  N-of-1 trials are multi-crossover self-experiments that allow individuals to
systematically evaluate the effect of interventions on their personal health
goals. Although several tools for N-of-1 trials exist, none support non-experts
in conducting their own user-centric trials. In this study we present StudyMe,
an open-source mobile application that is freely available from
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=health.studyu.me and offers users
flexibility and guidance in configuring every component of their trials. We
also present research that informed the development of StudyMe. Through an
initial survey with 272 participants, we learned that individuals are
interested in a variety of personal health aspects and have unique ideas on how
to improve them. In an iterative, user-centered development process with
intermediate user tests we developed StudyMe that also features an educational
part to communicate N-of-1 trial concepts. A final empirical evaluation of
StudyMe showed that all participants were able to create their own trials
successfully using StudyMe and the app achieved a very good usability rating.
Our findings suggest that StudyMe provides a significant step towards enabling
individuals to apply a systematic science-oriented approach to personalize
health-related interventions and behavior modifications in their everyday
lives.
