Applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to Understand the Experience of Digital Health: A Methodological Reflection

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is uniquely positioned to enable health researchers and practitioners to gain a rich understanding of the psychosocial experiences of people living with health conditions and their family caregivers. The majority of research in this field pertains to the acceptability, usability and effectiveness of supportive technology in managing or treating health conditions. Acknowledging the ever-growing development and application of digital health technologies to support people living with health conditions, the meaning of such technologies in the lives of those using them has been overlooked in the evidence-base. This article offers methodological reflections in addressing this gap using IPA to understand the lived experiences and psychosocial meaning of digital health during cancer treatment. While the methodology has scarcely been applied to the topic, the article also describes the practical process of navigating positionality, methodological considerations and ethical issues using an innovative longitudinal and multi-perspective IPA approach to explore the impact of digital health on family members and how their relationship with the technology changed over time during cancer treatment. The opportunity IPA presents to contribute novel recommendations for practice, policy and future research in the context of digital health is described. This article signals the appropriateness and applicability of IPA to explore the deeper meaning of using digital health technologies to promote both their therapeutic effectiveness and meaningfulness in the personal lives of people living with health conditions and their family caregivers.