Optimizing Remote Health Monitoring for Digital Platforms: Evaluating the Efficacy of Gamification in Enhancing Data Collection

In recent years, the integration of game-like elements into non-gaming contexts has shown promise in enhancing user engagement and motivation. This study assesses the impact of gamification elements on data collection efficacy in m-health applications. An ad-hoc mobile application was developed and used in a randomized two-arm pilot study. Participants interacted either with the gamified meal-logging application or with its non-gamified version for ten days. The results from this study emphasize the benefits of incorporating gamification techniques into health applications embedded in digital platforms. While both versions were well-received, reaching high System Usability Scale (SUS) scores (91 and 93.5) and generally positive feedback, the gamified app demonstrated a distinct advantage in promoting user engagement and consistent data logging. This highlights the importance of gamification in health research, suggesting its potential to ensure thorough and consistent data collection, which is essential for producing reliable research outcomes.