In the dynamic realm of healthcare, digital health solutions are rapidly emerging as pivotal tools, particularly for managing chronic conditions. Unlike traditional pharmaceutical therapies, digital health applications (apps) offer scalable, flexible and innovative approaches to care delivery. However, despite their potential, the adoption of these digital therapeutics by both patients and clinicians remain limited. A fundamental factor influencing this adoption is the User Experience (UX)—a component that is often underestimated but is essential for the success and efficacy of digital health products.
Digital Health Solutions and their Impact
Digital health encompasses a broad spectrum of applications, including telemedicine platforms, mobile health apps, wearable devices and electronic health records. These tools have the capacity to transform healthcare by enhancing patient engagement, improving treatment adherence and ultimately leading to better health outcomes. However, the effectiveness of digital health solutions extends beyond their clinical efficacy; it is intrinsically linked to the quality of the user experience they provide.
Despite the proliferation of digital health applications, several challenges impede their widespread adoption:
Distinguishing Validated Therapies: The market is inundated with both regulated, evidence-based digital therapeutics and non-regulated lifestyle apps. Patients and clinicians often face difficulties in discerning between these, leading to confusion and mistrust.
Misperception of Therapeutic Value: There exists a common misconception that digital health tools may not offer substantial therapeutic benefits compared to traditional treatments, affecting their integration into standard care practices.
User Engagement and Adherence: Unlike pharmaceutical therapies, digital health products require active and sustained participation from users. Ensuring continuous engagement and adherence is particularly challenging in chronic disease management, where long-term commitment is crucial.
User Experience (UX)research focuses on enhancing the usability and ergonomics of a product, assessing factors such as ease of use, satisfaction and overall engagement. In digital health, a positive UX can significantly increase patient engagement and adherence, thereby enhancing the therapeutic success of these tools. Conversely, a poor UX can result in low
A thorough literature review was conducted usingPubMedto assess existing studies on UX approaches in digital health product development. The objective was to identify current trends, gaps and best practices related to patient engagement and UX.
Interviews were conducted with a diverse group of digital health stakeholders, including developers, clinicians, patients and regulatory experts. These interviews aimed to gather insights into UX considerations and requirements from multiple perspectives.
Analysis of Digital Health Applications (DiGAs)
Four German registered Digital Health Applications (DiGAs) focusing on musculoskeletal conditions were selected for analysis:
- Companion Patella: Targets knee and patella pain.
- Mawendo: Focuses on post-operative rehabilitation.
- HelloBetter: Addresses chronic pain.
- Vivira: Manages back pain.
The front-end design and navigation strategies of these DiGAs were evaluated by analysing mock-ups from their web landing pages. Key aspects examined included the type of application (web vs. mobile), interaction methods (chatbots vs. questionnaires) and the structure of navigation menus.
An online survey comprising ten UX-related questions was distributed to 51 post-COVID-19 syndrome patients affiliated with a Swiss patient association (Long Covid Schweiz) and Lausanne University Hospital. The survey aimed to gather patient preferences regarding Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) collection methods.
The literature review revealed a scarcity of studies focusing specifically on UX in digital health product development. Although the importance of patient-centric design is increasingly recognised in recent publications, comprehensive scientific research in this area remains limited.
The analysis of the four selected DiGAs highlighted significant heterogeneity in their design and navigation strategies:
Application Types:
- Web-Based: Companion Patella, Mawendo, and HelloBetter.
- Mobile-Based: Vivira.
Interaction Methods:
- Chatbots: Utilised by Companion Patella, Mawendo, and HelloBetter to collect data from patients.
- Questionnaires: Employed by Vivira for data collection.
Navigation Menus: Each DiGA featured a unique navigation structure tailored to its specific therapeutic focus, with no standardised approach observed across the applications.
User Experience Survey Results
The survey provided valuable insights into patient preferences:
Preference for PROs Collection:
- Symptoms List with Intensity Scales (1 to 10): Preferred by 46 out of 51 respondents (90.2%).
- Chatbot Interface: Less favoured, indicating a strong preference for straightforward symptom tracking tools.
Optimal Number of Questions:
- 5 to 10 Questions: Preferred by 70% of participants.
- More Than 10 Questions: Preferred by 28%.
- Less Than 5 Questions: Preferred by 2%.
Neglect of UX in Digital Health Development
Despite a consensus among stakeholders on the importance of UX for patient-centric development, there is a notable lack of comprehensive scientific research and standardised approaches to UX in digital health. This gap poses a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of digital health solutions.
The heterogeneous design approaches observed among the analysed DiGAs underscore the absence of standardised UX practices. This variability can lead to inconsistent user experiences, potentially affecting patient satisfaction and adherence. The preference for a symptoms list with a manageable number of questions suggests that simplicity and relevance are crucial for effective PROs collection.
Even rudimentary UX research methods, such as patient surveys and analysis of existing products, can yield valuable guidelines for design choices. The findings from the survey and DiGA analysis indicate that simple design features, like the method of data collection and the number of questions posed, can significantly influence user engagement and adherence.
The observed diversity in UX practices among DiGAs highlights an opportunity to develop standardised UX guidelines for digital health applications. Establishing unified UX practices can ensure consistency, improve usability, and enhance patient satisfaction across different digital health products.
To fully leverage the potential of digital health solutions, future research should focus on:
- Comprehensive UX Assessments: Conducting in-depth studies involving usability testing, user satisfaction assessments and focus group interviews to gain a richer understanding of user needs and preferences.
- Longitudinal Studies: Tracking user interactions and engagement over extended periods to understand how UX impacts long-term adherence and health outcomes.
- Integration with Clinical Outcomes: Correlating UX metrics with clinical efficacy to establish the direct impact of user experience on therapeutic success.
- Cross-Platform Consistency: Ensuring a consistent UX across different platforms (e.g., web, mobile) to enhance user comfort and familiarity, thereby promoting adoption.
User Experience (UX) research is pivotal in the development and adoption of digital health products. By prioritising patient-centric design and incorporating comprehensive UX research methods, developers can create more engaging, effective and widely adopted digital health solutions. The findings from UX research not only inform the design of specific digital health platforms but also advocate for broader industry-wide changes that prioritise UX to foster greater adoption and effectiveness of digital health solutions.
As digital health continues to expand, the integration of robust UX practices will be essential in overcoming adoption barriers and maximising the therapeutic impact of these innovative tools. Emphasising UX not only enhances patient engagement and adherence but also contributes to the overall success and sustainability of digital health interventions, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for patients worldwide.
Implications for Digital Health Development
Prioritising Patient-Centric Design: Incorporating patient feedback and preferences into the design process leads to more intuitive and user-friendly applications, fostering a sense of ownership and engagement among users.
Standardising UX Practices: Developing unified UX guidelines can ensure consistency, improve usability and enhance patient satisfaction across different digital health products.
Enhancing Engagement and Adherence: Focusing on UX enables the creation of digital health tools that are more engaging and easier to use, thereby improving adherence rates and overall effectiveness.
Efficient and user-friendly methods for collecting patient-reported outcomes are essential. Balancing comprehensiveness with user convenience is the integration of User Experience research into digital health product development it is not merely an optional enhancement but a critical necessity. By systematically investigating patient preferences and behaviours, developers can design digital health solutions that are not only clinically effective but also highly engaging and user-friendly. This dual focus on clinical efficacy and superior UX will drive higher adoption rates, enhance therapeutic outcomes and ultimately contribute to the advancement of patient-centred healthcare.