End-user Engagement Research Articles

Evidence on scaling in health and social care: protocol for a living umbrella review

BackgroundThere is a growing interest in scaling effective health innovations to promote equitable access to high-quality health services worldwide. However, multiple challenges persist in scaling innovations. In this study, we aim to summarize the scaling evidence in the health and social care literature and identify current knowledge gaps.MethodsWe will conduct a living umbrella review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers’ Manual. We will consider all knowledge syntheses addressing scaling in health or social care (e.g., any setting, any clinical area) and conducted in a systematic way. We will search the following electronic databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, PsychINFO (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Sociological (Proquest), Academic Search Premier (EBSCO), and Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global, from inception. Furthermore, we will conduct searches of the grey literature. No restriction regarding date or language will be applied. Each phase of the review will be processed by two independent reviewers. We will develop a data extraction form on Covidence. We will assess the methodological quality of the included reviews using AMSTAR2 and the risk of bias using ROBIS. Results will be presented in tabular form and accompanied by a narrative synthesis covering the traditional themes of scaling science that emerge from the analysis, such as coverage, range, and sustainability, as well as themes less covered in the literature, including reporting guidance, models, tools, barriers, and/or facilitators to scaling innovations, evidence regarding application in high-income or low-income countries, and end-user engagement. We will disseminate the findings via publications and through relevant networks.DiscussionThe findings of the umbrella review will facilitate access to scaling evidence in the literature and help strengthen the science of scaling for researchers, policy makers, and program managers. Finally, this work will highlight important knowledge gaps and help prioritize future research questions.Systematic review registrationThis protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on November 11, 2020 (registration number: CRD42020183774).

The use of co-design in developing physical activity interventions for older adults: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this scoping review is to map the available evidence on the use of co-design in developing physical activity interventions for older adults. Remaining physically active throughout life is important for maintaining independence and quality of life. Co-design is an effective way to engage end users in health-related policy development and health care interventions; however, the definition and operational use of co-design varies widely. This scoping review will summarize the available evidence on how co-design is used to engage older adults in physical activity interventions and identify areas for future research. Studies must have at least one participant aged 60 years or older and include concepts related to co-design and physical activity to be eligible for inclusion. Eligible studies must be original, peer-reviewed research. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and AMED databases will be searched from inception to February 18, 2021. Following duplicate removal, titles and abstracts will be screened and selected according to predefined inclusion criteria by two or more independent reviewers. Kappa level of agreement will be calculated between reviewers for selection of titles and abstracts. The remaining full texts will be screened against inclusion criteria, and reasons for exclusion will be reported. Data will be extracted from included studies by two or more independent reviewers according to the Participant, Concept, Context framework. Information pertaining to the aims of this scoping review and the study methodology will be extracted and presented in tabular format, accompanied by a narrative summary. Open Science Framework Registration (osf.io/vsw2m).

A Comprehensive PCOS Research and Guideline Translation Program to Improve Practice.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and complex endocrinopathy affecting reproductive-age women with a reported prevalence of 8 to 13%. To address the knowledge, practice, consumer satisfaction, and research gaps, an international research collaboration was formed to develop the first "International Evidence-Based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (2018)." This article describes an effective research translation program to disseminate the guideline internationally to women and health providers. To date, this had led to 75,197 views and almost 36,000 downloads of the PCOS guideline, and 43,000 views and 10,600 downloads of a suite of PCOS resources. AskPCOS app, the first freely accessible, evidence-based PCOS app, has 9,910 users (between 400 and 800 users per month), 23,447 sessions, and 87,801 screen viewings. Fifty-four percent of returning users are from across 137 countries, with the most users in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and India. Extensive global uptake of the PCOS guideline and compendium of resources was augmented by extensive formative consumer and health professional consultation, end-user engagement across the evidence-creation spectrum, co-design, and quality improvement.

Health workers’ perspectives of a mobile health tool to improve diagnosis and management of paediatric acute respiratory illnesses in Uganda: a qualitative study

ObjectivesMobile health tools have potential to improve the diagnosis and management of acute lower respiratory illnesses (ALRI), a leading cause of paediatric mortality worldwide. The objectives were to evaluate health...

