International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (2023)
Building Habits in the Digital Age: Incorporating Psychological Needs and Knowledge from Practitioners to Inform the Design of Digital Therapeutics
Jeannette Stark, Thure Weimann, Felix Reinsch, Emily Hickmann, Maren Kählig, Carola Gißke, and Peggy Richter
This study reviews the psychological requirements for forming habits and analyzes how these requirements are implemented in existing mobile habit-tracking apps. Through a content analysis of 57 applications, the research identifies key design gaps and proposes a set of principles to inform the creation of more effective Digital Therapeutics (DTx) for long-term behavioral change.
Problem
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), a leading cause of death, often require sustained lifestyle and behavioral changes. While many digital apps aim to support habit formation, they often fail to facilitate the entire process, particularly the later stages where a habit becomes automatic and reliance on technology should decrease, creating a gap in effective long-term support.
Outcome
- Conventional habit apps primarily support the first two stages of habit formation: deciding on a habit and translating it into an initial behavior. - Most apps neglect the crucial later stages of habit strengthening, where technology use should be phased out to allow the habit to become truly automatic. - A conflict of interest was identified, as the commercial need for continuous user engagement in many apps contradicts the goal of making a user's new habit independent of the technology. - The research proposes specific design principles for Digital Therapeutics (DTx) to better support all four stages of habit formation, offering a pathway for developing more effective tools for NCD prevention and treatment.
Host: Welcome to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge, the podcast where we translate complex research into actionable business strategy. I'm your host, Anna Ivy Summers. Host: Today, we're diving into a fascinating study titled "Building Habits in the Digital Age: Incorporating Psychological Needs and Knowledge from Practitioners to Inform the Design of Digital Therapeutics". Host: With me is our expert analyst, Alex Ian Sutherland. Alex, in a nutshell, what is this study about? Expert: Hi Anna. This study looks at the psychology behind how we form habits and then analyzes how well current mobile habit-tracking apps actually support that process. It identifies some major design gaps and proposes a new set of principles for creating more effective health apps, known as Digital Therapeutics. Host: Let's start with the big picture problem. Why is building better habits so critical? Expert: It's a huge issue. The study highlights that noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease are the leading cause of death worldwide, and many are directly linked to our daily lifestyle choices. Host: So things like diet and exercise. And we have countless apps that promise to help us with that. Expert: We do, and that's the core of the problem this study addresses. While thousands of apps aim to help us build good habits, they often fail to support the entire journey. They're good at getting you started, but they don't help you finish. Host: What do you mean by "finish"? Isn't habit formation an ongoing thing? Expert: It is, but the end goal is for the new behavior to become automatic—something you do without thinking. The study finds that current apps often fail in those crucial later stages, where your reliance on technology should actually decrease, not increase. Host: That’s a really interesting point. How did the researchers go about studying this? Expert: Their approach was very methodical. First, they reviewed psychological research to map out a clear, four-stage model of habit formation. It starts with the decision to act and ends with the habit becoming fully automatic. Expert: Then, they performed a detailed content analysis of 57 popular habit-tracking apps. They downloaded them, used them, and systematically scored their features against the requirements of those four psychological stages. Host: And what were the key findings from that analysis? Expert: The results were striking. The vast majority of apps are heavily focused on the first two stages: deciding on a habit and starting the behavior. They excel at things like daily reminders and tracking streaks. Host: But they're missing the later stages? Expert: Almost completely. For example, the study found that not a single one of the 57 apps they analyzed had features to proactively phase out reminders or rewards as a user's habit gets stronger. They keep you hooked on the app's triggers. Host: Why would that be? It seems counterintuitive to the goal of forming a real habit. Expert: It is, and that points to the second major finding: a fundamental conflict of interest. The business model for most of these apps relies on continuous user engagement. They need you to keep opening the app every day. Expert: But the psychological goal of habit formation is for the behavior to become independent of the app. So the app’s commercial need is often directly at odds with the user's health goal. Host: Okay, this is the critical part for our listeners. What does this mean for businesses in the health-tech space? Why does this matter? Expert: It matters immensely because it reveals a massive opportunity. The study positions this as a blueprint for a more advanced category of apps called Digital Therapeutics, or DTx. Host: Remind us what those are. Expert: DTx are essentially "prescription apps"—software that is clinically validated and prescribed by a doctor to treat or prevent a disease. Because they have a clear medical purpose, their goal isn't just engagement; it's a measurable health outcome. Host: So they can be designed to make themselves obsolete for a particular habit? Expert: Precisely. A DTx doesn't need to keep a user forever. Its success is measured by the patient getting better. The study provides a roadmap with specific design principles for this, like building in features for "tapered reminding," where notifications fade out over time. Host: So the business takeaway is to shift the focus from engagement metrics to successful user "graduation"? Expert: Exactly. For any company in the digital health or wellness space, the future isn't just about keeping users, it's about proving you can create lasting, independent behavioral change. That is a far more powerful value proposition for patients, doctors, and insurance providers. Host: A fascinating perspective. So, to summarize: today's habit apps get us started but often fail at the finish line due to a conflict between their business model and our psychological needs. Host: This study, however, provides a clear roadmap for the next generation of Digital Therapeutics to bridge that gap, focusing on clinical outcomes rather than just app usage. Host: Alex, thank you for making that so clear for us. Expert: My pleasure, Anna. Host: And thank you for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we uncover more valuable insights from the world of research.
Behavioral Change, Digital Therapeutics, Habits, Habit Apps, Non-communicable diseases
