Chapter 7 142 To better address this group, participatory design can be complemented with supportive strategies aimed at boosting self-efficacy and providing a more inclusive environment. This could include offering preparatory sessions that equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute effectively, and creating a supportive network where participants can seek help and share ideas outside of formal sessions. While participatory design holds promise for creating more equitable eHealth interventions, it is not the holy grail. Its implementation requires careful consideration of different user groups and should be complemented with other strategies where needed. For example, insights gained from participatory design can be validated and generalized in larger trials. Therefore, achieving meaningful and inclusive eHealth interventions necessitates a multidisciplinary approach that involves collaboration between designers, researchers, healthcare professionals, and, most importantly, individuals these interventions aim to serve. 7.4.3.3 User engagement Regarding the design of the intervention itself, we discovered the importance of user engagement through simplicity. A well-designed and simple user experience, even if it means compromising some functionality, is crucial for engaging users with a low SEP. An example is the Ommetje app (Hersenstichting, 2024) which promotes 20-minute walks with a simple interface. Its minimalistic design aids in maintaining user engagement. The “less is more” principle may also be relevant for designing equitable eHealth interventions. Integrating numerous BCTs without considering usability and aesthetic appeal can complicate the user experience and discourage engagement, especially for users with limited digital skills. Given the typically constrained resources in intervention development, the resource-intensive nature of integrating multiple components often compromises user experience. For users with a low SEP, the benefits of adding more behavioral components hinge on the quality of their integration. Therefore, a streamlined intervention with a few well-integrated principles might be more effective for these groups than a theoretically comprehensive but practically cumbersome intervention. 7.4.3.4 Personalization Another salient finding regarding intervention design indicated a strong preference among participants for more personalized content. Personalization in eHealth interventions is crucial for low-SEP groups because it ensures the content, delivery, and BCTs are directly relevant to their specific circumstances and needs. I propose two possible avenues to make personalization feasible in eHealth interventions for low-SEP groups.
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