Evaluating a Digital Chronic Condition Prevention Intervention (THRIVE) in Australian General Practice: Protocol for...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Preventive Care
• General Practice Research

Background:

• Chronic conditions pose a significant global health burden, necessitating effective preventive strategies.
• General practices are primarily treatment-focused and underresourced for comprehensive preventive care.
• Digital health interventions (DHIs) offer scalable solutions, but evidence on consumer-facing, multi-risk DHIs in general practice is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, sustainability, and impact on health activation of the THRIVE DHI.
• To assess a consumer-facing DHI within Australian general practice settings.
• To gather insights for refining DHIs for chronic condition prevention.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods, pre-post feasibility study across 5 Australian general practices.
• Adult consumers (30-65 years) used the THRIVE platform for risk assessments and action plans.
• Quantitative (surveys, metrics) and qualitative (interviews) data were collected from consumers and clinicians.

Main Results:

• Consumer recruitment commenced in December 2025, with 25 consents obtained by April 2026.
• Clinician interviews completed; data collection ongoing, concluding December 2026.
• Funding secured for 2024; outcomes will inform intervention refinement and future trial designs.

Conclusions:

• The study addresses a critical evidence gap regarding multicondition DHIs in general practice.
• Findings will support the development of larger trials to assess DHI effectiveness in prevention.
• This research informs the implementation of digital tools for enhanced preventive care.