A Mobile Health Design Process to Improve User Engagement with Mobile Health
Citation:
Ikwunne, Tochukwu Arinze, A Mobile Health Design Process to Improve User Engagement with Mobile Health, Trinity College Dublin, School of Computer Science & Statistics, Computer Science, 2024Download Item:
Abstract:
It has been shown that less than 25 percent of people continue to use health and wellness apps after the first time they use them. Despite the importance of user engagement for the efficacy of such apps and mobile health (mHealth) systems, many of these interventions frequently do not incorporate user-engaging attributes. This is partly because user needs and other sociocultural contexts are overlooked during the mHealth design, development, and implementation stages. These sociocultural contexts influence users' behaviours, and thus it is critical to capture this across the various stages of mHealth design and development. Based on this, a research gap was identified, leading to the development of the following research question: How can a design framework be developed to improve community health workers' (CHWs) engagement in mHealth technologies?
This thesis addresses this research question and focuses on an mHealth case in Bonthe region, Sierra Leone. The aim is to develop an mHealth design process (or framework) called the Design Process Engagement Enhancement System (DECENT) which takes account of socio-cultural contexts in the design process of mHealth systems and improves community health workers' engagement with the designed mHealth technology. This framework is intended to be used by mHealth designers and developers in the field, and it facilitates specific consideration of any particular sociocultural context existing. The objectives of the thesis are to (1) conduct an overview of user engagement and how it is being evaluated for mHealth; (2) review comprehensively the literature on existing design process frameworks for mHealth; (3) collect and analyse data to inform the initial DECENT prototype; (4) refine initial DECENT and evaluate the refined DECENT mHealth design process.
The capability, opportunity, motivation , behaviour (COM-B) model was used to gain a better grasp of what drives user engagement behaviour and how decisions like engaging with interventions are made. O'Brien and Toms' engagement model was expanded and was used as a point of reference for this thesis to understand how and why people engage with technology with mHealth using mHealth case of Sierra Leone. The outcomes of using the COM-B model and O'Brien and Toms' engagement model inform the design of initial DECENT.
This work leverages Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) for designing DECENT. Furthermore, the thesis uses qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and design sessions to get a thorough grasp of the research context and to examine users' sociocultural contexts that are associated with the Sierra Leone mHealth case.
In addition to fully addressing the research questions posed, this thesis makes several important findings. These include identifying barriers and facilitators to user engagement with mHealth systems. Based on these findings, the thesis makes important contributions to knowledge, methodology, theory, and practice. There are three contributions from this thesis. First, the expansion of O'Briens and Toms' engagement model. The process of expanding the engagement model resulted in the identification of engagement themes that have an impact on stages of engagement with mHealth that end users encounter in an mHealth setting. Second, this work makes an important contribution to practice. The DECENT framework is intended to be used by NGOs and mHealth practitioners. Finally, the contribution to theory by developing an analytical and methodological framework for analyzing frameworks based on activity the (AT) and communicative ecology framework (CEF). This thesis will be useful in the development and design of future mHealth technologies.
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Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
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https://tcdlocalportal.tcd.ie/pls/EnterApex/f?p=800:71:0::::P71_USERNAME:IKWUNNETDescription:
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Author: Ikwunne, Tochukwu Arinze
Sponsor:
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
Advisor:
Hederman, LucyWall, P. J.
Publisher:
Trinity College Dublin. School of Computer Science & Statistics. Discipline of Computer ScienceType of material:
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