Participatory Technology Development to Enhance Community Resilience

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Digital Health
• Mobile Health (mHealth)

Background:

• Developing relevant and engaging mobile health (mHealth) applications requires effective collaboration between academic institutions and communities.
• Traditional development models may not adequately address the unique needs and priorities of under-resourced communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a partnered technology development process for co-creating mHealth applications tailored to community health priorities.
• To exemplify this process using a mobile application focused on psychoeducation of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles for enhancing resilience.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods feasibility study involving an academic-community partnership in South Los Angeles.
• Three phases: vision definition and capacity building, co-development and pilot testing, and sustainability planning.
• Data collection included qualitative analysis of development processes, stakeholder interviews, surveys, app usage data, and participant feedback.

Main Results:

• Successfully co-created and pilot-tested a resiliency-focused text messaging app.
• Achieved high user engagement, with 77% of pilot users responding to interactive content.
• Stakeholders reported enhanced competency in app development and a culture of co-leadership, with sustained engagement beyond the project.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrates the feasibility of a participatory technology development approach for mHealth apps, involving diverse stakeholders from under-resourced communities.
• This method fosters the creation of sustainable, relevant, and engaging health technologies.
• Highlights the potential of participatory development for addressing health priorities across various settings.