Table 4.

Major themes of the qualitative results for the intervention-related barriers and facilitators pertaining to internet-based intervention (IBI) realization and design from participants’ perspectives (mentioned by at least 4 participants; N=40).

Categories		Participants			Definition		Supporting quotations
		Values, n (%)	Number of excerptsa
Intervention-related barriers, IBI realization and design (n=6)b
	IBI modules being too long	16 (40)	28	The IBI modules and the time needed to complete them were perceived as too long, and shorter and more frequent IBI modules would have been preferred.		“Only the length was too much at once. It’s better to have short lessons more often than to sit at them for an hour and even longer or two hours each time. That’s too much in terms of length, yes,...in terms of required time.” [Interview 11]
	Limited or complicated access to IBI content	10 (25)	16	Participants perceived the access to the contents of the IBI as limited or complicated and reported not having been able to access specific contents directly (eg, access to already completed exercises, questions, and audio files).		“...which was a bit inconvenient that you then always had to go to the next page within a lesson. Especially in the post-processing, where I knew there was this one point. But I had to look through all these pages before I got to that point....” [Interview 23]
	Insufficient personal e-coach contact	10 (25)	15	The e-coach contact was perceived as not personal enough because of little use of the feedback option via telephone or the lack of face-to-face conversations and the resulting anonymity. Participants expressed the wish for more personal conversations, explanations regarding the IBI, and overall more telephone contact.		“Maybe this, what do you call it, this anonymity.... Well, I’m not really in favor of this anonymity. I would have preferred a conversation with eye contact.” [Interview 14]
	Lack of flexibility regarding IBI use	8 (20)	14	Participants perceived IBI use as inflexible as they felt tied down to a specific place to work with the IBI because of writing and reading on the computer, the internet connection requirements, and needing to sit in the office for long periods.		“The high effort to surf around on the Internet and that I could only do it here in the office.” [Interview 22]
	Insufficient video and audio messages	6 (15)	7	The number of video and audio messages was perceived as limited or the content of the video and audio messages was perceived as unappealing.		“That there are more video or audio messages.... Just that I don’t have to read it, yes?! That it would have been more like watching TV, then it would have been even better, you know?!” [Interview 31]
	Too few reminder emails	4 (10)	5	Participants found there were too few prompts or reminder emails with requests to complete the IBI.		“Maybe I would have needed more hints. Well, not hints, but prompts. It is perhaps sometimes annoying when you are reminded again and again, but I think that would have been helpful for me....” [Interview 38]
Intervention-related facilitators, IBI realization and design (n=5)c
	Independency regarding time	13 (33)	22	Participants perceived the option to participate in the IBI modules with flexibility of time (eg, opportunity to take a break and to cache) as helpful.		“What was suitable was that you could do it whenever you wanted. That you weren’t tied to certain times, I thought that was very good.” [Interview 11]
	Flexible options in terms of IBI content	7 (18)	7	Participants found the flexibility to omit different topics of each IBI module (eg, tasks) or additional information if not needed to be helpful.		“There were always elective options.... There was something about ruminating thoughts or something else, where you had the choice, do you want to have some information on that, or not. I liked that, to be able to say in advance ‘No, I don’t need that now....’” [Interview 34]
	Reminder emails	5 (13)	6	The regular reminder emails with prompts to continue the IBI were perceived as helpful.		“...but these reminders after a certain time, that was already quite good.” [Interview 6]
	Appealing design and presentation	4 (10)	5	Participants perceived the design and presentation of the IBI as appealing.		“That it [the IBI] is very well presented, that practical, that it was very comprehensible.” [Interview 38]
	Flexible IBI use from home	4 (10)	4	The option of flexibility to participate in the IBI modules from home and not needing to go to the city was perceived as helpful.		“And that’s why I find online training so valuable.... I don't have to get in the car and drive half an hour into town to get to therapy or anywhere else, and I don't have to shower beforehand. If need be, I can sit there in my stable clothes and go back to the stable afterwards....” [Interview 28]

^aTotal number of excerpts, including multiple mentions from the same persons.

^bFactors related to IBI realization and design (eg, composition, structure, and organization) that made it difficult to participate in the IBI.

^cFactors related to IBI realization and design (eg, composition, structure, and organization) that made it easier to participate in the IBI.