One of the most pressing challenges in digital mental health is ensuring users engage with the interventions consistently, meaningfully, and for a sufficient duration to derive benefit. Achieving this requires a holistic understanding of how users interact not just with the intervention software, but with all elements of the intervention experience spanning recruitment, onboarding, and support. This broader perspective enables identifying when, where, and why users disengage, and provides opportunities to address barriers to sustained usage.
Evaluating Meliora with the User Journey Method
A recent clinical trial conducted in Aalto University, Finland, examined the efficacy of Meliora, a digital intervention intended to alleviate symptoms of adult Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) through Executive Functions Training (EFT). Soihtu DTx holds the exclusive commercialization rights to Meliora.
The user journey method was applied to generate comprehensive understanding on how users engaged with all six intervention elements: recruitment, website, assessment, software, questionnaires, and support. This method allowed tracking user progression through each stage, pinpoint drop-off points, and surface actionable insights.
Key Findings
- Recruitment. Social media (41%), news and web coverage (22%), and word of mouth (22%) were the most effective recruitment channels, though their impact tended to be short-lived.
- Website. Of 16,243 website visitors, 27% reached the second page, and 23% of those completed sign-up.
- Assessment. Both participant-related factors (41%) and researcher-driven exclusions (59%) accounted for dropouts at the screening stage.
- Software. A strong majority (92%) used the intervention at least once. However, usage patterns varied widely, and two specific content sections were associated with increased dropout.
- Questionnaires. Post-intervention surveys were completed by 77% of participants.
- Support. 31% of users contacted the research team, mainly for technical support and help with questionnaires.
Why It Matters
The user journey method offers a scalable, replicable framework for evaluating real-world engagement with digital health interventions. By analyzing user interaction across the full service—not just the core software—we can identify friction points, optimize onboarding and support processes, and ultimately improve both retention and outcomes. This approach helps clarify the path from pilot to product, ensuring digital interventions are not only effective in theory, but also usable and impactful in practice.
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Lukka, L., Vesterinen, M., Salonen, A., Bergman V-R., Torkki, P., Palva, S., & Palva, J. M. User journey method: a case study for improving digital intervention use measurement. BMC Health Services Research 25, 479 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12641-9