This was a major project, during which I learned and grew the most in my career. In fact, I was given the latitude to structure my team and this project according to best practice (I value an agile, iterative, human-centered design/user advocacy approach in all my projects, but it’s not always easy to achieve).

Epic Allies is a mobile app that was informed by the IMB skills model, which includes three primary constructs that influence behavior changes: information and knowledge about the behavior; the individual’s motivation to perform the behavior; and the behavioral skills necessary to perform the behavior. It also uses gamification (social networking and mini-games) to increase adherence to prescribed medication among HIV-positive men who have sex with men and transgender women, ages 16-24.

The app features medication reminders, user-submitted tracking for mood and health behaviors (i.e., medication adherence, smoking, alcohol consumption, marijuana use, and exercise), a place to view a comprehensive record of these behaviors, tailored feedback, a virtual information resource with topically diverse subjects, and several motivational and networking components to foster engagement. Using a two-group, active-control randomized controlled trial of the Epic Allies app, the purpose of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of Epic Allies and qualitatively assess intervention acceptability, perceived impact, and sustainability.

I served as the digital health product strategist for Epic Allies. I led the development team for this project as well as the UI/UXD strategy and user research efforts. I also wrote and implemented the technology protocol, managed the grant reporting requirements, developed the analytics plan, trained the enrollment sites, and contributed to articles published in major academic journals. During the active trial, my role shifted to include commercialization strategy, ongoing app maintenance, and public speaking opportunities.

•     To learn more about the development process for this project, read our paper published in JMIR Serious Games.

•     To learn more about the clinical trial, read our paper published in JMIR Research Protocols