Heat Pump Optimization Strategies for Participation in Price-Controlled Demand Response in the Latvian Electricity Market

Abstract Improved end-user engagement is considered to be a key factor in decarbonization efforts towards climate neutral energy systems. While first adopters are already actively seeking ways how to optimize their energy consumption, a true shift in consumer behaviour can only be achieved if the financial benefits are well established and presented. The study aims at estimating the economic performance of end-user engagement in provision of demand response services using air-to-air heat pumps as the underlying technology. The results of the paper help evaluate in a real data setting whether the existing market framework provides sufficient incentives to facilitate end-user participation in the demand response service.

Involving end users in retrofit of higher education buildings

Although the importance of end user participation during building improvement design is widely accepted, selecting the best approach for the engagement of users in design processes is a significant challenge. This paper assesses how qualitative end user engagement during retrofit planning can aid the design process of energy retrofits in higher education institutions. The application of this early stage approach to make design decisions is presented via a case study, carried out in the Faculty of Architecture Building at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. The proposed method uses semi-structured interviews with individual end users along with group interviews, to qualitatively assess priorities for a retrofit scheme of works. Utilising qualitative textual analysis software, specific elements to consider in the retrofit design process are defined, along with particular areas in need of focus, to best enhance user experience and energy efficiency gains. Using a case study approach, this research looks to showcase this method and highlight key elements of successful early design end user engagement, utilised to promote successful retrofit project completion. Findings highlight that retrofit project end users require engagement to aid articulation of requirements, along with the utilisation of engagement strategies to promote project buy in.

The Road to Operationalization of Effective Tropical Forest Monitoring Systems

The urgency to preserve tropical forest remnants has encouraged the development of remote sensing tools and techniques to monitor diverse forest attributes for management and conservation. State-of-the-art methodologies for mapping and tracking these attributes usually achieve accuracies greater than 0.8 for forest cover monitoring; r-square values of ~0.5–0.7 for plant diversity, vegetation structure, and plant functional trait mapping, and overall accuracies of ~0.8 for categorical maps of forest attributes. Nonetheless, existing operational tropical forest monitoring systems only track single attributes at national to global scales. For the design and implementation of effective and integrated tropical forest monitoring systems, we recommend the integration of multiple data sources and techniques for monitoring structural, functional, and compositional attributes. We also recommend its decentralized implementation for adjusting methods to local climatic and ecological characteristics and for proper end-user engagement. The operationalization of the system should be based on all open-source computing platforms, leveraging international support in research and development and ensuring direct and constant user engagement. We recommend continuing the efforts to address these multiple challenges for effective monitoring.

Smart Management of the Production–Demand Binomial and the Active Participation of End-User through the Smart Metering Support

At global level nowadays, there is a general movement towards the goal of a ‘zero-emission’ energy systems. It will require a necessary energy transition characterized by a continuous increase of generation facilities from renewable energy sources (RES), from a massive increase in energy efficiency and, contemporary, an increased use of electricity to meet the energy needs traditionally required through the direct use of fossil fuels. In order to provide end-users with a greater knowledge and awareness of their energy consumption and the benefits of distributed use of renewable energy sources, it is fundamental to employ a smart metering progress which can enable an evolved and ‘smart’ management of the production–demand binomial and an active participation in the energy system. The importance of functionalities implemented in a smart meter—for end-user engagement, empowerment, and awareness—is presented in the paper. For instance, we present a simple optimization functionality for photovoltaic (PV) and storage system sizing based on load and production duration curves and historical data collected by the smart meter with fine resolution. The ease of this functionality uses a data history with extremely high resolutions, which are able to measure the power ramps that occur when an appliance or any other load is connected. An example of application of the smart meter functionality and test cases’ analysis are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the tool.

Integrated Performance Optimization of Higher Education Buildings Using Low-Energy Renovation Process and User Engagement

Building performance improvement through low-energy renovation traditionally involves building performance diagnostics of the existing building, technology evaluation, selection and implementation. Effective building performance diagnostics, post-retrofit assessment and user engagement are essential to deliver performance as well as achieving socio-economic and environmental benefits at every stage of the renovation project life cycle. User’s views are often ignored when renovating a building, causing sub-optimal energy performance, user comfort and wellbeing. This paper seeks to critically evaluate the low-energy renovation process and the role of user and stakeholder engagement in the strategic implementation of low-energy retrofit technologies for performance improvement of higher education buildings. The research focuses on renovation methodology, innovative materials/systems and end-user engagement throughout the renovation project phases (pre-renovation, the renovation process and post renovation). A mixed research method was adopted, which includes building performance modelling, monitoring and user evaluation questionnaires pre and post-renovation. The research is part of European Union (EU)-funded project, targeting 50% reduction in energy consumption using innovative materials and technologies in existing public buildings. The surveys allow comparative analysis of comfort levels and user satisfaction as an indicator of the efficacy of renovation measures. A new renovation process and user engagement framework was developed. The findings suggest that there is a direct relationship between retrofit intervention, improving energy performance of low-carbon buildings and the comfort of occupants. The technologies and strategies also appear to have different impacts on user satisfaction.

