Guide Development for eHealth Interventions Targeting People With a Low Socioeconomic Position: Participatory Design...

Area of Science:

• Digital health equity
• Health disparities research
• User-centered design in healthcare

Background:

• eHealth interventions often fail to benefit individuals with lower socioeconomic positions (SEP), widening health inequalities.
• Professionals developing eHealth for low-SEP populations face significant challenges.
• A comprehensive guide is needed to support professionals in creating equitable eHealth solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a web-based guide for professionals.
• To support the development, adaptation, evaluation, and implementation of eHealth interventions for people with low SEP.
• To mitigate health inequalities exacerbated by eHealth disparities.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase approach was used: secondary analysis of existing studies and a participatory design process.
• The secondary analysis synthesized insights to inform the guide's content and structure.
• Participatory design involved iterative development and testing with 11 professionals experienced in eHealth and low-SEP populations.

Main Results:

• A framework of recommendations was developed, covering development, reach, adherence, evaluation, and implementation.
• Sixteen design requirements were identified for system, content, and service aspects.
• The "inclusive eHealth guide" was created, featuring open navigation, visual elements, comprehensible content, evidence, user perspectives, practical applications, and a personal tone.

Conclusions:

• The "inclusive eHealth guide" is a practical, user-centric tool to reduce health disparities.
• It aims to aid professionals in developing, adapting, evaluating, and implementing eHealth interventions for low-SEP populations.
• Future research should assess the guide's suitability, validity, applicability, and real-world impact on social health inequality.