The impact of socioeconomic position (SEP) on health in our society is evident. Chronic illnesses disproportionately affect individuals with low SEP, exacerbating the healthcare burden for both themselves and society at large. While a healthy lifestyle is crucial for disease prevention, engagement in this behavior is often limited within these groups. eHealth interventions, which could help these individuals adopt healthier lifestyles, typically follow a one-size-fits-all approach that favors higher SEP individuals, inadvertently widening the health gap. To address this issue, this dissertation presents the Inclusive eHealth Guide (IeG), a comprehensive tool developed through participatory methods to tailor eHealth interventions to the specific needs, skills, and preferences of low SEP individuals. The dissertation is organized into three parts.

Part A investigates the attitudes of low SEP individuals toward health, healthcare, and eHealth, revealing diverse needs that challenge the stereotype of unwillingness to engage in health-promoting activities and highlighting the potential of participatory design to meet these needs. Part B details the development of the IeG, synthesizing bottom-up insights from community engagement with top-down professional perspectives to create a practical resource for equitable eHealth design. Part C illustrates the application of the IeG in developing a tailored eHealth intervention for patients with low SEP in cardiac rehabilitation.

Ultimately, this work contributes to narrowing the health gap by identifying different SEP subgroups that require distinct approaches. Furthermore, the IeG serves as a practical tool to help eHealth professionals align their interventions with the needs of the target group. Finally, we outline key implications for the successful design of equitable eHealth solutions in the future.
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Objective: eHealth interventions can improve the health outcomes of people with a low socioeconomic position (SEP) by promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours. However, developing and implementing these interventions among the target group can be challenging for professionals. To facilitate the uptake of effective interventions, this study aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators anticipated or experienced by professionals in the development, reach, adherence, implementation and evaluation phases of eHealth interventions for people with a low SEP. Method: We used a Delphi method, consisting of two online questionnaires, to determine the consensus on barriers and facilitators anticipated or experienced during eHealth intervention phases and their importance. Participants provided open-ended responses in the first round and rated statements in the second round. The interquartile range was used to calculate consensus, and the (totally) agree ratings were used to assess importance. Results: Twenty-seven professionals participated in the first round, and 19 (70.4%) completed the second round. We found a consensus for 34.8% of the 46 items related to highly important rated barriers, such as the lack of involvement of low-SEP people in the development phase, lack of knowledge among professionals about reaching the target group, and lack of knowledge among lower-SEP groups about using eHealth interventions. Additionally, we identified a consensus for 80% of the 60 items related to highly important rated facilitators, such as rewarding people with a low SEP for their involvement in the development phase and connecting eHealth interventions to the everyday lives of lower-SEP groups to enhance reach. Conclusion: Our study provides valuable insights into the barriers and facilitators of developing eHealth interventions for people with a low SEP by examining current practices and offering recommendations for future improvements. Strengthening facilitators can help overcome these barriers. To achieve this, we recommend defining the roles of professionals and lower-SEP groups in each phase of eHealth intervention and disseminating this study's findings to professionals to optimize the impact of eHealth interventions for this group.

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Health disparities between socio-economic classes are growing. While eHealth has been proposed as a potential solution, it often disproportionately benefits people with a higher socio-economic position (SEP) thereby exacerbating health disparities. We aimed to develop an eHealth intervention that supports specifically people with a low SEP during their waiting period between hospital referral and start of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). We followed a participatory design process in which we used a variety of participatory and inclusive design tools and techniques to identify needs of the target group and develop the intervention. 15 cardiac patients with a low SEP participated in the development (n = 8) and evaluation (n = 7) of the intervention. We found that patients with a low SEP require certainty and guidance during their waiting period. To address this, healthcare providers guide them through this transitional phase using multimedia resources in the eHealth intervention. This includes introductions of the healthcare providers and information about their roles, peer experiences, practical tips and daily updates on the remaining waiting time. The evaluation yielded high scores on usability (4.4 out of 5), experience (4.1 out of 5) and perceived effect on certainty and guidance (4.0 out of 5). This study explored how eHealth can bridge gaps between hospitals and CR and between high and low SEP. It emphasizes the significance of utilizing participatory and inclusive approaches to develop feasible and acceptable eHealth interventions for those with low SEP. Currently, follow-up evaluative research is conducted to determine the proof-of-principle of the intervention. @en

