Developing Mental or Behavioral Health Mobile Apps for Pilot Studies by Leveraging Survey Platforms: A Do-it-Yourself...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science
• Mobile Health Interventions

Background:

• Mobile phone apps show promise for delivering evidence-based behavioral treatments.
• Developing these apps often demands significant financial investment and technical expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a practical, do-it-yourself methodology for researchers to develop and pilot Android mobile applications.
• This approach leverages existing survey software, such as the Qualtrics platform.

Main Methods:

• The methodology is based on the development of the iCanThrive app, designed to improve mental well-being in cancer survivors.
• The process involves using a survey platform to create a web-viewer mobile app distributed via the Google Play store.

Main Results:

• An inexpensive and practical method for creating and piloting mobile health interventions is described.
• The described process utilizes widely accessible survey software like Qualtrics.

Conclusions:

• Efficient development and piloting of app interventions are crucial given their growing interest.
• Mobile health applications are vital for expanding reach and support for individuals with mental and behavioral health disorders.