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Updated: Jan 17, 2026
Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Development of a Web-Based Intervention to Support Primary Health Care Professionals in Digital Health Measurement:
Kristel Meijers1,2, Esther Bols1,3, Emmylou Beekman1,3,4
1Research Center for Autonomy and Participation for Persons with a Chronic Illness, Academy for Speech and Language Therapy, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
Background:
Digital health measurement offers opportunities to address several primary health care challenges, but health care professionals encounter significant implementation barriers. Therefore, resources need to be developed to facilitate the integration of digital health measurement into daily practice.
Objective:
We aim to identify the most appropriate format and content for an intervention to support primary health care professionals in adopting digital health measurement. In addition, we describe and reflect on the development process.
Methods:
We used a participatory action research approach as well as user-centered design principles. A total of 19 primary health care professionals from 4 disciplines-physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and general practitioner practice assistance-participated in intervention development as end users. External experts were consulted to broaden perspectives. Data were collected across 3 iterative stages (concept, design, and testing and trials) between January 2022 and December 2023 during cocreative meetings, individual interviews, focus group discussions, usability testing, and prototype use in daily practice. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics.
Results:
A web-based, stepwise intervention combining theoretical information, practical aids, examples, and experiences proved most suitable. Key features were concise content, intuitive and attractive graphic design, and flexible navigation and functionalities. Iterative improvements led to an increase in usability ratings from "okay" to "good to excellent."
Conclusions:
Different health care disciplines benefit from similar support strategies; yet, this requires a careful balancing of intervention design and content. Combining participatory action research and user-centered design principles was useful to tailor the intervention to end users' daily routines. The described development process offers a replicable framework for creating support strategies for digital health measurement in various health care settings.
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