Background: eHealth interventions have the potential to enhance health outcomes for people with a low socioeconomic position (SEP), but lack of knowledge on how to effectively meet the specific needs of this population can limit their effectiveness and widen the digital divide. Our study aimed to address this issue by developing an online guide for professionals (e.g., researchers and health professionals) to support the development and adaptation of eHealth interventions for people with low SEP. Methods: During the initial phase, we conducted two studies: (1) a Delphi study with professionals, identifying barriers to developing, evaluating, and implementing eHealth interventions (top-down), and (2) a communitybased study with people from low SEP, exploring their perspectives on health, healthcare, and eHealth (bottom-up). In the second phase, an iterative participatory process was used to develop the online guide, involving 11 professionals in think-aloud sessions and interviews to assess content and design acceptance. The presentation focuses on outcomes of this second phase. Findings: Professionals found the online guide to be user-friendly and helpful, particularly the recommendations on barriers, facilitators, and user scenarios. However, they requested more practical examples and engaging content. Discussion: This guide is an important contribution to addressing the knowledge gap in eHealth interventions for people with a low SEP and provides valuable information for professionals, whether they are new to the field or have experience. Future research should focus on enhancing the guide's usability and flexibility for its diverse audience, including healthcare practitioners, and other eHealth professionals working with this population. @en

BACKGROUND: People with a low socioeconomic position (SEP) are less likely to benefit from eHealth interventions, exacerbating social health inequalities. Professionals developing eHealth interventions for this group face numerous challenges. A comprehensive guide to support these professionals in their work could mitigate these inequalities. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a web-based guide to support professionals in the development, adaptation, evaluation, and implementation of eHealth interventions for people with a low SEP. METHODS: This study consisted of 2 phases. The first phase involved a secondary analysis of 2 previous qualitative and quantitative studies. In this phase, we synthesized insights from the previous studies to develop the guide's content and information structure. In the second phase, we used a participatory design process. This process included iterative development and evaluation of the guide's design with 11 professionals who had experience with both eHealth and the target group. We used test versions (prototypes) and think-aloud testing combined with semistructured interviews and a questionnaire to identify design requirements and develop and adapt the guide accordingly. RESULTS: The secondary analysis resulted in a framework of recommendations for developing the guide, which was categorized under 5 themes: development, reach, adherence, evaluation, and implementation. The participatory design process resulted in 16 requirements on system, content, and service aspects for the design of the guide. For the system category, the guide was required to have an open navigation strategy leading to more specific information and short pages with visual elements. Content requirements included providing comprehensible information, scientific evidence, a user perspective, information on practical applications, and a personal and informal tone of voice. Service requirements involved improving suitability for different professionals, ensuring long-term viability, and a focus on implementation. Based on these requirements, we developed the final version of "the inclusive eHealth guide." CONCLUSIONS: The inclusive eHealth guide provides a practical, user-centric tool for professionals aiming to develop, adapt, evaluate, and implement eHealth interventions for people with a low SEP, with the aim of reducing health disparities in this population. Future research should investigate its suitability for different end-user goals, its external validity, its applicability in specific contexts, and its real-world impact on social health inequality.

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Background: Current eHealth interventions are poorly adopted by people with low health literacy (LHL) as they often fail to meet their needs, skills, and preferences. A major reason for this poor adoption is the generic, one-size-fits-all approach taken by designers of these interventions, without addressing the needs, skills, and preferences of disadvantaged groups. Participatory design approaches are effective for developing interventions that fit the needs of specific target groups; yet, very little is known about the practical implications of executing a participatory design project for and with people with LHL. Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the application of participatory design activities specifically selected to fit the needs and skills of people with LHL and how these were manifested within an overarching eHealth design process. In addition, the study aims to present reflections and implications of these activities that could support future designers to engage people with LHL in their design processes. Methods: We used the design process of a smart asthma inhaler for people with asthma and LHL to demonstrate participatory design activities. The study was framed under 5 stages of design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test within 2 major iteration cycles. We integrated 3 participatory design activities deemed specifically appropriate for people with LHL: co-constructing stories, experience prototype exhibition, and video prototype evaluation. Results: Co-constructing stories was found to deepen the understanding of the participant’s motivation to use or not to use maintenance medication. This understanding informed and facilitated the subsequent development of diverse preliminary prototypes of possible interventions. Discussing these prototypes in the experience prototype exhibition helped provoke reactions, thoughts, and feelings about the interventions, and potential scenarios of use. Through the video prototype evaluation, we were able to clearly communicate the goal and functionality of the final version of our intervention and gather appropriate responses from our participants. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a participatory design approach for and with patients with asthma and LHL. We demonstrated that careful consideration and selection of activities can result in participants that are engaged and feel understood. This paper provides insight into the practical implications of participatory activities with people with LHL and supports and inspires future designers to engage with this disadvantaged target group.

