Developing and implementing behaviour change technology

Digital systems facilitate efficient intervention delivery and offer unique intervention opportunities. They can provide useful information; facilitate goal setting and goal review; empower people to initiate and sustain self-care actions; help users remember and prioritise plans; and allow users to self-monitor feelings and behaviours and receive moment-to-moment feedback. These systems can also identify when people need professional help and can facilitate communication with relevant health care professionals. Evidence supports their capacity to facilitate improved self-management of health-related behaviour and care of long-term illnesses.

The team at MCBC is expert in the development of a variety of intelligent, evidence-based systems and devices, such as mobile phone apps and exercise ‘wearables’. We have developed and demonstrated the effectiveness of digital interventions for smoking cessation and physical activity and we are currently developing and evaluating intelligent digital systems to support behaviour change in cancer survivors.