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Engagement of Users in Digital Health Applications: Scoping Review
Melek Aktas1, Linda Cambon2, Olivier Aromatario1
1Mérisp Team Labelled League Against Cancer (CIC 1401), BPH (U1219), INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, 33000, France.
Background:
Mobile health (mHealth) uses mobile technology as a tool for prevention and health promotion. Research indicates that user engagement is crucial for effective mHealth interventions and improved health outcomes. However, many studies report low adoption rates, rapid decline after initial use, and a lack of acknowledgment of user implications in achieving outcomes. Thus, conceptualizing participation in mHealth is essential to identify key determinants for engaging users.
Objective:
This scoping review aims to identify and characterize the attributes and definitions of user engagement in mHealth, examine engagement methods, and analyze barriers and facilitators influencing participation.
Methods:
Following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases were searched for publications between 2000 and 2025 with a 2-stage selection process.
Results:
Out of 2489 articles identified, 1416 were screened, and 52 met the inclusion criteria. Half were recently published in the last 5 years (2020-2025). Existing literature focused on digital interventions for specific populations and health topics. Analysis revealed four main perspectives on engagement in mHealth: (1) usage metrics, (2) subjective user experiences, (3) a hybrid approach that combines both, and (4) a goal-oriented perspective (behavior change or health outcomes).
Conclusions:
To understand the complexity and multifactorial nature of participation, it is relevant to conceptualize it as a dynamic mechanism enabling users to achieve their objectives. Both quantitative use and subjective user experience should be integrated to reach the optimal intervention dose. Recognizing users' evolving needs, uniqueness, and their socioenvironmental context interdependence, it is essential to involve users in all stages (design, implementation, and iterative evaluation of mHealth). Findings will inform an e-Delphi study to establish consensus on engagement criteria.
