Building Habits in the Digital Age: Incorporating Psychological Needs and Knowledge from Practitioners to Inform the Design of Digital Therapeutics

Jeannette Stark (), Thure Weimann (), Felix Reinsch (), Maren Kählig (), Emily Hickmann (), Carola Gisske () and Peggy Richter ()
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Jeannette Stark: Research Group Digital Health, Technische Universität Dresden
Thure Weimann: Research Group Digital Health, Technische Universität Dresden
Felix Reinsch: Research Group Digital Health, Technische Universität Dresden
Maren Kählig: Research Group Digital Health, Technische Universität Dresden
Emily Hickmann: Research Group Digital Health, Technische Universität Dresden
Carola Gisske: Research Group Digital Health, Technische Universität Dresden
Peggy Richter: Research Group Digital Health, Technische Universität Dresden

A chapter in Transforming the Digitally Sustainable Enterprise, 2025, pp 549-566 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Interventions for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) often require changing behaviors. In this regard, habitual behaviors (i.e., habits) are positively evaluated to foster behavioral changes. Forming habits is challenging but can be supported digitally. This paper reviews the requirements of forming habits and investigates how these requirements are implemented in habit apps. Based on the results, design principles are discussed for digital therapeutics. In contrast to conventional apps, digital therapeutics have a medical purpose and can be prescribed for the time it needs for a habit to form. The results reveal that conventional apps try to bind the user and ignore the state where the habit needs to be strengthened by decreasing technology use. In this regard, digital therapeutics reveal potential in supporting the formation of habits to prevent and treat NCDs.

Keywords: Behavioral change; Digital therapeutics; Habits; Habit apps; Noncommunicable diseases (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-80125-9_32

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