What keeps us engaged in mhealth technologies? |
My big take-away from the conference how to sort out which mobile health apps and software work and which don't and why.
It can be hard to how to differentiate between them. But if we are going to use them, we need to know how to pick and choose.
Why mobile health matters.
But first let's review why mobile health matters so much. With 90% of the world's population having access to a smartphone, 40,000 health apps currently available on the market and software companies creating new telehealth software every day, mobile is truly the world's largest technology platform and the world's largest health delivery opportunity.
"The most powerful health care tool we have ever had is in everyone's pocket."
Mobile health matters because it is everywhere. Smartphones are our favorite technology. But it also matters because it works, providing improved patient outcomes at reduced cost.
But if you are a health or hospital administrator looking to invest in an mhealth technology, what should you look for? How do you tell what is good and what is not so good?
George Kassabgi, entrepreneur and co-creator of Catch-Health spoke about what determines patient engagement in a mhealth product on Thursday afternoon.
"Dumb Ways to Die" Red Button |
What doesn't work!
First I learned about what doesn't work.Patients with a chronic health condition were given a telehealth device to use at home to help manage their condition. If they pressed a button, the machine would automatically send critical health infomation to their doctor. Simple, no?
Well these patients failed to comply with this device at an astonishingly high rate!
"What!" you are saying, "What is easier than pressing a button?" Why won't those patients, just press the button (echoes of Dumb Ways to Die in my head... hmm hmm hmm)!
What Works!
In essence, technology works if it is designed around the human brain, around what motivates us and makes us feel good. George Kassagbi outlines the four features that predict user engagement in mhealth technologies.
So, let's say I am a woman recovering from depression and I log on to a service in which I can interact with a limited number of my peers, also struggling through recovery. We all rely on each other for support and I am motivated to log on because I know we are working together as a team to be successful in recovery. I want to see what they are doing, I want them to know what I have learned. I interact because it is social and it draws me in with the opportunity to connect.
Tip #2: Secondly, he says, the technology has to help us form "tiny habits." Instead of insisting on big changes or insisting on big behavior changes, the technology interface helps us learn new habits in small steps, reinforced by the social context.
Today, I see that my friend posts his favorite dark greens salad recipe and then lets me know that getting my daily intake of antioxidants is actually going to help my mood. Because he suggests it and because I like salad anyway, I might just try his salad! This is a small step for me, but combined with many other small health improvements, I am on the path to recovery from depression.
Layers |
We all want to achieve, in fact we are suckers for achievement! I will gladly log on to record my daily self-care activities and medication compliance if I have the opportunity to earn points for doing so. These points will move me into "Double Power Level," and I really want to be the first one on my team to get there!
Tip #4: Lastly, George tells us, we need to make the technology platform positive and fun! For me, this goes right along with the three he has already mentioned, but for George it's important enough to be mentioned separately! I like it!
When my health coach posts an inspirational quote each day, I seek it out because it's positive and uplifting. I engage with the service because I want something that makes me feel better. I like her encouragement and her warmth, and I know I need it when I am feeling down. And engaging more means that I get better over time.
The Good Ones Keep Us Coming Back
George tells us how to distinguish the good apples in mhealth from the not so good ones. The good ones engage clients with intelligent design, so we keep coming back. These technologies create a team for users, help to encourage small steps in health improvement, help to incentivize use through rewards and unfolding layers, and create a positive feeling for their users.The bad ones offer utility without intelligent design. They may offer a simple platform with information or one simple function, not tied to other people or allowing us opportunities to achieve.
Mental health app creators take heed, for these are the elements that distinguish the not-so-great mhealth tools from the stellar.
And for the rest of us, consumers, advocates, mental health clinicians, and administrators knowing what we now know helps us figure out which one to use.
Whether you are investing $2.99 for a mental health app for your own personal use, or whether you are investing $29,900 for a new telemental health platform, first ask yourself if these four elements are present, and whether you as a user would want to keep engaging with it.
If the technology will engage the client so they keep coming back again and again, the investment may be very much worth it.
Pics
Engaged: http://www.flickr.com/photos/expressmonorail/2994523467/
Dumb Ways to Die Button www.survivingcollege.com
Layers http://www.baptistmilestone.com