Needs and Demands for e-Health Interventions in Patients Attending a Psychosomatic Outpatient Clinic: A Baseline Assessment for a User-Centered Design Approach

Objective: Increased utilization of e-health services can help to meet shortages of psychotherapeutic treatment. e-Health interventions can be effective if tailored according to the individual needs and demands of the target group. To gather comprehensive data for the development of a user-centered e-health intervention, a cross-sectional study was conducted among a heterogeneous cohort of 309 patients seeking treatment or consultation at psychosomatic university hospital in a densely populated region of Germany.Methods: Sociodemographic data, psychometric dimensions of mental burden, as well as needs and demands regarding an e-health intervention were assessed. A descriptive statistical analysis and a cluster analysis were performed to examine distribution of preferences and differences based on level of burden regarding needs and demands for e-health interventions.Results: Two hundred thirty-nine (N = 239) participants were included in the final data analysis. Among this primarily urban target group smartphone availability was favored by 77.8% of the participants. The cluster analysis revealed significant differences dependent on mental burden. 75.2% of participants with a high mental burden preferred longer interventions of 1-4 months compared with 49% in the low burden group, which also considered short interventions of up to 1 month (46%). Differences were also identified for content preferences and daily-life integration and were consistent irrespective of the initial reason for consultation.Conclusion: The findings of this study can provide a foundational framework for developing user-centered psychosomatic interventions. The potential relationship between individual burden and individual needs and demands highlights the crucial role of preliminary research to tailor interventions to effectively address diverse needs and preferences.