A generative co-design framework for healthcare innovation: development and application of an end-user engagement framework

Plain English summaryBackgroundContinual improvements to health systems, products, and services are necessary for improvements in health. However, many of these improvements are not incorporated into everyday practice. When designing new health systems, products, and services, involving members of the healthcare community and the public with personal healthcare experience can help to make sure that improvements will be useful and relevant to others like them.MethodsTogether with healthcare workers and family members with healthcare experience, we developed and applied a step-by-step guide to involving those with personal experience in the design of health system improvements.ResultsOur guide has three phases— ‘Pre-Design’, ‘Co-Design’, and ‘Post-Design’. This paper describes each of these phases and illustrates how we applied them to our own project, which is to use virtual healthcare methods to improve care for children with chronic healthcare conditions and their families. In our own work, we found that healthcare workers and family members with personal healthcare experiences were able to use their knowledge and creativity to help us imagine how to improve care for children with chronic healthcare conditions and their families. We have created action items from these family member- and healthcare worker-identified needs, which we will use to shape our virtual healthcare system.ConclusionsThis paper may be useful for those seeking to involve members of the healthcare community and the public in the creation of better healthcare systems, products, and services.BackgroundChallenges with the adoption, scale, and spread of health innovations represent significant gaps in the evidence-to-practice cycle. In the health innovation design process, a lack of attention paid to the needs of end-users, and subsequent tailoring of innovations to meet these needs, is a possible reason for this deficit. In the creative field of health innovation, which includes the design of healthcare products, systems (governance and organization mechanisms), and services (delivery mechanisms), a framework for both soliciting the needs of end-users and translating these needs into the design of health innovations is needed.MethodsTo address this gap, our team developed and applied a seven-step methodological framework, called A Generative Co-Design Framework for Healthcare Innovation. This framework was developed by an interdisciplinary team that included patient partners.ResultsThis manuscript contributes a framework and applied exemplar for those seeking to engage end-users in the creative process of healthcare innovation. Through the stages of ‘Pre-Design’, ‘Co-Design’, and ‘Post-Design’, we were able to harness the creative insights of end-users, drawing on their experiences to shape a future state of care. Using an expository example of our own work, the DigiComp Kids project, we illustrate the application of each stage of the Framework.ConclusionsA Generative Co-Design Framework for Healthcare Innovation provides healthcare innovators, applied health science researchers, clinicians, and quality improvement specialists with a guide to eliciting and incorporating the viewpoints of end-users while distilling practical considerations for healthcare innovation and design.

Framework for the Design Engineering and Clinical Implementation and Evaluation of mHealth Apps for Sleep Disturbance: Systematic Review.

BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) apps offer a scalable option for treating sleep disturbances at a population level. However, there is a lack of clarity about the development and evaluation of evidence-based mHealth apps.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to provide evidence for the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of mHealth apps for sleep disturbance.MethodsA systematic search of studies published from the inception of databases through February 2020 was conducted using 5 databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and CINAHL).ResultsA total of 6015 papers were identified using the search strategy. After screening, 15 papers were identified that examined the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of 8 different mHealth apps for sleep disturbance. Most of these apps delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I, n=4) or modified CBT-I (n=2). Half of the apps (n=4) identified adopting user-centered design or multidisciplinary teams in their design approach. Only 3 papers described user and data privacy. End-user acceptability and engagement were the most frequently assessed implementation metrics. Only 1 app had available evidence assessing all 4 implementation metrics (ie, acceptability, engagement, usability, and adherence). Most apps were prototype versions (n=5), with few matured apps. A total of 6 apps had supporting papers that provided a quantitative evaluation of clinical outcomes, but only 1 app had a supporting, adequately powered randomized controlled trial.ConclusionsThis is the first systematic review to synthesize and examine evidence for the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of mHealth apps for sleep disturbance. The minimal number of apps with published evidence for design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation contrasts starkly with the number of commercial sleep apps available. Moreover, there appears to be no standardization and consistency in the use of best practice design approaches and implementation assessments, along with very few rigorous efficacy evaluations. To facilitate the development of successful and evidence-based apps for sleep disturbance, we developed a high-level framework to guide researchers and app developers in the end-to-end process of app development and evaluation.

