JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

While prior studies have highlighted the impacts of online interactions in the context of patient–health care professional (HCP) dyads, this paper extends that context to a triad that includes the role of employers and associated settings with social groups.

Objective:

By implementing a persuasive technology health and wellness platform in a work environment, this study considers how the interactions between individuals and the social usage of the platform affect individuals’ use of persuasive technology and, in turn, their work environment actions and responses.

Methods:

For 8 months, we deployed a persuasive technology platform with different combinations of health-related features and content across 8 fire stations in a small Canadian city (total number of participant firefighters, n=141). We used text-based content analysis techniques for outcome measures, drawn from a total of 29 participant exit interviews. In addition, medical assessments were conducted at baseline, midpoint, and endpoint by 7 HCPs and one researcher, who also served as the data steward and managed the study.

Results:

Our results reveal that group, social, and work influences introduce new elements to the use of persuasive technology, which interact to foster higher levels of individual success. The platform in our study served as part of a larger social system providing information that facilitated new behaviors at work and home. The 8-month group programs centered on exercise, nutrition, and smoking cessation. Groups of participants coached by certified professionals showed significant increases in sodium awareness, levels of actual exercise, and consistency of activities. As a result of the study, 15 people were notified of serious medical health issues, 29 underwent blood work assessments, and a privacy shield (protected by federal law) was enacted to protect employees from losing their employment based on any health concerns disclosed.

Conclusions:

The persuasive technology platform, in combination with self- and professional management and social interactions, significantly altered work management behaviors. Interactions between individual outcomes, group influences, and social situations strongly influenced individuals’ behaviors in their work and home environments. Three things further improved the positive results that we observed: privacy shields (which allowed employees to reveal health concerns without fear of professional consequences); group integration with individual private activities; and integration between professional work with localized, organizational work roles. Clinical Trial: n/a