Out of the Box: Co-creative multistakeholder study to enhance the effectiveness of cardiology eHealth intervention

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is one
of the leading causes of disability worldwide. eHealth has the possibility to
improve health outcomes and quality of life adjunct to regular care. “The
Myocardial Infarction Box” (MI Box) is an at home monitoring system using
smartphone-enabled health monitoring devices. However, like many eHealth
interventions, the MI Box had variable adherence This variable adherence could be
due to a misalignment with the needs of the users and the intervention. Through
co-creation, this study aims to develop design strategies to enhance the
effectiveness of the MI Box in the long term: to increase adherence in the
first year and support MI patients in adopting a healthy lifestyle. Methods:
Six iterative co-creation session were conducted with various stakeholders. One
with designers and with healthcare professionals. Four sessions with users. In
these sessions, the patient journey and patient personas were discussed to
identify needs and opportunities for enhancements to the intervention. Furthermore,
design strategies for enhancing the intervention, aiming both to optimize
adherence and to stimulate a healthy lifestyle, were discussed. Findings: This
resulted in themes such as personalized feedback, understanding the data, and
regaining confidence in one’s own body to be key aspects to creating a more
meaningful and personally relevant intervention. Discussion: Involving the
stakeholders in co-creation sessions provides invaluable insights into the
userexperiences and opportunities for personalization. Adapting the
intervention to these needs is the next step to increase engagement with the
intervention and thereby increase adherence.