Engaging End-Users to Maximise Uptake and Effectiveness of a New Species Recovery Assessment: The IUCN Green Status of Species

When developing a novel conservation assessment, tradeoffs between generality and precision, and between realism and simplicity, will inevitably need to be made. Engaging potential end-users during development can help developers navigate these tradeoffs to maximise uptake. End-user engagement can also produce feedback about external perceptions, allowing changes to be made prior to the final design. Here, we report on end-user consultations about the species recovery assessment method introduced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is a new component of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This species recovery assessment was originally called the 'Green List of Species.' We conducted two types of end-user consultation over a two-year period—1) key informant interviews, and 2) technical consultations about the details of the assessment method, including identification of factors that increased the amount of time required to conduct an assessment. A main finding from the key informant interviews was that the name 'Green List of Species' was inappropriate for the assessment, given the potential for misunderstanding the scope of the assessment and potential confusion with the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. We therefore proposed the name 'Green Status of Species', a suggestion accepted by IUCN. A repeated concern in key informant interviews was the perception that the species recovery assessments were complex, indicating a potential tradeoff between scientific rigour and simplicity. To address this concern, we used feedback from the technical consultations to identify assessment steps which were most in need of refinement, and implemented solutions and made recommendations to streamline those steps (e.g., we found that the number of spatial units used in an assessment was positively correlated with assessment time, and increased greatly when more than 15 spatial units were used). This process of end-user engagement makes it much more likely that the Green Status of Species will be used in conservation communication, monitoring, and decision-making—helping achieve the ultimate goal of biodiversity recovery.

Perancangan Expert System Development Life Cycle pada Sistem Pakar Forward Chaining Sebagai Media Pembelajaran

The purpose of this research is to create and develop learning media in the form of applications used for plant identification in The Division of Pinophyta. The approach used is conventional approach with Expert System Development Life Cycle (ESDLC) method from Durkin, the inference mechanism used is Forward Chaining, while the software, used for Data Base Management System (DBMS) is MySQL, Unified Modeling Language (UML), Personal Home Page (PHP). Based on the results of the application assessment test in general obtained results that this expert system application deserves to be used as a learning media with criteria for Quality of end-user interface design (55.5%), Engagement (52.3%), Interactivity (64.3 %) and Tailorability (52.4%). Conclusion, application made by Expert System Development Life Cycle (ESDLC) method, with Forward Chaining inference mechanism worthy to be used as a learning medium of plant identification in Divisio Pinophyta.
 
 Keywords: Application, Plant Identification, Learning Media, Expert System, Forward Chaining

Engaging End Users in Designing Systems and Hardware for a Socially Assistive Robot

Development of low-cost robots to assist older adults requires the input of end users: older adults, paid caregivers and clinicians. This study builds on prior work focused on the task investigation and deployment of mobile robots in a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We identified hydration, walking and reaching as tasks appropriate for the robot and helpful to the older adults. In this study we investigated the design specifications for a socially assistive robot to perform the above tasks. Through focus groups of clinicians, older adults and paid caregivers we sought preferences on the design specifications. Using conventional content analysis, the following four themes emerged: the robot must be polite and personable; science fiction or alien like; depends on the need of the older adult; and multifaceted to meet the needs of older adults. These themes were used in the design and deployment of the Quori robot.

