Overcoming barriers in digital health intervention development: Introducing the no-code platform CIAS-EU

Digital health interventions face significant development barriers, particularly for researchers lacking programming expertise. No-code platforms that enable researchers to build interventions directly through graphical interfaces promise to democratize intervention development, but their practical usability remains unclear.

To evaluate the usability of the European adaptation of the Computerized Intervention Authoring System (CIAS-EU), an open-source no-code platform for digital health interventions, following brief introductory training among previously naïve users.

A 3.5-h pre-conference workshop at the 2025 German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention Congress introduced CIAS-EU to health researchers through live demonstration (75 min) followed by hands-on intervention development (90 min). Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and open-ended qualitative questions.

Sixteen participants (88.9% response rate) from diverse backgrounds completed evaluations. The mean SUS score was 70.8 (SD = 16.2, range 32.5-95.0), indicating good but not excellent usability. Fifteen participants successfully created intervention prototypes during the hands-on session, spanning domains including mental health, nutrition, disease management, and health literacy. Participants valued the platform's intuitive interface and potential for independent development. Challenges included understanding the platform's structural logic, configuring branching mechanisms, and discovering advanced features.

CIAS-EU demonstrates practical accessibility for researchers without programming backgrounds, enabling rapid prototype development after minimal training. However, meaningful mastery requires investment beyond introductory sessions. The platform represents a viable approach to democratizing digital health intervention development, though continued refinement of user interface and comprehensive documentation remain important for broader adoption.