PhD Study : UX data analytics for the assessment, validation and regulation of digital health apps

Summary

Healthcare services are under pressure due to increasing chronic conditions in an ageing population. This is compounded by increasing public expectations of the National Health Service (NHS) and the COVID-19 pandemic. The pressure on services is partly due to the NHS being ‘re-active’ as opposed to a ‘pro-active’ service. Pro-active services in the form of digital health apps can help prevent illness and reduce pressures. Therefore, mobile health apps are becoming a core part of a proactive healthcare system to promote self-care amongst citizens, and to ensure that the NHS maintains ‘equal access for equal need’.

Ulster’s research shows that using health apps is associated with healthy intentions (Carroll et al., 2017). By 2034, digital care is projected to become standard care. In tandem with this increased emphasis on health apps, there is a need to evaluate and regulate these apps formally since many are sub-standard, untrustworthy and harmful. To date, most frameworks (including NHS DAQ, ISO and the NICE ESF) that examine health-app safety and quality have tended to focus on clinical efficacy and security and lack rigorous assessment of the app’s User Experience (UX) and usability. ORCHA have their own product that is being used to assess and ‘score’ thousands of health apps, but only one-third of the ORCHA tool relates to UX assessment.

The aim of this PhD is to provide much-needed research-data informed ‘UX’ knowledge to assess, regulate and validate health apps. The contribution to knowledge and innovation will be the use of a new data-driven approach to UX assessment. ORCHA is the World’s leading assessor of health apps. Working with NHS England, GGZ etc. ORCHA have used their product with customers to assess over 5,000 health-apps using a 300-question assessment tool, providing a dataset of ~1.5 million data points.

The PhD researcher will analyse this dataset using data science and statistical modelling techniques to inform and develop the next generation of health app UX assessment tools which will be products offered by ORCHA. The research will provide an unparalleled examination of real-world UX data of health apps. The researcher will combine this data with end-user review data by ‘review mining’ user reviews/star ratings on app stores. The researcher will compare how health apps are reviewed/scored by expert assessors using the ORCHA tool, with how the end-users rate and qualitatively assess the app. The researcher will use their findings to design and trial new health app assessment knowledge and tools.

This work can inform/impact on,

1. The future formal assessment of health apps in a commercial service,
2. National/international guidelines,
3. Safer/trusted health apps,
4. Better public health.

The candidate should have a working interest in one of more of the following areas: digital health, data analytics and UX. This PhD has been funded as a CAST award and includes a large budget for travel, consumables and attending conferences.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• For VCRS Awards, Masters at 75%
• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
• Publications record appropriate to career stage

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• DfE CAST award in collaboration with ORCHA

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £ 17,500 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance). EU applicants will only be eligible for the fee’s component of the studentship (no maintenance award is provided). For Non-EU nationals the candidate must be "settled" in the UK.