Mobile App Design Enhances Recruitment and Engagement in Underrepresented Clinical Research Populations
Leveraging mobile technology with user-centered design principles can significantly improve the recruitment and sustained engagement of hard-to-reach populations in clinical research.
PLoS ONE · 2019
Key Findings
- 01A mobile app successfully recruited a large number of SGM adults for clinical research.
- 02Digital engagement features within the app empowered participants and increased their commitment to the research process.
Application
Design takeaway
Develop mobile applications with features that actively involve users in the research process to improve recruitment and long-term engagement, especially for underrepresented groups.
How to apply
When designing research platforms or tools for specific populations, prioritize mobile accessibility and incorporate features that foster a sense of ownership and involvement.
Project actions
- 01Consider using mobile platforms for data collection and participant interaction in your design projects.
- 02Think about how to make your digital designs engaging and empowering for users.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Novel application of mobile technology for clinical research recruitment.
- +Focus on an underrepresented population.
Limitations
The app was only available on iPhone, which might not reach all potential participants. The study didn't explore the reasons why people chose to participate or not.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity is supported by its successful recruitment of a large sample from a target population. Reliability could be enhanced by replicating the app development and recruitment process in different contexts or with different populations.
Think critically
What are the ethical considerations when using mobile technology to recruit vulnerable populations for research?
Design Principles
"Digital inclusion and empowerment through user-centered mobile design."
Traditional recruitment methods often fail to reach diverse or marginalized communities, leading to biased data and limited generalizability of findings. Designing research tools with the specific needs and contexts of these populations in mind, such as through accessible mobile applications, can foster greater participation and data quality.
What This Means for Your Design
Using a smartphone app can be a really good way to get people who are usually left out of research to join and stay involved.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing the use of digital tools for participant recruitment and engagement in your design project.
- 2.Use it to justify the choice of a mobile-based solution for reaching a specific user group.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
(2019). Using mobile technology to engage sexual and gender minorities in clinical research. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216282 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/8f170e4f-ebaa-430e-9568-47679ff171c5/mobile-app-design-enhances-recruitment-and-engagement-in-underrepresented-clinical-research-populations
Paragraph starter
The development of a mobile application, as demonstrated by Lunn et al. (2019), offers a powerful avenue for enhancing participant recruitment and engagement, particularly within underrepresented populations. By incorporating user-centered design principles and digital engagement features, such as those used to recruit sexual and gender minority adults for a national cohort study, designers can create more inclusive and effective research tools.
Source
PLoS ONE
Using mobile technology to engage sexual and gender minorities in clinical research
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions about this research
- What does the research say about mobile app design enhances recruitment and engagement in underrepresented clinical research populations?
- Develop mobile applications with features that actively involve users in the research process to improve recruitment and long-term engagement, especially for underrepresented groups. Evidence: PLoS ONE (2019).
- Why does "Mobile App Design Enhances Recruitment and Engagement in Underrepresented Clinical Research Populations" matter for design?
- Traditional recruitment methods often fail to reach diverse or marginalized communities, leading to biased data and limited generalizability of findings. Designing research tools with the specific needs and contexts of these populations in mind, such as through accessible mobile applications, can foster greater participation and data quality.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Develop mobile applications with features that actively involve users in the research process to improve recruitment and long-term engagement, especially for underrepresented groups.
- What were the main findings?
- A mobile app successfully recruited a large number of SGM adults for clinical research.. Digital engagement features within the app empowered participants and increased their commitment to the research process.
- What research method was used?
- App Development and Cohort Study Recruitment.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2019 journal from PLoS ONE.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing research platforms or tools for specific populations, prioritize mobile accessibility and incorporate features that foster a sense of ownership and involvement.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on iPhone users, potentially excluding Android users. The specific engagement features and their impact on retention were not deeply analyzed.
- Is there evidence that mobile affects design outcomes?
- The study demonstrated that a mobile app could be a successful and convenient tool for recruiting and engaging a significant number of individuals from an underrepresented population (SGM adults) in clinical research. Traditional recruitment methods often fail to reach diverse or marginalized communities, leading to bi Source: PLoS ONE (2019).
- Where does this mobile app research apply?
- Clinical research, public health, digital health It sits within user-centred design research on designdex.org.
Related research topics
mobile design research · evidence on mobile · does mobile improve design outcomes · mobile app studies for designers · mobile and mobile app findings · user-centred design research evidence