SITUATE: Transforming Health Habits through Digital Innovation
SITUATE is an innovative digital health platform developed by Professor Lawrence Barsalou and Dr. Christoph Scheepers from the Methods Centre in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow. This platform aims to help individuals manage stress, social isolation, and other behavioural conditions by fostering healthier habits.
The Vision
SITUATE aims to create a precision medicine resource that addresses various health and social behaviours. The platform is designed to be adaptable, allowing it to be tailored to different conditions such as stress, social isolation, trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), and sustainable behaviour.
Development and Features
SITUATE's development has been supported by the Research and Innovation Services at the University of Glasgow, the UK-wide ARC Accelerator Programme, and MVLS’ Translational Research Initiative. These supports have been crucial in the platform's journey from concept to prototype.
Key features of SITUATE include:
Assessment
Initial evaluation of the user's health behaviour and motivation.
Instruction
Educational content on scientifically established processes influencing behaviour.
Intervention
Evidence-based strategies to develop new, healthier habits.
Monitoring
Continuous tracking of progress and outcomes.
Support from the College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences (MVLS)
The College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences (MVLS) at the University of Glasgow has been instrumental in supporting the SITUATE project. The Translational Research Initiative (TRI) provided further support and funding, including a Wellcome Early Concept Development (ECD) Award, that resulted in the successful development of a SITUATE prototype and supported its evaluation in focus groups of end users, researchers, and health workers.
Impact and potential
SITUATE offers a scalable online tool that can reduce the need for resource-intensive in-person treatment. It provides a personalized approach to healthcare, potentially lowering treatment costs and easing the workload of healthcare professionals. Additionally, SITUATE can be used in peer-support networks, where trained individuals deliver health interventions to community members.
Future prospects
The initial SITUATE prototype was completed in 2022 and tested in focus groups for stress and compulsive hair pulling. The team envisage that, SITUATE will become an easy to access, commercially available tool that can be distributed to individual users, communities, and organisations, providing an affordable, accessible solution for a variety of behavioural applications.
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