Evaluating engagement and acceptability of Ieso’s 6-week digital programme for adults experiencing symptoms of anxiety

Summary

Ieso Digital Health provides online therapy for patients in the NHS. We have more than 600 therapists and have treated over 100,000 adults with excellent patient outcomes. Yet there are lots of people who need help and not enough therapists to help them.

To help address this shortfall we have created a digital (online) programme to help people with symptoms of anxiety. The 6-week programme uses a smartphone app and includes weekly sessions. Each session teaches people skills to help with symptoms of anxiety. The user types into a chat window, like a text conversation. Our digital guide then helps them using videos, activities and interactive worksheets. Our team of clinical experts designed and wrote the programme using cognitive behavioural therapy principles backed by science.

In this study, our aim is to find out if people with symptoms of anxiety, worry or stress find our online-delivered  programme engaging. We want to understand how people use the programme and if the programme meets their needs. This will help us design future clinical trials and get some early signs that the app could help with people’s symptoms of anxiety.

Ethical approval: 23/WS/0081