User Preferences for Privacy Protection Methods in Mobile Health Apps: A Mixed-Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer convenient healthcare delivery and self-management.
• User privacy concerns are significant barriers to mHealth app adoption.
• Existing mHealth apps employ various privacy protection strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify user preferences for mHealth app privacy protection methods.
• To understand the rationale behind user preferences for specific privacy features.
• To inform the design of more user-centric and secure mHealth applications.

Main Methods:

• A study involving participants with mild to moderate depression who expressed privacy concerns.
• Presentation and demonstration of five distinct privacy protection methods.
• Data collection through questionnaires assessing perceived privacy protection level and preference ratings, followed by interviews.
• Statistical analysis to evaluate differences in user preferences and perceived privacy.

Main Results:

• Participants preferred mHealth apps with customizable privacy modules within multi-purpose applications.
• Convenience and robust privacy protection were key factors driving user preference.
• Customization options, whether in-app or via a web portal, were highly valued.

Conclusions:

• User-preferred privacy protection methods were identified, emphasizing customization.
• These findings can guide the development of mHealth apps for sensitive health information management.
• Implementing preferred privacy features may increase user trust and adoption of mHealth solutions.