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Promoting health behaviors and preventing chronic diseases through a healthy lifestyle among those with a low socioeconomic status (SES) remain major challenges. eHealth interventions are a promising approach to change unhealthy behaviors in this target group. Objective: This review aims to identify key components, barriers, and facilitators in the development, reach, use, evaluation, and implementation of eHealth lifestyle interventions for people with a low SES. This review provides an overview for researchers and eHealth developers, and can assist in the development of eHealth interventions for people with a low SES. Methods: We performed a scoping review based on Arksey and O'Malley's framework. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, using terms related to a combination of the following key constructs: eHealth, lifestyle, low SES, development, reach, use, evaluation, and implementation. There were no restrictions on the date of publication for articles retrieved upon searching the databases. Results: The search identified 1323 studies, of which 42 met our inclusion criteria. An update of the search led to the inclusion of 17 additional studies. eHealth lifestyle interventions for people with a low SES were often delivered via internet-based methods (eg, websites, email, Facebook, and smartphone apps) and offline methods, such as texting. A minority of the interventions combined eHealth lifestyle interventions with face-to-face or telephone coaching, or wearables (blended care). We identified the use of different behavioral components (eg, social support) and technological components (eg, multimedia) in eHealth lifestyle interventions. Facilitators in the development included iterative design, working with different disciplines, and resonating intervention content with users. Facilitators for intervention reach were use of a personal approach and social network, reminders, and self-monitoring. Nevertheless, barriers, such as technological challenges for developers and limited financial resources, may hinder intervention development. Furthermore, passive recruitment was a barrier to intervention reach. Technical difficulties and the use of self-monitoring devices were common barriers for users of eHealth interventions. Only limited data on barriers and facilitators for intervention implementation and evaluation were available. Conclusions: While we found large variations among studies regarding key intervention components, and barriers and facilitators, certain factors may be beneficial in building and using eHealth interventions and reaching people with a low SES. Barriers and facilitators offer promising elements that eHealth developers can use as a toolbox to connect eHealth with low SES individuals. Our findings suggest that one-size-fits-all eHealth interventions may be less suitable for people with a low SES. Future research should investigate how to customize eHealth lifestyle interventions to meet the needs of different low SES groups, and should identify the components that enhance their reach, use, and effectiveness.

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Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with a higher prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles compared to a high SES. Health interventions that promote a healthy lifestyle, like eHealth solutions, face limited adoption in low SES groups. To improve the adoption of eHealth interventions, their alignment with the target group's attitudes is crucial. This study investigated the attitudes of people with a low SES toward health, healthcare, and eHealth. We adopted a mixed-method community-based participatory research approach with 23 members of a community center in a low SES neighborhood in the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. We conducted a first set of interviews and analyzed these using a grounded theory approach resulting in a group of themes. These basic themes' representative value was validated and refined by an online questionnaire involving a different sample of 43 participants from multiple community centers in the same neighborhood. We executed three focus groups to validate and contextualize the results. We identified two general attitudes based on nine profiles toward health, healthcare, and eHealth. The first general attitude, optimistically engaged, embodied approximately half our sample and involved light-heartedness toward health, loyalty toward healthcare, and eagerness to adopt eHealth. The second general attitude, doubtfully disadvantaged, represented roughly a quarter of our sample and was related to feeling encumbered toward health, feeling disadvantaged within healthcare, and hesitance toward eHealth adoption. The resulting attitudes strengthen the knowledge of the motivation and behavior of people with low SES regarding their health. Our results indicate that negative health attitudes are not as evident as often claimed. Nevertheless, intervention developers should still be mindful of differentiating life situations, motivations, healthcare needs, and eHealth expectations. Based on our findings, we recommend eHealth should fit into the person's daily life, ensure personal communication, be perceived usable and useful, adapt its communication to literacy level and life situation, allow for meaningful self-monitoring and embody self-efficacy enhancing strategies.@en