Development and initial implementation of electronic clinical decision supports for recognition and management of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) is common in hospitalized patients and is associated with poor patient outcomes and high costs of care. The implementation of clinical decision support tools within electronic medical record (EMR) could improve AKI care and outcomes. While clinical decision support tools have the potential to enhance recognition and management of AKI, there is limited description in the literature of how these tools were developed and whether they meet end-user expectations.MethodsWe developed and evaluated the content, acceptability, and usability of electronic clinical decision support tools for AKI care. Multi-component tools were developed within a hospital EMR (Sunrise Clinical Manager™, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.) currently deployed in Calgary, Alberta, and included: AKI stage alerts, AKI adverse medication warnings, AKI clinical summary dashboard, and an AKI order set. The clinical decision support was developed for use by multiple healthcare providers at the time and point of care on general medical and surgical units. Functional and usability testing for the alerts and clinical summary dashboard was conducted via in-person evaluation sessions, interviews, and surveys of care providers. Formal user acceptance testing with clinical end-users, including physicians and nursing staff, was conducted to evaluate the AKI order set.ResultsConsiderations for appropriate deployment of both non-disruptive and interruptive functions was important to gain acceptability by clinicians. Functional testing and usability surveys for the alerts and clinical summary dashboard indicated that the tools were operating as desired and 74% (17/23) of surveyed healthcare providers reported that these tools were easy to use and could be learned quickly. Over three-quarters of providers (18/23) reported that they would utilize the tools in their practice. Three-quarters of the participants (13/17) in user acceptance testing agreed that recommendations within the order set were useful. Overall, 88% (15/17) believed that the order set would improve the care and management of AKI patients.ConclusionsDevelopment and testing of EMR-based decision support tools for AKI with clinicians led to high acceptance by clinical end-users. Subsequent implementation within clinical environments will require end-user education and engagement in system-level initiatives to use the tools to improve care.

Keys to innovation in animal science: genomics, big data and collaboration

As the sophistication of genomic technologies increases and their cost continues to decrease, they are becoming routine tools in livestock breeding programs and production systems. The convergence of electronic measurement systems, cloud-based computing and fast internet enable the use of powerful decision support to help automate and manage livestock production, animal welfare and quality control. The complexity of livestock production systems, combined with the challenges of producing top-quality discretionary products for consumers, means that no single organisation has the range of expertise to support coordinated development of innovation in the relevant supply chains. Collaboration between a broad spectrum of scientists and industry partners is essential to ensure well integrated input to the design and implementation of programs to deliver improvements in efficiency, quality and profit. The need for collaboration among researchers, among research organisations and with end-users has never been more important. Collaboration brings together the skills needed to manage complex problems and enables the sharing of facilities and scarce resources within Australia and internationally. However, the most important component of effective collaboration is the early engagement of end-users to contribute to the design of programs of innovation, to ensure that investment is well targeted and that there is ownership of the problem as well as the solutions delivered through research. Although the potential benefits of effective collaboration are clear, it often takes more than logic to get individuals and organisations to work together. There needs to be a significant financial incentive combined with strong industry leadership and agreed common goals. Allocating resources to establish these foundations for effective collaboration should precede any major research and development funding initiative. The present paper argues that the new face of animal science in Australia should be structured around coordinated programs of research and development, on the basis of effective collaboration.

Calculating carbon emissions from personal travelling: insights from a top-down analysis of key calculators.

Personal travelling unfavourably contributes to the emissions of greenhouse gases, which adversely causes long-term damage to the climate. In order to reduce the associated negative impacts of such activities on the environment, there is a wide consensus that enhancements and innovations in the efficiency of vehicles will not be enough, but behavioural changes are needed. For this, individuals should be able to measure their travel-related carbon emissions, and such emissions could be determined by using personal carbon footprint calculators, which proliferated during the previous decade. However, various research questions related to such calculators are yet to be answered in published literature. As such, this paper investigates how key transport-based calculators account for emissions from personal transport-related activities following a top-down analysis. In this endeavour, ten such calculators are investigated through a set of formulated research questions to analyse their scope, calculation approach used, transparency, consistency of results, communication methods utilized and platform differences. Results revealed that the calculators have varying granularity, have limited transparency, provide significantly inconsistent results in some cases and are not fully engaging end users. Based on limitations identified, recommendations have been proposed through a taxonomy to guide policy-makers towards improving such tools.

Integrating a rich picture diagram and causal loop diagram to model stakeholder engagement in building refurbishment projects

