Frequency and Effects of Dialogue Support Elements in Web-Based Interventions

Web-based interventions in different health areas have been proven to be effective, but show poor adherence rates. The definition of dialogue support elements by Oinas-Kukkonen was used. In this study, the frequency and the effects of dialogue support elements on adherence in 31 interventions are compared. In contrast to other studies, results indicate that dialogue support elements have no effects on adherence in web-based interventions. This could be explained by a reduced model used in this study and poorly implemented or described dialogue support elements in the interventions. Future studies should use more complex models and focus on the effects of separate elements on adherence.