Observational studyJMIR human factors2025
Usability Evaluation of Digital Health Applications for Older People With Depressive Disorders: Prospective Observational Study in a Mixed Methods Design.
Observational study in JMIR human factors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Measuring eHealth Literacy in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Facilitators and Barriers to Digital Self-Management in Older Adults With Depression: COM-B and Theoretical Domain Framework Qualitative Study.JMIR aging · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Digital health applications (DiGA) have been integrated into Germany's health care system since 2019, offering certified medical devices for various health conditions. This study focuses on deprexis and Selfapy, the first 2 permanently approved DiGA for depressive disorders in Germany, to evaluate their usability for people ≥60 years. The study's significance is underscored by the underrepresentation of older people in previous DiGA studies, accompanied by an emergent risk of inequalities in distribution for this vulnerable population. Objective: This study assessed the usability of DiGA deprexis and Selfapy for adults aged ≥60 years with mild to moderate depression. The more user-friendly option will be chosen for the DiGA4Aged project's upcoming randomized controlled trial. Methods: The prospective observational study uses the People at the Centre of Mobile Application Development (PACMAD) usability model in a mixed methods design. The study's multistage data collection encompasses sociodemographic data and quantitative questionnaires about health literacy (European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire [HLS-EU-Q16]), electronic health literacy (revised German eHealth Literacy Scale [GR-eHEALS]), media affinity, depressive symptoms (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]), and perceived usability (System Usability Scale [SUS]), as well as a qualitative think-aloud and semistructured interview. Participants were equally allocated to use either deprexis or Selfapy. Recruitment of 18 participants was conducted at 3 hospital departments (ie, psychiatry, psychosomatics, and geriatrics) in spring 2024. Participants were eligible if they were aged ≥60 years, were diagnosed with mild or moderate depressive disorder, owned a digital device, and gave written consent to participate. Results: Quantitative analysis revealed age, gender, depressive severity, and health literacy parity between both groups. Selfapy users displayed marginally lower technical proficiency and lower usability scores. Qualitative data showed lower usability among participants in the Selfapy group due to design-related errors and higher cognitive load. Despite visual, psychomotor, and cognitive challenges, participants endorsed both DiGA for older users, stressing the importance of assistance and practicing the usage. Conclusions: Reported difficulties in usability may help to improve future DiGA development for older people, especially as the willingness to use DiGA exists.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.