R03 – Using Human Centered Design for Technology-Enabled Behavioral Treatment of Depression in Urban and Rural Cancer Centers
Principal Investigators
Gary Hsieh, PhD, Associate Professor, Human Centered Design and Engineering
Amy Bauer, MD, MS, Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Project Description
Depression is highly prevalent but undertreated in patients with cancer, particularly in rural populations. The overall objective of this research is to use technology to enhance depression care for patients in cancer centers by improving access to behavioral activation (BA), an evidence-based treatment. This research supports the UW ALACRITY Center mission by applying expertise in mental health and in human-centered design to address usability and sustained quality of delivery of BA in a Collaborative Care (CoCM) setting.
| Setting | Urban and rural cancer centers |
| Population | Patients with cancer and depression, providers, and administrators from rural and urban cancer centers |
Intervention and/or Implementation Strategy Designed or Redesigned
| Intervention | Development of a digital platform to support the delivery of Collaborative Care (CoCM) for depression using behavioral activation (BA), an evidence-based treatment. The intervention uses human-centered design to address contextual constraints and implementation challenges. |
| Implementation Strategy | Two-phase approach: Aim 1 engages diverse stakeholders in a human-centered design process to discover contextual constraints and gather requirements for the digital platform. Aim 2 develops an early prototype through an iterative process, eliciting feedback from providers and patients to ensure appropriate, acceptable and usable design. |
Impact
This project accelerates translational behavioral health research by generating knowledge to inform technology-enabled service delivery models and their integration into general medical settings. The intervention addresses the critical gap in depression treatment for cancer patients, particularly in rural areas where access to mental health services is limited. By enhancing access to behavioral activation through technology and collaborative care, the project has the potential to improve depression outcomes for cancer patients who often experience high rates of untreated depression.