TY - JOUR
T1 - Planning and optimising a digital self-management support intervention: Acne Care Online
AU - Essery, Rosie
AU - Steele, Mary
AU - Easton, Stephanie
AU - Pollet, Sebastien
AU - Cairns, Charlotte
AU - Feuvre, Rebekah Le
AU - Hooper, Julie
AU - Becque, Taeko
AU - Kane, Tanith
AU - Hart, Georgina
AU - Sach, Tracey
AU - Francis, NA
AU - Little, Paul
AU - Yardley, Lucy
AU - Dove, Sophie
AU - Henaghan-Sykes, Kate
AU - Soulsby, Irene
AU - Thomas, Kim
AU - Ridd, Matthew
AU - Stuart, Beth
AU - Layton, Alison M.
AU - Thompson, Andrew
AU - Patel, Mahendra
AU - Yates, Adam
AU - Santer, Miriam
AU - Muller, Ingrid
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.
PY - 2025/11/5
Y1 - 2025/11/5
N2 - Objectives: to showcase the planning and optimization processes involved in developing a digital behaviour change intervention through the example of a self-management support tool for young people with acne (‘Acne Care Online’).
Design: following Medical Research Council guidance, a theory, evidence, and person-based approach was employed, drawing on existing evidence, stakeholder expertise, health psychology theory, and qualitative methods to underpin intervention content, structure and functionality.
Methods: systematic reviews of literature concerning acne help-seeking and treatment adherence, theoretical understandings of health-related behaviour, guidance from public contributors, and interviews with young people with acne (n = 24), their parents/carers (n = 8) and healthcare professionals (n = 18), informed the intervention's guiding principles and logic model. Draft intervention content was then developed by a multidisciplinary study team including public contributors and health professionals, and optimized through 53 think-aloud interviews with intended users.
Results: the development process created Acne Care Online ready for trial evaluation. It also provided insights into self-management challenges amongst this group – including their reluctance to consult, and misconceptions about treatments that hinder effective management (e.g., using products with no active ingredients, concerns about side effects, and unrealistic expectations). Acne Care Online appeared engaging, informative and relevant, with early feedback from health professionals suggesting it could be integrated into current healthcare practice.
Conclusions: this study provides insights into theory and person-informed development processes for behaviour change interventions. Here, the acceptability and perceived value of Acne Care Online was evidenced. The work also provides important insights for clinicians managing young people seeking support for acne.
AB - Objectives: to showcase the planning and optimization processes involved in developing a digital behaviour change intervention through the example of a self-management support tool for young people with acne (‘Acne Care Online’).
Design: following Medical Research Council guidance, a theory, evidence, and person-based approach was employed, drawing on existing evidence, stakeholder expertise, health psychology theory, and qualitative methods to underpin intervention content, structure and functionality.
Methods: systematic reviews of literature concerning acne help-seeking and treatment adherence, theoretical understandings of health-related behaviour, guidance from public contributors, and interviews with young people with acne (n = 24), their parents/carers (n = 8) and healthcare professionals (n = 18), informed the intervention's guiding principles and logic model. Draft intervention content was then developed by a multidisciplinary study team including public contributors and health professionals, and optimized through 53 think-aloud interviews with intended users.
Results: the development process created Acne Care Online ready for trial evaluation. It also provided insights into self-management challenges amongst this group – including their reluctance to consult, and misconceptions about treatments that hinder effective management (e.g., using products with no active ingredients, concerns about side effects, and unrealistic expectations). Acne Care Online appeared engaging, informative and relevant, with early feedback from health professionals suggesting it could be integrated into current healthcare practice.
Conclusions: this study provides insights into theory and person-informed development processes for behaviour change interventions. Here, the acceptability and perceived value of Acne Care Online was evidenced. The work also provides important insights for clinicians managing young people seeking support for acne.
KW - acne vulgaris
KW - behaviour change
KW - digital intervention
KW - intervention development
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105020894352
U2 - 10.1111/bjhp.70033
DO - 10.1111/bjhp.70033
M3 - Article
SN - 1359-107X
VL - 30
JO - British Journal of Health Psychology
JF - British Journal of Health Psychology
IS - 4
M1 - e70033
ER -