Applying the Behavioural Intervention Technologies model to the development of a smartphone application (app) supporting young peoples’ adherence to anaphylaxis action plan

Abstract

The incidence of fatal anaphylaxis is significantly higher among young people aged 15–25 compared with other age groups. Hospital admission or fatal outcome following anaphylaxis often results from failure to adhere to an agreed anaphylaxis action plan (AAP). The main barriers for adherence include lack of confidence to recognise symptoms of severe reaction, lack of confidence and skills to correctly use an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI), and not having the AAI available when needed. We describe the development of a smart phone application (app) to increase young peoples’ adherence to AAP. The development of the app was informed by information from a literature review to identify factors enhancing and impeding young peoples’ adherence to their AAP, combined with data from consultations with intended users and clinicians working with young people at risk of anaphylaxis regarding their needs and expectations with regard to the content and technical features of the app. The design process was underpinned by the novel Behavioural Intervention Technologies model. This ensured that the apps’ content is evidence based, complies with current guidelines, and responds to users’ needs and preferences in relation to content and technical characteristics. ‘Anaphylaxis’ app is the first smart phone app that comprises a comprehensive personalised AAP. Since its launch in February 2013, it has been downloaded by approximately 16 000 users worldwide. Further research is required to demonstrate its effectiveness in improving self-management of anaphylactic risk in young people.

Development of a mHealth Real-Time Pain Self-Management App for Adolescents With Cancer: An Iterative Usability Testing Study

“…Participants valued the capacity to personalize the pain advice that was recommended to them. A customizability capacity is in keeping with previous clinical and theoretical usability research with adolescents with health conditions (Anderson & Wallace, 2015;Brown et al, 2013). These studies indicate that customizability may be a valuable app usability asset because it allows users to operate a system as preferred and may therefore improve satisfaction.…”

“…Concerning the acceptability of navigation within the Pain Squad+ app, adolescents with cancer were displeased with the excessive number of steps required to complete a function. The desire to minimize complexity and maximize the convenience of mHealth interventions has been previously shown in adolescents with anaphylactic allergies (Anderson & Wallace, 2015) and asthma (Schneider et al, 2016). Furthermore, “difficult to find” features of mHealth interventions have been a leading cause of user frustration and therefore may limit user interaction (Ceaparu et al, 2010).…”

Trials of Intervention Principles: Evaluation Methods for Evolving Behavioral Intervention Technologies

“…The BIT Model, shown in Figure 1 , answers the questions “why”, “how”, “what”, and “when” of BIT development and includes two broad levels: (1) a theoretical action level, which reflects the intentions of the developer or researcher, and (2) an instantiation level, which reflects the technological implementation [ 16 ]. This model has been used to design and characterize intervention technologies [ 17 ].…”

A review of design characteristics of cognitive behavioral therapy-informed behavioral intervention technologies for youth with depression and anxiety

“…The BIT model defines BITs in terms of the “why,” “how,” “what,” and “when,” to support the translation of clinical aims and behavioral strategies into BIT technologies. 36 This model is useful both for the design and definition of BITs, 37 , 38 as well as for literature reviews. 39 The BIT model has two broad levels: a theoretical action level, which represents the intentions of the developer or researcher, and an instantiation level, which represents the technological implementation.…”