Key question
What design features are included in effective e-Health interventions, and how do these features influence intervention outcomes?
Abstract
In this synopsis and commentary on the Morrison and colleagues article published in Telemedicine and e-Health (18:2, 137–144, 2012), we provide a brief review of effective design features of e-Health interventions as well as a discussion on future directions. The Internet is being used more frequently to deliver health behavior interventions; however, it is unclear which design features contribute to intervention outcomes. Morrison and colleagues conducted a review using critical interpretive synthesis techniques to identify design features that mediate the effects of e-Health intervention outcomes. A total of four design features were identified (social context and support, contacts with intervention, tailoring, and self-management) that may mediate the effect of the intervention on outcomes. This review provides a preliminary conceptual framework to guide future evaluations of the effects of e-Health design features on intervention outcomes. Future research should target optimizing e-Health interventions to determine which design features should be included as well as how they contribute to outcomes.
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References
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Conflict of interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Adherence to ethical principles
All procedures, including the informed consent process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.
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Implications
Researchers: Researchers should continue to aim to understand which design features contribute to e-Health intervention outcomes.
Practitioners: Practitioners may recommend e-Health interventions, particularly if they include features that facilitate social support, interventionist contact, personalization, and self-management.
Policymakers: Policymakers should consider promoting the use of e-Health interventions that incorporate evidence-based effective design features.
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Pellegrini, C.A., Steglitz, J. & Hoffman, S.A. e-Health intervention development: a synopsis and comment on “What Design Features are Used in Effective e-Health Interventions? A Review Using Techniques From Critical Interpretive Synthesis”. Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res. 4, 342–345 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-014-0283-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-014-0283-y