e-Mental Health Program Usage Patterns in Randomized Controlled Trials and in the General Public to Inform External Validity Considerations: Sample Groupings Using Cluster Analyses.
Samineh SanatkarPeter Andrew BaldwinKit HuckvaleHelen ChristensenSamuel B HarveyPublished in: Journal of medical Internet research (2021)
Findings suggested that external validity concerns of RCT designs may arise with regards to the predicted magnitude of eMH program use rather than overall usage styles. Following up RCT nonstarters may help provide unique insights into why individuals choose not to engage with an eMH program despite generally being willing to participate in an eMH evaluation study. Overestimating frequency of engagement with eMH tools may have theoretical implications and potentially impact economic considerations for plans to disseminate these tools to the general public.