This document provides an overview of the eHC Behavior Design Lab led by Dr. Manuel Armayones. The lab applies theories and techniques from behavioral sciences and design to promote behavior change through digital technologies in individual and public health interventions. Their goal is to improve health and quality of life. The lab conducts research on topics like healthy habits, physical activity promotion, smoking cessation, and more using theoretical models like the Behavior Change Wheel. They also collaborate on projects to design more accessible experiences for museums, transportation, airports, and more. The document outlines the lab's research approach and some of their current and past projects.

1. eHC Behavior
Design Lab
Dr. Manuel Armayones.
On behalf of BD-Lab
researchers

2. Who are we?

4. A Behavior Design Lab in
an eHealth Center?
Yes, because… in eHealth… all (or
almost all) is about behavior ☺

5. It’s not about technology, it’s about
using tools to do what we do, better,
faster, safer, more patient-centric,
broadening horizons…
The model consists of 3 overlapping
domains that describe:
• The use of digital technologies to
monitor, track and inform
• The use of digital technologies to
facilitate communicative
encounters between Health
stakeholders
• The use of data to improve Health
and Health services
eHealth
Shaw T. et al. What is eHealth? Development of a Conceptual
Model for eHealth: Qualitative Study with Key informants. J.
Med. Internet Res. 2017;19(10):e324

6. ● When you track your physical activity with your mobile device
● When you monitor your blood pressure with a medical device
● When you download a mobile application for health
● When you use your PHR to ask your doctor.
● When you ask for an appointment to get vaccinated
● When you use a social network to find patients with the same
condition
● When collect your data…
● When you approved, or not, data collection

7. What do we talk about
when we talk about
behavior design?

8. Behavior design is a set of
theoretical models and
techniques, both from
behavioral sciences and
design, that can be used to
influence human behavior
(in an ethical way!)
Persuasive Technology is a
subdiscipline in which we
specifically use technology to
influence human behavior
(in an ethical way!!!)

9. What do we do?

10. Cátedra
COCEMFE-UOC
para la
Promoción de la
Autonomía
Personal y la
Salud Digital
https://www.uoc.edu/portal/es/universitat/estudis-
centres-recerca/catedra-cocemfe-autonomia-
personal-salut-digital/index.html
Cátedra abierta a la incorporación de nuevos partners (col·laboradores 15K) para promover investigación ci

11. At the Behavior Design Lab, our aim
is to apply theoretical models and
techniques to promote behavior
change through ICTs, both in the
field of individual and public health
interventions. Our main objective is
to contribute to improve health and
quality of life, helping people to do
what they already want to do.

12. Theoretical
Models .
Research
Topics
Type of
Studies

13. Our …
«research tool box»
Theoretical
Models .

14. Behavior Change Techniques (V93 Taxonomy)

15. Behavior Change Wheel
Theoretical framework Procedures & Methods
Michie S, Atkins L, West R. The Behaviour Change Wheel: A
Guide to Designing Interventions. UK: Silverback Publishing;
2014.

16. Fogg Behavior Model

17. Online Individual intervention (habits)
We use Tiny Habits Method
1. Anchor moment. An existing routine (like brushing
your teeth) or an event that happens (like a phone
ringing). ...
2. New tiny behavior. A simple version of the new
habit you want, such as flossing one tooth or
doing two push-ups. ...
3. Instant celebration.
Procedures & Methods

18. Persuasive System Design: evaluation & design devices
Oinas-Kukkonen, H., & Harjumaa, M. (2009). Persuasive systems design: Key issues,
process model, and system features. Communications of the Association for
Information Systems, 24(1), 485–500. https://doi.org/10.17705/1cais.02428

20. OK, but…
What do you really do?
Ongoing projects
Research
Topics

22. • Revisión sistemática
literatura científica
• Revisión literatura gris
• Análisis de fuentes y bases
de datos sobre soledad y
propuestas
• Evaluación de estrategias
en intervención sobre
soledad basándonos en
diseño del comportamiento

23. Funding: XPA (Patient Experience Unit)
Hospital Clínic and UOC eHealth Center.
Objective: To improve the quality of rest of the
patients in Hospital Clínic.
Team: Joan Escarrabill (PI) (Hospital Clínic),
Manuel Armayones (eHC), Yolanda Graupera
(Hospital Clínic), Noemí Robles (eHC) and Elena
Salas (Hospital Clínic)
CLI-NIT: Quality of sleep during hospitalization (ongoing project)

24. Behavior Change Wheel in design and evaluation of Public
Health and Social Policies interventions

25. Social approach to COVID-19
Funding: AQUAS (scientific collaboration)
Objective: To contribute, with an interdisciplinary
team of researchers, and from behavior design
perspective, to understand and guided
interventions with specific groups to increase
protective behavior against COVID19
Team: AQUAS and a multidisciplinary team of
researchers, including a team of
Behavior Design Lab.

