What went wrong? Dr. Steve Feyrer-Melk reacts to a mobile health app that failed to gain adoption in this recent trial…

My heart stopped.

No way… Is this true? Is this even possible?

Have I missed something in my work? Is mobile health off base?

I read the title of the research paper again and again…

“Lack of Adoption of a Mobile App … Analysis of Staff and Patients in a Failed Randomized Trial.”

Oh my God… If this could apply to things I have worked on all these years this could really mean trouble.

I had to read on….

The authors did a great job setting the stage for this paper. “Thousands of mobile health (mHealth) apps … effectiveness of many apps remains unclear.”

Alright, this makes sense, but does this include the technology I am working on?

As I continued to read on I started to see where this was going. The authors summarized mHealth apps as having failed “to balance the system demands of the app with the needs, interests, or resources of the end users…”

…failure to balance the system demands of the app with the needs, interests, or resources of the end users can undermine consumers’ adoption of these technologies

Now that was it… a failure to focus on the end users… Whew! That’s the exact opposite of everything I have worked on during my 30 years in the health and prevention industry.

This research didn’t reject my work. It actually supports it!

After further analysis of the entire article and a focus on the methodology and results, it became increasingly clear that it was not mHealth that was the “failure”, but instead, this particular app and platform failed because it was a “poor fit between the app, end users, and the recruitment and treatment approaches…”

In other words, the biggest reason for the breakdown of this particular mHealth app and platform was because it was complex, and lacked effective implementation training.

As this all sunk in my heart jerked back into rhythm. My beliefs and philosophy intact, I felt vindicated.

You see, if you truly want to leverage the abilities of a health professional and help patients achieve optimal health and wellbeing, technology must be designed and implemented properly.

To accomplish this, you MUST find and integrate mHealth apps and platforms that are simple, efficient, impactful, and provide a truly positive experience from both the end-user and the medical professional.

Unfortunately, the absence of these key factors will always result in failure.

So as I sit here, still steadying my nerves from the shock of feeling like my life’s work was being derailed, I’m realizing again the absolute necessity of two of the core design principles I value most…

Simplicity isn’t optional.

You must remove every unnecessary complication to keep the patient engaged. In the word’s of the Nudge Design Principles, “Simplicity reduces choice while maximizing utility.”

Simplicity reduces choice while maximizing utility.

Empathy isn’t optional.

You must understand and build a solution starting first from the patient’s needs, with no ulterior motives. In the words of the Nudge Communication Principles we must always endeavor to “speak to each user where they are.”

Speak to each user where they are.

If you’re hoping to launch an effective program that incorporates mobile health technology, an engagement strategy isn’t optional.

Reprinted with permission from Dr. Steve Feyrer-Melk.

Steve Feyrer-Melk, MEd, PhD, is a powerful, passionate, and trusted authority in Lifestyle Medicine who is bringing an innovative, refreshing, and successful approach to proactive health care. Dr. Steve co-founded the Optimal Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention Center where he crafts and hones real-world programs for immediate impact. Dr. Steve also serves as the Chief Science Officer of Nudge, LLC, a lifestyle medical technology company.

With over 165,000 health-related apps in the App Store and Millions of wearables in the hands of the general public, scientists are wondering if they are “doing more harm than good”? One expert commented that the field can be “likened to the snake oil salesmen of the 1860s.” Is this true?

Question: What is the danger of health-related technologies in the hands of the general public?

Answer: Because health-related technology is often “one size fits all” with the data it provides mistakenly seen as the “holy grail” that leads to improved health, it can lead individuals down a path that does not correlate with improved behaviors. This should not be a shock to health professionals as it is certainly unfair to expect the average technology user to be a “health expert” who is able to accurately analyze health data and implement the proper behavior change.

Therefore, the real question should be . . . How can the power of health-related technologies that is already in the hands of the pubic, be appropriately leveraged? Well my friends, that answer lies square in the hands of the Health Professional who fills the significant gap between the individual and technology they use. I call this the Technology-Behavior Change Triad© (Details in the next article in this series).

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: While working with clients and patients for over 5 years we have successfully integrated health-related technologies with our patients and clients. During this time we have found them to be the key tool for providing patient-matched, actionable feedback related to long-term behavior change. Think about it, how else can we get “real-time”, individualized information from clients or patients when they are not with us? What’s more, smartphones and wearables are already in the hands in just about ALL of our current and potential clients and patients so as professionals we are remiss if we disregarded the use of this technology.

The Take Home Message: Health-Related technology provides valuable information to the end user. Can this be harmful? Well, the question really should be . . . How can this technology be most impactful for improved health? Simply put, the Health Professional can harness the power of Health-Related technology when it is integrated within the client or patient relationship. In the end, not only do these tools allow the creation of the best individualized motivational environment for each person, but they also take your business to the next level as you optimize your service offering with more efficient and effective engagement!

Reprinted with permission from Dr. Steve Feyrer-Melk.

Steve Feyrer-Melk, MEd, PhD, is a powerful, passionate, and trusted authority in Lifestyle Medicine who is bringing an innovative, refreshing, and successful approach to proactive health care. Dr. Steve co-founded the Optimal Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention Center where he crafts and hones real-world programs for immediate impact. Dr. Steve also serves as the Chief Science Officer of Nudge, LLC, a lifestyle medical technology company.

We are inundated with consumer health and wearable technology that tracks our every move. Some say such devices are the missing link for improved health. Naturally, companies are cashing in as millions of devices are flying off the shelves with an estimated 100 Million wrist worn devices worldwide by 2019.

Technology is a powerful and required tool in the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Coaching toolbox. The key to realizing the benefits is having both the patient/client and health professional use it!