Reframing wearables in therapy: Co-designing compassion-focused, practical guidance for the use of wearables in acute mental healthcare
Charlotte M. van Lotringen, Saskia M. Kelders, Gerben J. Westerhof, Matthijs L. NoordzijObjective
The integration of wearables, such as smartwatches, into mental healthcare holds promise for supporting self-management through the monitoring of physical activity and rest patterns, yet their implementation in clinical practice remains limited. Aligning with the values of stakeholders in mental healthcare may enhance the implementation of technology. An important value in mental healthcare is compassion; recognizing and wanting to alleviate suffering. Therefore, we co-designed compassion-focused implementation materials for the implementation of smartwatches in treatments.
Methods
We conducted 5 co-design sessions with in total 9 patients and 13 professionals from a department for acute mental healthcare. During the co-design process, we iteratively came to a 3 (format: written manual, infographic, card set) × 2 (framing: efficiency-focused, compassion-focused) design, resulting in six prototypes that systematically combined each format with each framing approach to smartwatch use.
Results
Based on the co-design sessions, a card set has been developed that can be used in group sessions to work compassionately with smartwatches. It integrates the preferences of professionals for accessible and tangible guidance that can be used in treatment sessions.
Conclusions
Co-design methodology helped to develop implementation materials based on the needs and preferences of stakeholders in mental healthcare. Moreover, the focus on compassion during the co-design process and in the final card set could help align the use of technology with values of stakeholders for a more meaningful and successful implementation.