Principal findings
This Delphi study assessed the perspectives of German ED experts on the importance of different factors regarding contextual conditions, content, and design for the implementation of DMHIs in ED treatment.
Consensus
After the second Delphi round, consensus (IQR ≤ 2) was found for the majority of items (73%). We identified seven key aspects that were consensually rated as most important (Mdn = 10). A stable internet connection, data security and data protection, as well as refraining from the use of DMHIs as a substitute for conventional professional treatment were consensually rated as the most important contextual facilitators for DMHI implementation. These findings are in line with previous research, which identified technical issues as a critical barrier to the use of DMHIs (28, 29). Furthermore, previous findings underscore the need for data security (20, 30) and a preference for blended treatment as compared to stand-alone applications in both practitioners and other stakeholders, such as potential users (19, 21, 31). On the flipside, some evidence suggests that data privacy and security receive limited attention from digital health intervention users (29), which could be an indicator of differing priorities in different groups of stakeholders. Moreover, usability was consensually rated as the most important design aspect, which fits into the current frame of research since effort expectancy (i.e. the expected ease of use) significantly predicts behavioural intentions to utilize digital health interventions (32) and ease of use has been identified as a key contributor to a positive user experience (29). With regard to content and functionalities for affected individuals, psychoeducation, crisis intervention, and personalization were rated as the most important aspects. Since the delivery of psychoeducational and emergency information can be easily implemented in a digital format, and practitioners were more likely to refer patients to web-based psychoeducational interventions than more complex DMHIs in previous studies (30), these findings are consistent with prior research. Personalization further contributes to a positive user experience (29) and the need for tailored ED-DMHIs has been expressed previously (20).
On the other hand, prescription requirement was consensually rated as the least important contextual condition. While certified digital health applications (“DiGAs”) listed in the German DiGA directory have been found to receive more positive app store ratings and reviews than unregulated mobile health apps (29), the requirement for prescription in itself did not appear to be a priority in this sample.
No consensus
No consensus (IQR > 2) was found for specific contextual conditions, such as the opportunity to self-experience and pre-test DMHIs in practitioners, free accessibility for affected individuals (e.g. via app stores or public websites), and the use in a prevention setting. No consensus was reached in any of the functions or contents for informal caregivers, specific functions for practitioners (e.g. videoconferencing), and for those affected (e.g. suggestions for movement/exercise). Furthermore, the design elements co-creation (i.e. participatory design that involves affected individuals) and a private section for affected individuals (i.e. no other potential user-group such as practitioners would be able to access these functions or data inputs) were not eliciting consensus. Taken together, the importance of these factors might depend on the specific needs and aims of individual treatment plans, which might make general statements challenging. For instance, as one of the participants stated during step 3, contents and functions for informal caregivers can be viewed critically as they contradict the development of autonomy during treatment. On the other hand, interpersonal and potentially harmful influences in, for instance, family settings, were addressed in the interviews (step 1) and a need for psychoeducational interventions for informal caregivers was mentioned in order to facilitate informal support during treatment. Initial studies on DMHIs for informal caregivers point towards beneficial effects for parents (e.g. stress release, more confidence in parenting abilities) (33, 34) and the ED symptoms of their children (35, 36). The use of DMHIs and specific elements should therefore be tailored to individual needs.
Limitations
One limitation of this study lies in the broad definition of DMHIs, which included a range of technologies (e.g. online programs, smartphone apps, virtual reality applications). On the one hand, this allowed for the investigation of more general, common factors across different DMHI types. On the other hand, this was accomplished at the expense of potentially missing DMHI-specific factors.
Related to this, the Delphi items referred to all EDs. While little is known about the perception of DMHIs for EDs in practitioners, which underlines the value of identifying core factors across EDs, future research should investigate differences and specificities between different types of EDs. For instance, item 44 “suggestions for movement and exercise” reflects one potential function for affected individuals which could be useful in some contexts and potentially harmful in others, depending on the individual needs of those affected by an ED.
Furthermore, practitioners who were female, CBT-trained, and who provided inpatient treatment were overrepresented in this sample as compared to other groups of practitioners, which limits the generalizability of results. Moreover, the interviews indicated a general interest and openness towards DMHIs in our sample, which is consistent with previous findings (20, 21). However, it is plausible that practitioners with more positive views towards DMHIs were more inclined to participate, and sceptical voices might be underrepresented in our study. Future research should thus strive to include a wider range of perspectives.
In this regard, other studies point towards a need for targeted information materials on DMHIs for different groups of healthcare providers (e.g. general practitioners, specialists) (17), other relevant stakeholders (e.g. patients, policy makers), and different healthcare systems (18, 19). Identifying specificities and similarities between these groups and settings with regard to their priorities allows for the development of targeted strategies to successfully implement evidence-based DMHIs in routine care.