Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 9, 2023
Date Accepted: Jan 23, 2024
Feasibility and acceptability of a health app platform providing individuals with a budget to purchase preselected apps to work on their health and wellbeing: a quantitative evaluation study
ABSTRACT
Background:
The potential of health apps for health promotion and disease prevention is widely recognized. However, uptake is limited due to barriers individuals face in finding suitable and trustworthy apps, such as the overwhelming amount of available health apps. Therefore, the health app platform ‘FitKnip’ was developed, enabling individuals to purchase pre-selected, trustworty health apps with a budget of 100 euros. The platform aimed to empower individuals to improve their health and vitality, ultimately supporting a more healthy society.
Objective:
The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the health app platform in terms of feasibility and acceptability. Potential effects on health empowerment and health outcomes were secondarily explored.
Methods:
The current quantitative study was part of a mixed-methods study with a prospective pre-post interventional design. Online user data and self-report online questionnaires were collected over five measurements over an 8-month period. Usage statistics were tracked on the platform, including the number of purchased apps and euros spent per user, were registered within the health app platform. The user-friendliness of the health app platform was measured using the System Usability Scale (SUS), and satisfaction was measured with the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) and several 10-point Likert items. Participants were asked to indicate on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 10 (completely), how much the health app platform contributed to various areas related to health empowerment. Health-related quality of life was assessed by the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and one’s perceived level of stress was determined by the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10).
Results:
A total of 1650 participants were included, of whom 685 bought at least 1 application (42%). The majority of those purchased one app (35.6%). The health app platform was rated as user-friendly (SUS m=66.5 [sd=20.7], range 66.5-70.0) and the acceptability of the health app platform was moderate (CSQ-8 m=20.0 (sd=1.5), range 19.6-20.0). Results furthermore showed that participants were generally satisfied to highly satisfied with the ease of the payment system to purchase apps on the platform (median=8 [IQR=7-10]), the look and feel of the platform (median=7 [IQR=6-8]), as well as the provided budget of 100 euros (median=9 [IQR=7-10]). Participants were less satisfied with the amount (median=6 [IQR=4-7]) and diversity (median=6 [IQR=4-7]) of offered apps on the platform.
Conclusions:
A health app platform is a promising initiative to enhance public health. Feasibility and acceptability are critical for success, as they ensure that such a platform is accessible, user-friendly, and meeting end-users’ needs and preferences. This can help to increase uptake, engagement, and ultimately the platform’s adoption and effectiveness.
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