Shaping Health Behaviors: Inside a PhD Student's Work with TIMELY
Welcome to this special interview with Emma Douma, one of the dedicated PhD students working on the TIMELY project. She plays a crucial role in advancing the project, blending academic research with practical application in her role, particularly within Work Package 5 - Evaluation of the TIMELY intervention.
Over the past two years, Emma, who works at the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology at Tilburg University, conducted a systematic review to identify the most effective behavior change techniques for patients. Alongside her colleagues, she facilitated focus groups to gather valuable insights into patient preferences for an app designed to promote healthy behaviors. Currently, she serves as a case manager within the TIMELY project, where she recruits, includes, and onboards patients to the app. She maintains regular contact with patients, offering ongoing support and troubleshooting assistance with the app and its associated devices. In this interview, Emma shares her journey, challenges, and the impactful work she is doing with the TIMELY project.
What are your main research topics and what initially sparked your interest in pursuing research in those areas?
My main research focus is behavior change, specifically related to lifestyle improvements. For our patients, this encompasses being physically active, eating a healthy diet, adhering to medication, reducing stress, and not smoking. I am deeply interested in understanding what motivates people to change their behavior and am committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to achieve the best lifestyle they can manage.
“The most significant lesson I have learned is the importance of putting the patient at the center of eHealth intervention development and evaluation.”
What motivated you to join the TIMELY project, and what aspects of it are you most excited about?
I was immediately excited about the TIMELY project when I learned about its interdisciplinary approach, integrating medical science, behavioral sciences, and psychology. TIMELY combines insights from a patient’s diagnosis and medical tests with effective behavior change strategies, all while prioritizing the patient’s psychological well-being. I believe that this comprehensive approach is essential for making a real impact. Personally, I was most excited about the opportunity to learn more about behavior change and how to work effectively with patients.
Could you describe your typical day working on the TIMELY project?
One of the great aspects of working on the TIMELY project is that no two workdays are the same. For example, yesterday I spent time on the phone with several patients interested in participating, as well as those already enrolled in the TIMELY app who had questions about its functionalities. Today, I attended two cardiac rehabilitation physiotherapy sessions to inform patients about TIMELY and invite them to participate. After that, I had an initial appointment with a new patient, during which I reviewed the study information and conducted baseline measurements, including waist and hip measurements, weighing, and a 6-minute walking test.
How do you envision the findings from your research contributing to the broader field of eHealth and AI in healthcare, beyond the TIMELY project?
I believe the findings of the TIMELY study could significantly benefit the broader field of eHealth by revealing how patients respond to prescribed exercise and chatbot interactions. These innovative aspects have not been explored in this context before. Additionally, the study could enhance our understanding of how to better support patients in maintaining the behaviors they adopt during the cardiac rehabilitation program.
Looking back at your journey with the TIMELY project so far, what do you feel has been the most significant lesson or insight you've gained?
The most significant lesson I have learned is the importance of putting the patient at the center of eHealth intervention development and evaluation. During our focus groups, we gathered valuable insights from patients about what would help them change their behavior through an app. For instance, while many smoking cessation interventions use reminder messages, patients informed us that these reminders are unhelpful when trying to avoid thinking about smoking. Additionally, they found goal-setting features in apps beneficial, but emphasized that the goals need to be attainable to keep them motivated. These insights would have been difficult to obtain from questionnaires or user data alone.
What advice would you offer to other PhD students or researchers who are interested in pursuing similar research in eHealth, AI, and behavior change?
I would advise them to always get familiar with their target audience. Behavior change varies from person to person, so it's crucial to create something that meets the specific needs of the patients. Additionally, try out everything you develop yourself to ensure it is user-friendly and effective. Patience is also key – developing a good eHealth tool takes time, but the results are well worth the effort.
What are your future career aspirations or directions?
I aspire to continue working in the field of behavior change, specifically focusing on lifestyle improvements. I am passionate about developing and implementing interventions that make it easier for people to achieve and sustain positive lifestyle changes, ultimately improving their overall well-being.