Mobile Technologies Research Innovation Collaborative (MeTRIC) Symposium

The 2024 MeTRIC Symposium, hosted by the Eisenberg Family Depression Center, brought together faculty, staff, trainees, and students to delve into all things mobile health (mHealth) research. The symposium, which was sponsored by leaders in the field of mHealth within the University of Michigan, including d3c, took place on November 1st at the North Campus Research Center. The day featured informative presentations, interactive panels, poster presentations, and table discussions.

Two d3c faculty members contributed their expertise in mHealth intervention research topics. Dr. Lizbeth ‘Libby’ Benson shared valuable insights into ethical, safety, and equity considerations in mHealth intervention research, and joined fellow panelists for a lively Q&A session. Her talk drew attention to the unique safety challenges faced in mHealth research, and described strategies for combating them. She emphasized the need for robust safety monitoring systems and attention to unintended risks that can arise from self-monitoring and feedback components in mHealth interventions.

Dr. Walter Dempsey served as the closing keynote speaker, providing an overview of adaptive interventions and the experimental designs developed by d3c to optimize them. He elaborated on the opportunity provided by mobile technologies for developing tailored interventions that adapt to individuals’ needs based on just-in-time feedback, and explained innovative methodologies for optimizing these interventions. To learn more about adaptive interventions and optimization, take a look at our free online training modules.

Attendees left with new insights, connections, and an extensive Mobile Technologies Resource Library curated by the Eisenberg Family Depression Center, showcasing University of Michigan resources for mHealth research. The symposium offered attendees fresh perspectives to drive collaboration and advance mHealth in meaningful ways.