26. COMjuntos- App para guiar comunicación médica en EE.RR

27. The persuasive traits in anti-vaccination videos in Spain
and their implications in social media campaign to counteract
vaccine hesitancy
Objectives:
● To analyze potential strategies of technological
persuasion concealed in anti-vaccination videos
shared on Youtube or Vimeo.
● To detect if these strategies are useful for
designing vaccination-promoting campaigns to
counteract anti-vaccination messages.
● To unveil the persuasive features and possible
theories used by anti-vaccination groups in
online videos in Spain.
Team: Alicia García-Oliva (Doctoral student), Manuel
Armayones

28. Funding: Pandemia 2021 (Generalitat)
Objective: To incorporate different behavioral design
strategies to improve the number of responses to the
survey on psychological effects of Covid-19.
Team: Antoni Sanz (IP) (UAB) and a team of more than
75 researchers from different universities around the
world. From UOC: Clara Selva, Manuel Armayones
and Noemí Robles
PSY-COVID 19 (ongoing project)
PSY-COVID-19

29. Loneliness and Disability People in Barcelona
Funding: UOC-COCEMFE Chair for the Promotion
of Personal Autonomy and Digital Health
Objective: To analyze loneliness indicators of
disabled people and to evaluate and design
interventions following the Behavior Change Wheel.
Team: Manuel Armayones (IP), Beni Gómez-
Zúñiga, Modesta Pousada, Ignacio del Arco, Noemí
Robles (eHC technical support), Eva Aumatell
(research assistant). Working closely with the
responsibles for Barcelona Strategy for Loneliness.

30. Behavior design and public health: a theoretical model explaining
unassisted smoking cessation
Objectives:
● To use of the BCW model to describe evidence
about the impact of the COVID pandemic on
tobacco use.
● To provide new insight on the resources,
mechanisms and strategies that allow smokers to
quit without assistance, including new e-health
initiatives.
Team: Josep Maria Suelves (Doctoral student), Beni
Gómez-Zúñiga, Manuel Armayones.

31. Patient Reported Experience measurement PREM’s in disabled people
Coming soon….
Funding: Chair UOC-COCEMFE (research contract)
Objective:Explore the Patients Reported Experience Measu
rement methodology and their adaptation to the disabled pat
ients admitted in hospitals and their families.
Team: Behavior Design Lab, Patient Experience Unit
(Clínic), AQUAS.

32. Self-Management Styles in Chronic Diseases and Support by
Monitoring And Coaching Technologies
Funding: eHC-Twente University-Hospital Clínic
Objective: This study aims, through a patient-centred
model, to explore and identify behavioral and cognitive
constructs of relevance for the development, customization,
and adaptation of information and communication
technologies (ICTs), specifically focused on monitoring and
coaching, to support the self-care of individuals diagnosed
with chronic diseases (with an emphasis on cardiovascular
diseases) and improving adherence.
Team: Roberto R. Cruz-Martínez (UoT), Jobke Wentzel
(UoT), Lisette van Gemert-Pijnen (UoT) , Manuel
Armayones, Noemí Robles Muñoz, Joan
Escarrabill (Clínic).

33. Funding: Research contract
Objective: Help IT designers of a mobile
application aimed to help patients to leave
tobacco and alcohol before hip surgery, to
increase the adherence both to the app and to
the psychological interventions.
Team: Manuel Armayones (IP), Antoni Baena
(Health Studies) Marina Bosque (Health Studies)
Beni Gómez-Zúñiga, Eulàlia Hernàndez
(Psychology and Education Studies) and
Modesta Pousada.
HABEATS (2019-2020)

34. Funding: Càtedra UOC-COCEMFE (research
contract)
Objective: To help disabled people (physical
and organic disability) to create healthy habits
that they can introduce in their daily routines to
stay healthy. We will use a Telegram channel as
we did in a pilot project with UOC workers.
Team: Manuel Armayones, Beni Gómez-Zúñiga,
Modesta Pousada, Josep Maria Suelves. Noemí
Robles
Habits Design & Health Promotion disabled people
PSY-COVID-19

