The Use of User-Centred Design Strategies to Design Wearable Mobile Health Technologies: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature proposes a consolidated overview of the application of user-centred design (UCD) in wearable technologies within the mobile health domain and how user-centred design plays an integral role in in ensuring their usability, functionality, and adoption. As such it provides a useful referential source for designers and health practitioners. The study uses a glossary of UCD strategies by (Dopp et al. in Translational Behavioral Medicine 9:1057–1064, 2018 [4]) to guide the analysis. The research has revealed that the majority of research articles formulated design specifications from conducting joint sessions including users and designers to create and design the wearable technologies. The study also observed that the most reported wearable technologies in mobile health to which user-centred design strategies are applied are smartwatches, activity trackers, and smart bands. These are used in a range of health conditions, mostly for mental health, care for older people, and stroke rehabilitation.