Supporting self-care with eHealth: Advancing theory-based research and development of interventions to support patients with a cardiovascular disease

This work undertook a holistic approach to the study of eHealth research and development under the scope of self-care support for CVD. The research revised the contemporary use of frameworks, models, and theories for research and development, identified promising theory-based approaches to eHealth design, and proposed eHealth features that are based on self-care theory and technology design models.

By adopting and revising promising theories, the research successfully interconnected relevant constructs within the context of study. That is, the research identified promising eHealth design strategies that were theory-based and fitting with self-care as the target for behaviour change. The eHealth design strategies were primarily based and inspired by existing interventions but were also influenced by technology-focused frameworks for persuasive and value sensitive design. Through conceptual and theoretical work, the research endorsed and exemplified the vision that future eHealth research and development should start with theory and be continuously paired with it. Theory should at least be clearly acknowledged and detailed when used, but ideally, it should be fully and comprehensively adopted as part of holistic eHealth development, evaluation, and implementation.