35. Theoretical
Models .
• Behavior Fogg Model (Stanford
University)
• Persuasive System Design Framework
(Oulu University)
• APEASE Model (Harvard University)
• Behavior Change Taxonomy
• Behavior Change Wheel (UCL)
Research
Topics
• Intervention to reduce
loneliness
• Healthy habits in disabled
people
• Promotion of Physical
Activity
• Smoking cessation
• ICT acceptance in chronic
patients
• Quality of life of admitted
patients (CLI-NIT)
• decrease vaccine refusa
Type of
Studies
• Public Health Policy (evaluation from behavioural
perspective)
• Design of eHealth Interventions (individual and
community intervention)
• Evaluation of eHealth Intervention (behavioural
perspective)
• Theoretical development

36. Experience in Collaborative Research Projects on Social Inclusion along with the industry

37. Funding: Research contract
Objective: Help the Science Museum to become
more accessible and inclusive for the eldery and
people with disabilities. Design accessible
cultural experiences with people with disabilities.
The Project gives voice to people with disabilities
for enhancing their ACCESSIBLE CULTURAL
EXPERIENCE.
Team: Mónica Cerdán (EEE), I2TIC team and
Manuel Armayones.
COSMOCAIXA and Caixa Forum Research Project
(2019-currently)

38. Funding: Research contract
Objective: Help Urban transportation operator
systems to become more accessible. Design
DIGITAL and no-DIGITAL transportation
experiences with people with disabilities. The
Project gives voice to people with disabilities for
enhancing their URBAN TRANSPORTATION
EXPERIENCE.
Team: Mónica Cerdán (EEE), I2TIC team and
Manuel Armayones.
TRANSPORTES METROPOLITANOS DE BARCELONA AND
FFCC (2018-currently)

39. Funding: Research contract
Objective: Help Airport operator and Vueling
airline to become more accessible. Design
DIGITAL and no-DIGITAL air travel experiences
experiences with families with children with
disabilities. The Project gives voice to people
with parents for enhancing their AIRPORT
EXPERIENCE.
Team: Mónica Cerdán (EEE), I2TIC team and
Manuel Armayones.
AENA, VUELING AND DIPUTACIÓ DE BARCELONA(2016-
2018)

40. Funding: Research contract (1st pase)
Objective: Help cultural and heritage sites to
become more accessible.
Team: Mónica Cerdán (EEE), I2TIC team and
Manuel Armayones.
BARCELONA CITY COUNCIL. Research projectes in the
tourism and cultural sector (2018-2019)

41. Funding: Research contract (2n Phase)
Objective: Help Heritage sites to become more
accessible. Design DIGITAL and no-DIGITAL
heritage experiences with people with
disabilities. This is an International collaborative
research Project with Professor Simon Darcy
from UTS.
Team: Mónica Cerdán (EEE), I2TIC team and
Manuel Armayones.
BARCELONA CITY COUNCIL. Research projectes in Heritage
in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney.
(2019-2020)

42. Funding: Research contract
Objective: Help Hotels and Touristic operators
to become more accessible and inclusive.
Identification of social practices that lead people
with disability to social inclusion and labor
inclusion.
Team: Mónica Cerdán (EEE), I2TIC team and
Manuel Armayones.
BARCELONA CITY COUNCIL. Research projectes in Tourism
(2018-2020)

43. Funding: Research contract
Objective: Help Libraries to become more
accessible. Design DIGITAL and no-DIGITAL
library experiences with people with disabilities.
The Project gives voice to people with disabilities
for enhancing their LIBRARY EXPERIENCE.
Team: Mónica Cerdán (EEE), I2TIC team and
Manuel Armayones.
Girona Libraries. Research project in the library sector (2019-
2021)

44. What we can do together…

45. Helping
designers of
to design
persuasive
Mobile
Applications
that engage
patients and
maximize
therapeutical
adherence
Collaborate in “Behavior Design/Adherence Work Packages
in Horizon Europe projects
Analysing the
“persuasibility
” of any
specific online
intervention
and compare
with other
initiatives in
specific
areas: e.g.
increase
physical
activity
Run
experiments
to test the
behavior
change
induced by
specific
intervention
from behavior
design
perspective
Help design
and evaluate
public Health
campaign's
with a
behavioral
perspective to
increase their
impact on
society and
citizen
adherence.

46. In Behavior Design…
"The truth is out there"(1)
(1) If you remember watching TV series and have not yet been vaccinated...ask for an appointment.

49. Behavior Design Research Centers

50. Competence Center of
Behaviour Insights
WHO Behavioural Insights
Human Behaviour Change
Project
Behavioural Sciences Unit
‘What intervention(s) work, compared with what, how well, with what exposure,
with what behaviours, for how long, for whom, in what settings and why?’
Human Behaviour Change Project

51. research.uoc.edu
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attention
Shall we collaborate?