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Co-design of mHealth Delivered Interventions: A Systematic Review to Assess Key Methods and Processes

  • Cardiovascular Disease (JHY Wu, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Most mobile health (mHealth) programmes are designed with minimal input from target end users and are not truly personalised or adaptive to their specific and evolving needs. This review describes the methods and processes used in the co-design of mHealth interventions. Nine relevant studies of varying design were identified following searches of six academic databases. All employed co-design or participatory methods for the development of a health intervention delivered via a mobile device, with three focusing on health behaviour change (one on nutrition) and six on management of a health condition. Overall, six key phases of design and 17 different methods were used. Sufficiency of reporting was poor, and no study undertook a robust assessment of efficacy; these factors should be a focus for future studies. An opportunity exists to use co-design methods to develop acceptable and feasible mHealth interventions, especially to support improved nutrition and for minority and indigenous groups.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Healthier Lives He Oranga Hauora National Science Challenge (New Zealand).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health, Tamaki Campus, University of Auckland, 261 Morrin Road, Auckland, 1072, New Zealand

    Helen Eyles, Andrew Jull, Rosie Dobson, Robyn Whittaker & Cliona Ni Mhurchu

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, Tamaki Campus, University of Auckland, 261 Morrin Road, Auckland, 1072, New Zealand

    Helen Eyles

  3. School of Nursing, University of Auckland, 261 Morrin Road, Auckland, 1072, New Zealand

    Andrew Jull

  4. Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Block 3, Level 4, Entrance B, Wallace Street, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

    Ridvan Firestone

  5. Institute for Innovation and Improvement, Waitemata District Health Board, School of Population Health, Tamaki Campus, University of Auckland, 261 Morrin Road, Auckland, 1072, New Zealand

    Robyn Whittaker

  6. Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Lisa Te Morenga

  7. DBZ Consultancy Ltd, PO Box 330, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand

    Debbie Goodwin

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  1. Helen Eyles
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Correspondence to Helen Eyles.

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Helen Eyles, Andrew Jull, Rosie Dobson, Ridvan Firestone, Robyn Whittaker, Lisa Te Morenga, Debbie Goodwin and Cliona Ni Mhurchu declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Eyles, H., Jull, A., Dobson, R. et al. Co-design of mHealth Delivered Interventions: A Systematic Review to Assess Key Methods and Processes. Curr Nutr Rep 5, 160–167 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-016-0165-7

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