Embracing change: a health psychologist’s shift from academia to user research in digital health.

With over a decade of academic and NHS research experience as a health psychologist, moving to work as a digital health user researcher in industry settings was a significant career move for me.

Whilst I could identify the transferable skills that would allow me to thrive in a user research role, I still had concerns that some of the interests, skills, and values that have been important in my career would be lost in the transition.

Concern 1: I would lose my sense of purpose.

I feared that working in industry might not fulfil my intrinsic desire to ‘do good’.

I am trained to help individuals transform their health behaviours and to deeply engage with sensitive health issues for clinical and research purposes. I doubted that industry research could give me the sense of purpose that academic research did.

Reality: I’ve conducted impactful research that has led to tangible changes in digital health products.

In the teams I’ve been part of, the development and implementation process is swift and driven by user research insights. I’ve researched pertinent health psychology topics, such as health professionals’ experiences of adopting digital technologies in primary care, experiences of accessing mental health support using apps, and patients’ perspectives on virtual and asynchronous healthcare.

I have seen insights from my research change the direction and scope of a product. My research is impacting patient care faster than it could through traditional academic channels, which I find incredibly rewarding. It feels like I can drive change more quickly and on a larger scale as a user researcher.

Concern 2: I would not be using my behaviour change knowledge.

I feared my expertise in health behaviour change might be underutilised as a user researcher. I worried that I would be leaving behind the very essence of my professional identity as a health psychologist.

Reality: behaviour change is very applicable to product design and companies are eager to harness it to create better products.

Even though I am not developing the therapeutic content of interventions to change behaviour as a user researcher (like creating a stop-smoking app), I quickly realised how crucial behaviour change is to product design, especially in digital health, and that user research underpins all of it.

Digital health products need users to perform certain actions, like scheduling a follow-up appointment or recording a blood pressure reading. If we want the user to do this, we must make the experience as simple and intuitive as possible. Enhancing engagement comes from a deep understanding of the users’ needs and challenges, enabling us to reduce any barriers to performing the desired behaviour. This level of insight can only be achieved through user research.

Since transitioning to industry, I have found companies and product teams are keen to harness the power of behaviour change to build better products and businesses. I have helped them bridge the gap between theory and application, guiding teams on how to weave behavioural insights from research into the product’s design. While I do miss devising health behaviour change interventions in the traditional sense, I’ve found it incredibly satisfying to apply this knowledge to the realm of user experience (UX) design.

After all, no matter how theoretically sound, a product must be engaging and intuitive to make a real-world impact. An unused tool, regardless of its potential, cannot change behaviours or improve health outcomes.

Concern 3: I would have to sacrifice my research rigour for pace.

Coming from a world where research rigour meant peer review and publication, I assumed that user research in tech would be a trade-off: fast but perhaps not as thorough.

Before I transitioned, I kept hearing the term ‘scrappy research’ — this made me question whether I could let go of my dedication to methodological integrity. I feared that industry standards might not meet my ethical and quality thresholds.

Reality: I am working at a faster pace, but my research rigour remains high.

Although I spend less time planning and don’t need to submit lengthy grant applications or publish in academic journals, my standards remain high. The rigour I was accustomed to wasn’t compromised, it has been adapted to the pace and needs of product development.

I remind myself that a user researcher’s focus is on reducing risk and informing design rather than on making broad scientific claims. I find this fosters creativity; user researchers can explore new ideas quickly and follow intriguing thought trails without the lengthy process of writing grant applications.

The findings from my research can change the design by tomorrow, and the product by next week.

Conclusion

Making the leap from academia to industry has taught me that while the environment may change, my core skills and values can find a new home and even flourish.

Whilst managing the transition has not been without its challenges, I have found the digital health industry offers a unique space where I can contribute meaningfully to healthcare improvement.

Whether in academia or industry, my goal has remained the same: to empower users and improve health outcomes through access to innovative and thoughtful solutions.

Many thanks to Richard Furlong, Adam Dunn and Kirstin Leder Mackley for their feedback on this blog post.