Application of the Behaviour Change Wheel to the development of digital interventions for older adults: A case study using City4Age
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1
University College London, UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, United Kingdom
Rationale: The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) has been used successfully as a starting point for designing interventions. However, it may also be possible to apply this framework at a later stage in the design process. Especially in industry-led or interdisciplinary projects, the expertise of behavioural scientists is sometimes only requested after an intervention has been designed but before it is implemented. Therefore, there is a need for developing and assessing a method for applying the BCW framework to improve already designed interventions.
Aim: To develop and assess a method for how the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework can be applied to improve already planned interventions using a case study of digital health interventions for older adults planned within an EU funded project (City4Age).
Method: The City4Age project proposed a total of 30 interventions across six test sites. For each of these interventions, we collated information on the target behaviour, intervention function, and mode of delivery. In addition, we conducted literature reviews to identify known facilitators and barriers of each of the target behaviours. Next, each intervention was coded onto the BCW, and the barrier or facilitator it addressed was coded onto the COM-B component of the framework by two coders. Finally, we compared the proposed intervention functions with those most likely to be effective for each target behaviour. For those unlikely to be effective, we suggested alternative interventions to the test site.
Results: Our method for applying the BCW framework to designed interventions identified that the majority of the interventions did not plan to use appropriate intervention functions. Moreover, applying the BCW framework in this manner allowed us to identify what interventions needed refining. It also guided us in providing specific guidance in our recommendations for improvements.
Conclusion: In a large interdisciplinary collaboration developing digital interventions for older adults, it is possible to apply the Behaviour Change Wheel framework to planned interventions in order to provide focused and actionable feedback for improvement prior to deployment.
Keywords:
digital interventions,
Behaviour Change Wheel,
older adults,
COM-B framework,
intervention design
Conference:
3rd UCL Centre for Behaviour Change Digital Health Conference 2017: Harnessing digital technology for behaviour change, London, United Kingdom, 22 Feb - 23 Feb, 2017.
Presentation Type:
Research abstract
Topic:
Digital Health
Citation:
Collins
EI,
Michie
S and
Lefevre
CE
(2017). Application of the Behaviour Change Wheel to the development of digital interventions for older adults: A case study using City4Age.
Front. Public Health.
Conference Abstract:
3rd UCL Centre for Behaviour Change Digital Health Conference 2017: Harnessing digital technology for behaviour change.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FPUBH.2017.03.00009
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Received:
22 Feb 2017;
Published Online:
22 Feb 2017.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Emily I Collins, University College London, UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, London, WC1E 7HB, United Kingdom, e.collins@ucl.ac.uk