Interventions with the Behavior Change Wheel

Image credit: Yoon et. al (2022) Facilitators and Barriers to Uptake of Community-Based Diabetes Prevention Program Among Multi-Ethnic Asian Patients With Prediabetes

Here is an interesting way to visualize how to design for behavior using the COM-B Model and the Behavior Change Wheel

If you don't know the Behavior Change Wheel, it is a framework developed by Susan Michie, Robert West and colleagues at UCL.

It is comprised of 19 different behavior change frameworks.

At the center sits The COM-B Model:

COM-B is used to look for the barriers or enablers to a behavior

Capability (both physical and psychological)
Opportunity (both physical and social)
Motivation (both reflective and automatic)

It is a powerful way to analyze what may be stopping your customers or employees or even yourself of making the choices you already wanted to do.

Outside the COM-B model (center of the wheel) sit the Intervention Types - which can include Education, Incentivization, and Training.

As for the example here used in diabetes prevention design:

The wheel has been filled with interventions and ways to deliver the intervention in this example. (I may have done it a bit different, but still a good representation)

It looks at the Patient level - to Increase the patient's awareness of pre-diabetes

It looks at Provider's Level - Improve communication skills, and teachable moments at diagnosis

It looks at System Level - Invitation by physicians as well as social marketing.

This of course is a small example of how the model could help you go from challenge to outcome.

I use the model and the framework in my work, as it gives me a great lens to understand people and the things that may stop them from making the choices they wanted to make.

I also teach and show others how they can use it in their work.

If you understand the people, you will get better outcomes.

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