Exploring the usability of an internet-based intervention and its providing eHealth platform in an eye-tracking study

Abdul Rahman Idrees; Robin Kraft; Michael Winter; Ann-Marie Küchler; Harald Baumeister; Ronan Reilly; Manfred Reichert; Rüdiger Pryss

doi:10.1007/s12652-023-04635-4

Exploring the usability of an internet-based intervention and its providing eHealth platform in an eye-tracking study

J Ambient Intell Humaniz Comput. 2023;14(7):9621-9636. doi: 10.1007/s12652-023-04635-4. Epub 2023 May 18.

Authors

Abdul Rahman Idrees^{1

2}, Robin Kraft^{1

2}, Michael Winter¹, Ann-Marie Küchler², Harald Baumeister², Ronan Reilly³, Manfred Reichert¹, Rüdiger Pryss⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Databases and Information Systems, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
² Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
³ Computer Science and Associate VP for International Affairs, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland.
⁴ Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Wuerzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

Abstract

The proliferation of online eHealth has made it much easier for users to access healthcare services and interventions from the comfort of their own homes. This study looks at how well one such platform-eSano-performs in terms of user experience when delivering mindfulness interventions. In order to assess usability and user experience, several tools such as eye-tracking technology, think-aloud sessions, a system usability scale questionnaire, an application questionnaire, and post-experiment interviews were employed. Participants were evaluated while they accessed the first module of the mindfulness intervention provided by eSano to measure their interaction with the app, and their level of engagement, and to obtain feedback on both the intervention and its overall usability. The results revealed that although users generally rated their experience with the app positively in terms of overall satisfaction, according to data collected through the system usability scale questionnaire, participants rated the first module of the mindfulness intervention as below average. Additionally, eye-tracking data showed that some users skipped long text blocks in favor of answering questions quickly while others spent more than half their time reading them. Henceforth, recommendations were put forward to improve both the usability and persuasiveness of the app-such as incorporating shorter text blocks and more engaging interactive elements-in order to raise adherence rates. Overall findings from this study provide valuable insights into how users interact with the eSano's participant app which can be used as guidelines for the future development of more effective and user-friendly platforms. Moreover, considering these potential improvements will help foster more positive experiences that promote regular engagement with these types of apps; taking into account emotional states and needs that vary across different age groups and abilities.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12652-023-04635-4.

Keywords: Digital health; Eye-tracking; Internet-interventions; Persuasive design; Think-aloud; Usability; eHealth; eSano.