Understanding the Acceptance of an eHealth Technology in the Early Stages of Development: An End-User Walkthrough Approach and Two Case Studies

BACKGROUND: Studies that focus on the acceptance of an electronic health (eHealth) technology generally make use of surveys. However, results of such studies hold little value for a redesign, as they focus only on quantifying end-user appreciation of general factors (eg, perceived usefulness). OBJECTIVE: We present a method for understanding end-user acceptance of an eHealth technology, early in the development process: The eHealth End-User Walkthrough. METHODS: During a walkthrough, a participant is guided by using the technology via a scenario, a persona, and a low-fidelity protoype. A participant is questioned about factors that may affect acceptance during and after the demonstration. We show the value of the method via two case studies. RESULTS: During the case studies, participants commented on whether they intend to use a technology and why they would (not) use its main features. They also provided redesign advice or input for additional functions. Finally, the sessions provide guidance for the generation of business models and implementation plans. CONCLUSIONS: The eHealth End-User Walkthrough can aid design teams in understanding the acceptance of their eHealth application in a very early stage of the design process. Consequently, it can prevent a mismatch between technology and end-users’ needs, wishes and context.