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. 2020 Oct 6;22(10):e16782. doi: 10.2196/16782

Table 1.

Components of the intervention and proposed mechanisms of action.

Components Description of component and proposed mechanisms of actiona Delivery
For all participants

Self-monitoring adherence (#1) Patients self-monitor their adherence by reviewing graphs of adherence data by month, week, or time of the day in CFHealthHub. A simple traffic light system quickly indicates if patients have hit their agreed target for treatments (green), have done some treatments but not hit their target (amber), or have completed no treatments (red). This enables patients to understand their adherence patterns leading to awareness of adherence and increased motivation to adhere (#8)
  • Graphs showing red, amber, and green charts of adherence data on CFHealthHub and tables showing the number of treatments completed compared with prescription data


Tailored education about treatment (#2) Interventionist identifies issues with understanding treatments and unhelpful beliefs about different aspects of treatment. Patients can see the need to undergo treatment (increased necessities) and reduce any concerns they have about treatments (#9)
  • Baseline questionnaires and discussions with patients used by interventionists to identify issues before visits

  • Education section on CFHealthHub with information about CFb and videos about how treatments work and links to other websites. Interventionists use questionnaires and discussions to identify where patients lack knowledge or have misconceptions


Tailored patient stories (videos; #3) Other patients with CF talking about how they overcame different barriers to give patients information from peers or someone like them. This allows patients to see how they can find solutions to problems (increased self-efficacy) and that it is possible to change (increased motivation; #10)
  • Section of CFHealthHub includes talking heads videos that address adherence barriers. Interventionists use these with patients if they address an issue that patients experience

For patients with sufficient motivation

Personalized goal setting (#4) Interventionist works with patient to set goals for adherence against prescription and life goals that may help adherence behavior. This allows patients to work toward a target (increased self-efficacy) and see how adherence is linked to their life goals (increased motivation to adhere; #11)
  • Graphs in CFHealthHub measure actual adherence against personalized adherence goals and can be tracked by interventionists

  • Interventionists work with patients during visits to set personalized adherence and life goals if appropriate




Goal review, rewards (#5) A review of progress toward goals with the patient helps to increase self-efficacy. Optional notifications of achievements against progress help patients to increase motivation to adhere (#11)
  • Goals are reviewed during discussions between patients and interventionists and barriers are identified

  • Patients receive messages on mobile phones or in CFHealthHub to provide motivation to keep going with behavior changes


Personalized action plans (#6) Patients create personalized action plans around daily routines to build adherence that increases habits and reduces chaos (#12)
  • Action plans are made by patients with help from interventionists. Action plans are written in a section in CFHealthHub for patients to refer to


Tailored problem solving (#7) Solutions to common problems with adherence, for example, what to do when you go on holiday. These allow patients to solve problems, reducing barriers to adherence (#13)
  • Questionnaires and discussions between interventionists and patients identify practical barriers that make adherence difficult. These are stored on a problem-solving section on CFHealthHub

aProposed mechanisms of action are shown in italics.

bCF: cystic fibrosis.