Conducting original research has always been a core goal at NiaHealth. Not only are we committed to understanding and improving upon our users’ experiences, we’re excited to contribute meaningfully to the medical evidence base with insights of our own.
In 2025, we partnered with researchers at the University of Alberta to conduct a research study, examining how NiaHealth users engage with our results platform and nurse practitioner consultations. Here’s what we learned.
How the research was conducted
This was a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with NiaHealth users. Sixteen adults (9 women, 7 men) were interviewed via Zoom between June and November 2025, with each interview lasting 45–60 minutes. While interviews followed a structured guide, they also allowed space for open-ended discussion.
All interviews were transcribed and reviewed by the research team to identify recurring categories, which were subsequently organized into four overarching themes.
What we learned
Analysis of the interviews yielded four overarching themes: (1) motivation for participation and engagement, (2) perceived value and empowerment, (3) overall user experience, and (4) healthcare integration and future improvements. The findings within each theme are described below.
Motivations for Participation and Engagement: The primary driver for engaging with NiaHealth was a desire to better understand personal health and take a proactive approach to health management — including lifestyle improvement, age-related health monitoring, and the investigation of specific health concerns. Cost was identified as a potential barrier to long-term program participation.
Perceived Value and Empowerment: Participants reported that access to personalized biomarker results enhanced their sense of agency over their health and prompted meaningful reflection on their health status. For some, reviewing their results validated pre-existing health concerns, and for many, receiving personalized recommendations served as a catalyst for action. Several participants described concrete behavioural changes following review of their results, including dietary modifications, increased physical activity, and initiation of follow-up care with their primary care provider. A number of participants also noted that NiaHealth provided health information that had not previously been raised in primary care settings; one participant described the dashboard as offering greater practical utility than a standard physician visit. That said, consistent with the reality that health care is not one-size-fits-all, one participant did not identify a need for ongoing use of the NiaHealth platform.
Overall User Experience: Participants generally reported high levels of satisfaction with the NiaHealth experience, describing the results platform as user-friendly and accessible. Visual data representations (graphs and charts) were emphasized as facilitators of result interpretation. Among participants who completed a nurse practitioner consultation, most found it valuable for clarifying results and addressing outstanding questions.
Healthcare Integration and Future Improvements: Participants identified several priorities for future development of the NiaHealth platform, including simplified result explanations, expanded testing panels, and more seamless integration with primary care. (Notably, genetic testing — one of the suggested expansions — is now being offered at NiaHealth.)
Key Takeaways
- Users engage with NiaHealth for a range of reasons, including proactive health management, lifestyle optimization, age-related health monitoring, and management of specific health concerns
- Access to personalized biomarker data and individualized action plans is associated with an increased sense of health-related agency
- The NiaHealth model supports health information engagement and promotes behaviour change
- Future priorities identified by NiaHealth users include deeper integration with primary care and continued expansion of high-yield testing offerings
What’s Next
This study marks the beginning of NiaHealth’s formal research program. Our next focus is examining whether NiaHealth produces measurable changes in health behaviour and biomarkers over time. We are currently designing a protocol for a longitudinal study tracking health behaviour and biomarker trajectories over one year of NiaHealth use — with the goal of understanding which biomarkers change, by how much, and what those changes mean clinically. These findings will inform how we interpret results and tailor recommendations going forward.
We are also actively seeking input from primary care providers on how to optimize the handover process between NiaHealth and the broader healthcare system.
Our research standards & process
At NiaHealth, we do not make decisions first and look for evidence later. The entire process — from which tests we offer, to how we interpret results, to the recommendations we make — is grounded in clinical evidence from the ground up. Our research team is continually reviewing the literature to make sure the information we provide reflects current medical evidence. And frankly, we don’t think “trust us” should be the standard here. We think you should be able to see the process for yourself. Learn more here.
