Digital Health Research: A Guide

Digital health research is powerful. However, researchers need to consider some vital aspects when initiating app-based research and digital clinical trials:

Design: Designing research is a long process and developing an app adds some additional demands to the study. Data shows that the average time for creating an app is about 18 weeks. Note that user testing with real end-users is crucial. Testing includes usability testing, and usability inquiries. Usually, usability testing evaluates interfaces and protocols. On the other hand, usability inquiries include surveys and interviews to assess users’ experiences and needs.

Usability: When designing an app, researchers and sponsors need to focus on design and usability. Having more usable applications will foster engagement and motivation (Zapata, 2015). Research shows that to be successful, apps must be easy to use. In fact, usability is defined as the facility people can use a technological tool to perform a task and achieve a goal. Usability can determine research success. According to the ISO/IEC9126–1 quality model usability involves understandability, learnability, operability, and attractiveness. These aspects aim to achieve efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction. For instance, users report that the color black and small letters are not attractive. Experts need to consider the fact that elderly users are not interested in gaming apps and younger adults perform online tasks faster. Programmers need to understand that a monotonous interface and too much text decrease learnability and efficiency. Difficulty in scrolling and navigating menus also need to be considered.

Reminders: In fact, talking about designs and usability, it’s been proven that push notifications facilitate clinical trials, research, and treatment. By integrating reminders in an app, experts can engage users and help them manage their drug intake better, for example. Of course, reminders should not be invasive.

Relevance: Creating a health app might be exciting, but programmers, patients, and medical professionals need to work together to create a relevant app. Users should not be presented with confusing apps, experts should not be overwhelmed with complex analytics, and healthcare providers should not experience technology fatigue in their already stressful working environment. In other words, additional administrative and technology burdens should be avoided.

Mobility: When it comes to digital health research, experts need to take advantage of the mobility aspect related to digital health research. Smartphones take patients away from clinics and labs. What’s more, technology can connect devices, solutions, and institutions and improve practices (“mHealth…What does it really mean?” 2014).

Time & Costs: The development of a health app needs to be relevant and effective. That means that technology should reduce doctor’s visits, interventions, and readmissions. Data should be used effectively to reduce costs. In fact, when it comes to digital recruiting, data shows that virtual trials can cost half as much compared to a traditional on-site study (“Software-enabled clinical trials,” 2017).

Safety: Technology connects systems, scenarios, and institutions. As technology solutions provide real-time updates from a wide range of inputs, safety needs to be considered. Note that stakeholders also need to have access to information, which should be confidential and secure. Data exchange needs to be supported by protocols, consent forms, and safe cloud platforms.

Personal Characteristics: Most of all, healthcare technologies should focus on patients. Personal characteristics, such as age and education, need to be considered. It’s interesting to mention that a study on diabetes showed that people felt the need of social interactions, chat rooms, and forums (Kayyali et al., 2017). What’s more, each topic of research requires different study methods and approaches, so apps need to be personalized and efficient.