-based methods, including increasing health literacy, enhancing technical competence, and improving feelings about participation in clinical trials. This viewpoint aims to report on a series of exploratory mini-experiments demonstrating the feasibility of testing our previously published engagement conceptual model. We collected data from 6 participants using an app that showed a series of educational videos and obtained additional data via questionnaires to illustrate and pilot the approach. The videos addressed 3 elements shown to relate to engagement in health care app use: increasing health literacy, enhancing technical competence, and improving positive feelings about participation in clinical trials. We measured changes in participants’ knowledge and feelings, collected feedback on the videos and content, made revisions based on this feedback, and conducted participant reassessments. The findings support the feasibility of an iterative approach to creating and refining engagement enhancements in mHealth apps. Systematically identifying the key evidence-based elements intended to be included in an app’s design and then systematically testing the implantation of each element separately until a satisfactory level of positive impact is achieved is feasible and should be incorporated into standard app design. While mHealth apps have shown promise, participants are more likely to drop out than to be retained. This viewpoint highlights the potential for mHealth researchers to test and refine mHealth apps using approaches to better engage users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How We Conducted the Exploratory Mini-experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Designing mHealth Apps to Incorporate Evidence-Based Techniques for Prolonging User Engagement

Monachelli,

Davis,

Barnard

et al. 2024

Interact J Med Res

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“…Studies of individual apps also offer ideas on how to increase engagement on a health app platform [ 34 - 37 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Health App Platform Providing Individuals With a Budget to Purchase Preselected Apps to Work on Their Health and Well-Being: Quantitative Evaluation Study

Willemsen,

Chavannes,

Aardoom

2024

JMIR Form Res

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Background The potential of health apps for health promotion and disease prevention is widely recognized. However, uptake is limited due to barriers individuals face in finding suitable and trustworthy apps, such as the overwhelming amount of available health apps. Therefore, the health app platform “FitKnip” was developed, enabling individuals to purchase preselected, trustworthy health apps with a budget of 100 euros (a currency exchange rate of EUR €1=US $1.0831 is applicable). The platform aimed to empower individuals to improve their health and vitality, ultimately supporting a more healthy society. Objective The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the health app platform in terms of feasibility and acceptability. Potential effects on health empowerment and health outcomes were secondarily explored. Methods This quantitative study was part of a mixed methods study with a prospective pre-post interventional design. We collected web-based user data, and self-reported web-based questionnaires were collected over 5 measurements over an 8-month period. Use statistics were tracked on the platform, including the number of purchased apps and euros spent per user registered within the health app platform. We measured the user-friendliness of the health app platform using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and satisfaction using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire–8 (CSQ-8) and several 10-point Likert items. We asked participants to indicate, on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 10 (completely), how much the health app platform contributed to various areas related to health empowerment. We assessed health-related quality of life by the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and one’s perceived level of stress by the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Results A total of 1650 participants were included, of whom 42% (685/1650) bought at least 1 app. The majority of those purchased one app (244/685, 35.6%). The health app platform was rated as user-friendly (SUS mean 66.5, SD 20.7; range 66.5-70.0), and the acceptability of the health app platform was moderate (CSQ-8 mean 20.0, SD 1.5; range 19.6-20.0). Results furthermore showed that participants were generally satisfied to highly satisfied with the ease of the payment system to purchase apps on the platform (median 8, IQR 7-10), the look and feel of the platform (median 7, IQR 6-8), as well as the provided budget of 100 euros (median 9, IQR 7-10). Participants were less satisfied with the amount (median 6, IQR 4-7) and diversity (median 6, IQR 4-7) of apps offered on the platform. Conclusions A health app platform is a promising initiative to enhance public health. Feasibility and acceptability are critical for success, as they ensure that such a platform is accessible, user-friendly, and meets end users’ needs and preferences. This can help to increase uptake, engagement, and ultimately the platform’s adoption and effectiveness.

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Using TikTok to Educate, Influence, or Inspire? A Content Analysis of Health-Related EduTok Videos

O’Donnell,

Jerin,

2023

Journal of Health Communication

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A New Approach to Enhancing Engagement in eHealth Apps

Cited by 5 publications

References 57 publications

Designing mHealth Apps to Incorporate Evidence-Based Techniques for Prolonging User Engagement

Designing mHealth Apps to Incorporate Evidence-Based Techniques for Prolonging User Engagement

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Health App Platform Providing Individuals With a Budget to Purchase Preselected Apps to Work on Their Health and Well-Being: Quantitative Evaluation Study

Using TikTok to Educate, Influence, or Inspire? A Content Analysis of Health-Related EduTok Videos

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