ArticleJMIR medical education2024
Enhancing Digital Health Awareness and mHealth Competencies in Medical Education: Proof-of-Concept Study and Summative Process Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Project.
Article in JMIR medical education, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Digital health literacy in medical education: a scoping review of current challenges and development strategies.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Acceptance and use of digital health technologies among physiotherapists in Germany: a web-based cross-sectional survey.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Prevalence, Digital Tools, and Management Strategies for Depression in Medical Students: A Narrative Review.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Review
- Health misinformation, digital health literacy, and attitudes toward science among university students: an exploratory cross-sectional survey.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The perceived fit of guided iCBT in specialised mental healthcare services: a qualitative study of healthcare professionals' perspectives.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- Genie in the bottle? a qualitative study of general practitioners' perspectives and information needs concerning digital mental health applications in Germany.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Assessing Medical Students' Perceptions of AI-Integrated Telemedicine: A Cross-Sectional Study in Romania.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- We don't need more apps, we need connection: recommender systems as under-explored chance to promote students' mental health at universities.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundCurrently, there is a need to optimize knowledge on digital transformation in mental health care, including digital therapeutics (eg, prescription apps), in medical education. However, in Germany, digital health has not yet been systematically integrated into medical curricula and is taught in a relatively small number of electives. Challenges for lecturers include the dynamic field as well as lacking guidance on how to efficiently apply innovative teaching formats for these new digital competencies. Quality improvement projects provide options to pilot-test novel educational offerings, as little is known about the acceptability of participatory approaches in conventional medical education.
objectiveThis quality improvement project addressed the gap in medical school electives on digital health literacy by introducing and evaluating an elective scoping study on the systematic development of different health app concepts designed by students to cultivate essential skills for future health care professionals (ie, mobile health [mHealth] competencies).
methodsThis proof-of-concept study describes the development, optimization, implementation, and evaluation of a web-based elective on digital (mental) health competencies in medical education. Implemented as part of a quality improvement project, the elective aimed to guide medical students in developing app concepts applying a design thinking approach at a German medical school from January 2021 to January 2024. Topics included defining digital (mental) health, quality criteria for health apps, user perspective, persuasive design, and critical reflection on digitization in medical practice. The elective was offered 6 times within 36 months, with continuous evaluation and iterative optimization using both process and outcome measures, such as web-based questionnaires. We present examples of app concepts designed by students and summarize the quantitative and qualitative evaluation results.
resultsIn total, 60 students completed the elective and developed 25 health app concepts, most commonly targeting stress management and depression. In addition, disease management and prevention apps were designed for various somatic conditions such as diabetes and chronic pain. The results indicated high overall satisfaction across the 6 courses according to the evaluation questionnaire, with lower scores indicating higher satisfaction on a scale ranging from 1 to 6 (mean 1.70, SD 0.68). Students particularly valued the content, flexibility, support, and structure. While improvements in group work, submissions, and information transfer were suggested, the results underscore the usefulness of the web-based elective.
conclusionsThis quality improvement project provides insights into relevant features for the successful user-centered and creative integration of mHealth competencies into medical education. Key factors for the satisfaction of students involved the participatory mindset, focus on competencies, discussions with app providers, and flexibility. Future efforts should define important learning objectives for digital health literacy and provide recommendations for integration rather than debating the need for digital health integration.
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