Assessing the Efficacy of an App-Based Method of Family Planning: The Dot Study Protocol

Background Some 222 million women worldwide have unmet needs for contraception; they want to avoid pregnancy, but are not using a contraceptive method, primarily because of concerns about side effects associated with most available methods. Expanding contraceptive options—particularly fertility awareness options that provide women with information about which days during their menstrual cycles they are likely to become pregnant if they have unprotected intercourse—has the potential to reduce unmet need. Making these methods available to women through their mobile phones can facilitate access. Indeed, many fertility awareness applications have been developed for smartphones, some of which are digital platforms for existing methods, requiring women to enter information about fertility signs such as basal body temperature and cervical secretions. Others are algorithms based on (unexplained) calculations of the fertile period of the menstrual cycle. Considering particularly this latter (largely untested) group, it is critical that these apps be subject to the same rigorous research as other contraceptive methods. Dynamic Optimal Timing, available via the Dot app as a free download for iPhone and Android devices, is one such method and the only one that has published the algorithm that forms its basis. It combines historical cycle data with a woman’s own personal cycle history, continuing to accrue this information over time to identify her fertile period. While Dot has a theoretical failure rate of only 3 in 100 for preventing pregnancy with perfect use, its effectiveness in typical use has yet to be determined. Objective The study objective is to assess both perfect and typical use to determine the efficacy of the Dot app for pregnancy prevention. Methods To determine actual use efficacy, the Institute for Reproductive Health is partnering with Cycle Technologies, which developed the Dot app, to conduct a prospective efficacy trial, following 1200 women over the course of 13 menstrual cycles to assess pregnancy status over time. This paper outlines the protocol for this efficacy trial, following the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Intervention Trials checklist, to provide an overview of the rationale, methodology, and analysis plan. Participants will be asked to provide daily sexual history data and periodically answer surveys administered through a call center or directly on their phone. Results Funding for the study was provided in 2013 under the United States Agency for International Development Fertility Awareness for Community Transformation project. Recruitment for the study will begin in January of 2017. The study is expected to last approximately 18 months, depending on recruitment. Findings on the study’s primary outcomes are expected to be finalized by September 2018. Conclusions Reproducibility and transparency, important aspects of all research, are particularly critical in developing new approaches to research design. This protocol outlines the first study to prospectively test both the efficacy (correct use) and effectiveness (actual use) of a pregnancy prevention app. This protocol and the processes it describes reflect the dynamic integration of mobile technologies, a call center, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant study procedures. Future fertility app studies can build on our approaches to develop methodologies that can contribute to the evidence base around app-based methods of contraception. ClinicalTrial ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02833922; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02833922 (Archived be WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6nDkr0e76)

TITLE AND ABSTRACT 1a) TITLE: Identi˸cation as a randomized trial in the title 1a) Does your paper address CONSORT item 1a? * I.e does the title contain the phrase "Randomized Controlled Trial"? (if not, explain the reason under "other") yes Other: 1a-i) Identify the mode of delivery in the title Identify the mode of delivery. Preferably use "web-based" and/or "mobile" and/or "electronic game" in the title. Avoid ambiguous terms like "online", "virtual", "interactive". Use "Internet-based" only if Intervention includes non-web-based Internet components (e.g. email), use "computer-based" or "electronic" only if of ine products are used. Use "virtual" only in the context of "virtual reality" (3-D worlds). Use "online" only in the context of "online support groups". Complement or substitute product names with broader terms for the class of products (such as "mobile" or "smart phone" instead of "iphone"), especially if the application runs on different platforms. 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol paper because the trial is not randomized.

1a-ii) Non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title
Mention non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title, if any (e.g., "with telephone support").
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not a randomized trial.
https://docs.google.com/a/georgetown.edu/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZBSUp1bwOc_OimqcS64RdfIAFvmrTSkZQL23O8O9hrL5Sw/viewform?hl=en_US&formke… 4/39 1a-iii) Primary condition or target group in the title Mention primary condition or target group in the title, if any (e.g., "for children with Type I Diabetes") Example: A Web-based and Mobile Intervention with Telephone Support for Children with Type I Diabetes: Randomized Controlled Trial 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-iii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study We did not mention the target group within our title.
1b) ABSTRACT: Structured summary of trial design, methods, results, and conclusions NPT extension: Description of experimental treatment, comparator, care providers, centers, and blinding status.

