{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T21:05:45Z","timestamp":1789419945834,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Med Internet Res"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Online health forums are used widely, yet evidence of their effectiveness is inconsistent. Evidence-based forum design guidance grounded in theory and lived experience could improve the efficacy and outcomes of these forums for the many people using them worldwide.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This study aimed to draw on the experience of online forum users and staff, and insights from existing research on technology design and self-determination theory, to generate a set of theoretically grounded guidelines for safe and well-being\u2013supportive online forums.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n We conducted 54 semistructured interviews (36 forum users and 18 forum staff) and 4 design workshops with forum staff, combined with input from a multidisciplinary research team. Principles of qualitative framework analysis were used to adapt a preexisting framework for well-being\u2013supportive technology to the context of online health forums.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n The resulting design guidelines are framed around 4 overarching principles relating to the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness as defined by self-determination theory, and the additional need for safety in online forums. Each principle is presented alongside pragmatic design heuristics and specific implementation strategies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n User experiences of online health forums are mixed. We have drawn on self-determination theory to propose evidence-informed guidelines for service development and refinement, adaptable to specific user groups across diverse settings.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/85411","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T20:00:06Z","timestamp":1782244806000},"page":"e85411-e85411","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Design Guidelines for Online Health Forums: User-Centered Design Approach"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"28","author":[{"given":"Paul","family":"Marshall","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4305-8948","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Neil","family":"Caton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8597-520X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Lindroos Cermakova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-0707-2381","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bohdana","family":"Dock","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6151-4860","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zoe","family":"Glossop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8801-5113","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Steven","family":"Jones","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-4321-4775","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jade","family":"Haines","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christopher","family":"Lodge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karen","family":"Machin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jo","family":"Rycroft-Malone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachel","family":"Meacock","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4767-4198","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dorian","family":"Peters","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1257-2191","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paul","family":"Rayson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Heather","family":"Robinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6458-1391","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Louisa","family":"Salhi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jay","family":"Staff","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6594-4350","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fiona","family":"Lobban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"668","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.2016.0682","article-title":"Special section introduction\u2014online community as space for knowledge flows","volume":"27","author":"Faraj","journal-title":"Information Systems Research"},{"key":"R2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Saha K Ernala SK Dutta S Sharma E Choudhury M . 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