A Process Evaluation of a Web-Based Mental Health Portal (WalkAlong) Using Google Analytics

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14110%2F18%3A00104364" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14110/18:00104364 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/mental.8594" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/mental.8594</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/mental.8594" target="_blank" >10.2196/mental.8594</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

A Process Evaluation of a Web-Based Mental Health Portal (WalkAlong) Using Google Analytics

Original language description

Background: Despite the increasing amount of research on Web-based mental health interventions with proven efficacy, high attrition rates decrease their effectiveness. Continued process evaluations should be performed to maximize the target population's engagement. Google Analytics has been used to evaluate various health-related Web-based programs and may also be useful for Web-based mental health programs. Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate WalkAlong.ca , a youth-oriented mental health web-portal, using Google Analytics to inform the improvement strategy for the platform and to demonstrate the use of Google Analytics as a tool for process evaluation of Web-based mental health interventions. Methods: Google Analytics was used to monitor user activity during WalkAlong's first year of operation (Nov 13, 2013-Nov 13, 2014). Selected Google Analytic variables were overall website engagement including pages visited per session, utilization rate of specific features, and user access mode and location. Results: The results included data from 3076 users viewing 29,299 pages. Users spent less average time on Mindsteps (0 minute 35 seconds) and self-exercises (1 minute 08 seconds), which are important self-help tools, compared with that on the Screener tool (3 minutes 4 seconds). Of all visitors, 82.3% (4378/5318) were desktop users, followed by 12.7 % (677/5318) mobile phone and 5.0% (263/5318) tablet users. Both direct traffic (access via URL) and referrals by email had more than 7 pages viewed per session and longer than average time of 6 minutes per session. The majority of users (67%) accessed the platform from Canada. Conclusions: Engagement and feature utilization rates are higher among people who receive personal invitations to visit the site. Low utilization rates with specific features offer a starting place for further exploration of users in order to identify the root cause. The data provided by Google Analytics, although informative, can be supplemented by other evaluation methods (ie, qualitative methods) in order to better determine the modifications required to improve user engagement. Google Analytics can play a vital role in highlighting the preferences of those using Web-based mental health tools.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

30215 - Psychiatry

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

JMIR MENTAL HEALTH

ISSN

2368-7959

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

5

Issue of the periodical within the volume

3

Country of publishing house

CA - CANADA

Number of pages

10

Pages from-to

1-10

UT code for WoS article

000449378700001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85052887685