Abstract
BackgroundElectronic screening and brief intervention (eSBI) apps demonstrate potential to reduce harmful drinking. However, low user engagement rates with eSBI reduce overall effectiveness of interventions. As “Digital Natives,” young adults have high expectations of app quality. Ensuring that the design, content, and functionality of an eSBI app are acceptable to young adults is an integral stage to the development process.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify usability barriers and enablers for an app, BRANCH, targeting harmful drinking in young adults.MethodsThe BRANCH app contains a drinking diary, alcohol reduction goal setting functions, normative drinking feedback, and information on risks and advice for cutting down. The app includes a social feature personalized to motivate cutting down and to promote engagement with a point-based system for usage. Three focus groups were conducted with 20 users who had tested the app for 1 week. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken.ResultsThe first theme, “Functionality” referred to how users wanted an easy-to-use interface, with minimum required user-input. Poor functionality was considered a major usability barrier. The second theme, “Design” described how an aesthetic with minimum text, clearly distinguishable tabs and buttons and appealing infographics was integral to the level of usability. The final theme, “Content” described how participants wanted all aspects of the app to be automatically personalized to them, as well as providing them with opportunities to personalize the app themselves, with increased options for social connectivity.ConclusionsThere are high demands for apps such as BRANCH that target skilled technology users including young adults. Key areas to optimize eSBI app development that emerged from testing BRANCH with representative users include high-quality functionality, appealing aesthetics, and improved personalization.
Highlights
Electronic screening and brief intervention, delivered through devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones, is an increasingly popular method to deliver alcohol brief interventions [1,2,3]
This study reports the second stage of development of the BRANCH app that aims to evaluate the usability of the prototype app to improve its functioning, content, and design
This study showed how focus group interviews can be used to get detailed feedback on the usability of an alcohol app, which can be used to http://mhealth.jmir.org/2017/8/e109/
Summary
Electronic screening and brief intervention (eSBI), delivered through devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones, is an increasingly popular method to deliver alcohol brief interventions [1,2,3]. Meta-analyses demonstrate eSBI to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption by 1 to 2 drinks per week after 6 months compared to controls [4,5]. A recent systematic review of mobile interventions for alcohol and substance use reported that while mobile delivery of alcohol interventions is an acceptable http://mhealth.jmir.org/2017/8/e109/ XSLFO RenderX. 1 (page number not for citation purposes) and effective communication channel, targeting of interventions to specific populations is required [6]. Another enduring challenge for eSBI development is usability. Electronic screening and brief intervention (eSBI) apps demonstrate potential to reduce harmful drinking. Content, and functionality of an eSBI app are acceptable to young adults is an integral stage to the development process
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