PurposeThe more contemporary views on managing projects recommend stakeholder engagement as an important part of the process. Challenges have been reported when attempting to involve project stakeholders in a construction project due to the complexity of the processes. In projects such as refurbishment projects, the efforts to incorporate end users' needs and preferences into spatial environmental functions increase the complexity of stakeholder engagement during the journey of the project. This paper presents a unique technique used to integrate different tools within the system enquiry methodology in modelling the project stakeholder engagement process for refurbishment projects.Design/methodology/approachAiming to address the problem, system dynamics (SD) has been selected as the most suitable method for modelling the dynamic behaviour of this complex system over time. A tool known as a rich picture diagram (RPD) is proposed as the precursor of the development of a causal loop diagram (CLD) to facilitate a more holistic abstraction for applicable solutions. An example of a single case study involving the refurbishment of a higher education building project is presented to explain the analysis undertaken in the process of developing the CLD that models the dynamic behaviour within end-user stakeholder engagement.FindingsThis paper demonstrates the complementarity capabilities of the soft and hard systems of enquiry in modelling stakeholder's dynamics within the refurbishment construction contexts. The RPD soft system tool was found useful to congregate diverse stakeholder expressions and experiences of a complex system in a holistic manner. Subsequently, the development of the CLD was fully guided by the information and relationship captured and presented in the RPD to yield a representative system model. Furthermore, this paper also reports the dynamics of the actors, situations, events and their inter-relationship found in the presented refurbishment project.Originality/valueThis paper enriches the techniques within the system enquiry methodology by integrating hard and soft system tools for dynamic process modelling purposes. This is particularly achieved by utilizing the RPD as the precursor of SD that provides a useful way for researchers and stakeholders to fully understand the dynamics and develop robust systemic interventions to optimize end-user stakeholder engagement during the journey of refurbishment projects, particularly of higher education buildings.

Identifying Mobile Health Engagement Stages: Interviews and Observations for Developing Brief Message Content.

BackgroundInterest in mobile health (mHealth) has increased recently, and research suggests that mHealth devices can enhance end-user engagement, especially when used in conjunction with brief message content.ObjectiveThis research aims to explore the stages of engagement framework for mHealth devices and develop a method to generate brief message content to promote sustained user engagement. This study uses the framework by O’Brien and Toms as a point of departure, where engagement is defined as the uptake or the use of an mHealth device. The framework is a linear repeatable process, including point of engagement, period of engagement, disengagement, and re-engagement. Each stage is characterized by attributes related to a person’s technology experience. Although the literature has identified stages of engagement for health-related technology, few studies explore mHealth engagement. Furthermore, little research has determined a method for creating brief message content at each stage in this engagement journey.MethodsInterviews and observations from 19 participants who used mHealth technologies (apps, devices, or wellness websites) in a solo capacity were recruited for sample group 1. In sample group 2, interviews, and observations from 25 participants using mHealth technologies in a group capacity through the Global Corporate Challenge were used. These samples were investigated at 3 time points in both research contexts. The results underwent deductive-inductive thematic analysis for the engagement stages’ framework and attributes.ResultsIn addition to the 4 stages identified by O’Brien and Toms, 2 additional stages, self-management and limited engagement, were identified. Self-management captures where users had disengaged from their technology but were still engaged with their health activity. Limited engagement captures where group mHealth users had minimal interaction with their mHealth technology but continued to engage in a group fitness activity. The results revealed that mHealth engagement stages were nonlinear and embedded in a wider engagement context and that each stage was characterized by a combination of 49 attributes that could be organized into 8 themes. Themes documented the total user experience and included technology usability, technology features, technology aesthetics, use motivations, health awareness, goal setting, social support, and interruptions. Different themes were found to have more relevance at different engagement stages. Knowing themes and attributes at all engagement stages allows technology developers and health care professionals to generate relevant brief message content informed by a person-centered approach.ConclusionsThis research extends an existing engagement stages framework and identifies attributes and themes relevant to mHealth technology users’ total user experience and incorporates concepts derived from health, business studies, and information systems literature. In addition, we offer a practical 5-step process based on a person-centered approach to develop mHealth technology brief message content for sustained engagement.

Development of the User Requirements for the Canadian WildFireSat Satellite Mission

In 2019 the Canadian Space Agency initiated development of a dedicated wildfire monitoring satellite (WildFireSat) mission. The intent of this mission is to support operational wildfire management, smoke and air quality forecasting, and wildfire carbon emissions reporting. In order to deliver the mission objectives, it was necessary to identify the technical and operational challenges which have prevented broad exploitation of Earth Observation (EO) in Canadian wildfire management and to address these challenges in the mission design. In this study we emphasize the first objective by documenting the results of wildfire management end-user engagement activities which were used to identify the key Fire Management Functionalities (FMFs) required for an Earth Observation wildfire monitoring system. These FMFs are then used to define the User Requirements for the Canadian Wildland Fire Monitoring System (CWFMS) which are refined here for the WildFireSat mission. The User Requirements are divided into Observational, Measurement, and Precision requirements and form the foundation for the design of the WildFireSat mission (currently in Phase-A, summer 2020).