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. 2022 Oct 11:8:20552076221129059.
doi: 10.1177/20552076221129059. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.

Identifying essential factors that influence user engagement with digital mental health tools in clinical care settings: Protocol for a Delphi study

Brian Lo  1   2   3   4   5 , Quynh Pham  1   6 , Sanjeev Sockalingam  3   7 , David Wiljer  1   3   5   7 , Gillian Strudwick  1   2   4
Affiliations

Identifying essential factors that influence user engagement with digital mental health tools in clinical care settings: Protocol for a Delphi study

Brian Lo et al. Digit Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Improving effective user engagement with digital mental health tools has become a priority in enabling the value of digital health. With increased interest from the mental health community in embedding digital health tools as part of care delivery, there is a need to examine and identify the essential factors in influencing user engagement with digital mental health tools in clinical care. The current study will use a Delphi approach to gain consensus from individuals with relevant experience and expertise (e.g. patients, clinicians and healthcare administrators) on factors that influence user engagement (i.e. an essential factor).

Methods: Participants will be invited to complete up to four rounds of online surveys. The first round of the Delphi study comprises of reviewing existing factors identified in literature and commenting on whether any factors they believe are important are missing from the list. Subsequent rounds will involve asking participants to rate the perceived impact of each factor in influencing user engagement with digital mental health tools in clinical care contexts. This work is expected to consolidate the perspectives from relevant stakeholders and the academic literature to identify a core set of factors considered essential in influencing user engagement with digital mental health tools in clinical care contexts.

Keywords: Delphi; User engagement; clinical care; digital mental health; nursing informatics; psychiatry.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Overview of the Delphi technique.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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