Self Efficacy & Engagement in Health Tech Design for Sports

Quantify-me solutions of current health technologies deliver data but do not engage people in sustainable manner with their health. Digital transformation of services and technologies for personal health must support self-efficacy mechanisms for people to have the confidence that they can manage their health on the basis of the information received from the digital device. Self-efficacy is correlated with motivation, achievement, and emotional well‐being or self-regulation.

Our Design research has produced frameworks to inform technology developers and industry about the end-users’ real-world needs about consumers managing their health with technology devices, a determining profiles and engagement maps that explains consumers’ needs at each touchpoint with the health technology over time. We have applied these frameworks into the design of personal consumer devices for health information management with three key functionalities: tracking, personal support, and remote interaction.

Based on our initial design explorations, the current study is focused on tracking sleep quality as an indication of preparedness and optimal health for a new day. The results will provide the basis for the development a technology application for information management after concussion for the case of elite athletes. In collaboration with local technology industry and with Queensland Academy of Sports, this project draws together academics from Creative Industries Faculty and Faculty of Health, who have a common interest in the development of consumers’ health-technologies, and in devising collaborative approaches for transdisciplinary research that takes into account both clinical and end-user’s real-world needs.

Project Milestones 

• Phase 1: Design Specifications and Requirements for the Design of personal Health Tech
• Phase 2: Applying and testing research in students’ design projects at QUT
• Phase 3: Comparative analysis (consumer product vs design research tool)

IHBI-HASS Chief Investigators:

• Dr Marianella Chamorro-Koc, CIF School of Design, Design Lab
• Dr Jonathan Peake, Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, IHBI

Marketing and Design Investigators

• Dr Amanda Beatson, QUT Business School, Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
• Rebekah Nicholas, PhD Student