Hirakis E, Casey LM, Clough BA. (2017). Investigating website usability: Enhancing engagement of amphetamine users in online treatment. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi: 10.1007/s11469-017-9796-1
“Beat the Rush” is a five-session web-based intervention for amphetamine use. The intervention presents information using video and audio; users can also view or download worksheets. Researchers recruited 11 health care providers and 10 amphetamine users at a substance use treatment facility to investigate usability of Beat the Rush. Participants could view all components of the intervention and completed assessments of perceptions of the intervention and internet use. Health care providers used the internet more than amphetamine users, but in shorter sessions. Health care providers were most likely to go online from a computer and amphetamine users were most likely to access the internet from a smartphone. All health care providers and 80% of amphetamine users were comfortable using the internet. Health care providers and amphetamine users found the Beating the Rush website easy to use (100 and 90%, respectively) and interesting (73 and 90%, respectively). End-users liked the simple language, images, and audio components of the website. Health professionals suggested fewer text heavy pages, more color and images, and more visual information about finances. Amphetamine users suggested more visual information about harms, and clearer audio. Results indicated areas of improvement for Beating the Rush and highlighted the need for digital interventions for amphetamines to be available on smartphones.