Table 2.
Design of practical applications.
| Mechanisms of action (accompanied by BCTsa) | Practical applications | Text description |
| Knowledge (information about health consequences, biofeedback, feedback on behavior) | Educational material; Interactive quiz; Animation videos; Decision tracker | Provide information about T2Db, complications, medication, and healthy lifestyle, including weight, diet, and physical activity; track and receive feedback on health. |
| Behavioral regulation (self-monitoring of behavior) | Sync steps; Leader board; Track daily targets | App users are encouraged to record dietary habits, weight, HbA1cc, well-being, blood glucose, cholesterol, and smoking habits, to sync and monitor steps, and complete an action plan for desired behavior. |
| Skills (coping strategies and habit formation) | Educational material; Interactive quiz; Chat forum | Provide information about a healthy lifestyle; encourage app users to record their tracks; opportunity to share strategies and experiences with other users. |
| Social and professional role (no BCTs linked to this domain) | Expert videos; Ask the expert | Highly respected experts provide (in the form of videos or emails) and present information and key messages about T2D, well-being, diet, physical activity, and other relevant information. |
| Beliefs about capabilities (verbal persuasion to boost self-efficacy) | Ask the expert; Chat forum; Patient testimonials | Verbal reassurance and encouragement among users that may boost their confidence and encourage them to continue with their action plan and behavior change |
| Motivations and goals (goal setting, review of goal, action planning, problem- solving) | Action Plan; Daily targets; Leader board; Personal achievements; Challenges | App users have access to functions and are encouraged to take part in challenges and set their daily targets. They are also encouraged to complete an action plan for target behaviors. |
| Emotions (reduce negative emotions, social support [emotional]) | Chat forum; Whiteboard animation; Educational material; Decision tracker; Quiz | Provide information in the form of whiteboard animations, quizzes, and educational material around burnout, distress, depression, and well-being; use of a chat forum to provide an additional element of peer support. |
| Social influences (social comparison, social support, encouragement) | Patient testimonials; Chat forum; Leader board; Personal achievements; Challenges | App users have access to videos of peers discussing and sharing experiences of their journey. Chat forums are available for users who wish to share questions and thoughts—this platform acts as a mode for users to encourage one another. |
aBCT: behavior change technique.
bT2D: type 2 diabetes.
cHbA1c: glycated hemoglobin.