1b-i) Key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT
Mention key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the abstract. If possible, also mention theories and principles used for designing the site. Keep in mind the needs of systematic reviewers and indexers by including important synonyms. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Dynamic Optimal Timing™, available via the Dot app (Dot™) as a free download for iPhone and Android devices, is one such method and the only one that has published the algorithm that forms its basis. It combines historical cycle data with a woman's own personal cycle history, continuing to accrue this information over time, to identify her fertile period." 1b-ii) Level of human involvement in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Clarify the level of human involvement in the abstract, e.g., use phrases like "fully automated" vs. "therapist/nurse/care provider/physician-assisted" (mention number and expertise of providers involved, if any). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Participants will be asked to provide daily sexual history data and periodically answer surveys administered through a call center or directly on their phone." 1b-iii) Open vs. closed, web-based (self-assessment) vs. face-to-face assessments in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. of ine), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic or a closed online user group (closed usergroup trial), and clarify if this was a purely web-based trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment). Clearly say if outcomes were self-assessed through questionnaires (as common in web-based trials). Note: In traditional of ine trials, an open trial (open-label trial) is a type of clinical trial in which both the researchers and participants know which treatment is being administered. To avoid confusion, use "blinded" or "unblinded" to indicated the level of blinding instead of "open", as "open" in web-based trials usually refers to "open access" (i.e. participants can self-enrol). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Participants will be recruited online through the app after they have entered their second period start date. This is however not addressed in the abstract.
1b-iv) RESULTS section in abstract must contain use data Report number of participants enrolled/assessed in each group, the use/uptake of the intervention (e.g., attrition/adherence metrics, use over time, number of logins etc.), in addition to primary/secondary outcomes. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript because the study has not yet begun.
1b-v) CONCLUSIONS/DISCUSSION in abstract for negative trials Conclusions/Discussions in abstract for negative trials: Discuss the primary outcome -if the trial is negative (primary outcome not changed), and the intervention was not used, discuss whether negative results are attributable to lack of uptake and discuss reasons. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) Describe the problem and the type of system/solution that is object of the study: intended as stand-alone intervention vs. incorporated in broader health care program? Intended for a particular patient population? Goals of the intervention, e.g., being more cost-effective to other interventions, replace or complement other solutions? (Note: Details about the intervention are provided in "Methods" under 5) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 2a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "As more appbased methods debut in the mhealth world, there is a growing need to establish standards of practice by which these methods can be evaluated. " "The majority of these apps are designed simply to track cycles or to assist in planning a pregnancy. Most are not appropriate for prevention of pregnancy, though, alarmingly, there is evidence that women are using these apps for this purpose [7]." "There are few apps that are appropriate for pregnancy prevention. A recent study by Duane et al., (2016) found that only 6 apps that claimed to be appropriate for pregnancy prevention could correctly identify the fertile window [8]." "This paper details the protocol of a study assessing the effectiveness and efficacy of the Dot app in preventing pregnancy in reproductive aged women in the United States." subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 2a-ii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "This trial is unique for several reasons. First, it is the first prospective efficacy trial conducted on an app based method of family planning. Secondly, the deployment of this trial involves the development of a research enhancement to the app itself, which is activated when participants are consented into the study. Finally, the majority of data, including study specific sexual activity and survey data, is collected through the app.'' "It appears that many apps model cycle lengths with a normal distribution and then estimate the day of ovulation by fixing the luteal phase to be 13 or 14 days, with days around ovulation identified as fertile. There are a number of drawbacks to such an approach when used for pregnancy prevention. These "normative" models are insensitive to unusual cycle lengths and may be less accurate when few observations are available.
There are additional problems with the assumption of the luteal phase length as constant, since from a biological perspective, this is untrue. Most importantly, this approach does not incorporate uncertainty inherent in estimating the day of ovulation. " "A very small number of apps make claims as standalone methods of contraception that essentially "live" within the app itself. These apps combine women's personal fertility data (e.g., period start date, basal body temperature, etc.) with proprietary algorithms in order to estimate times of high and low fertility within the menstrual cycle. Thus far, the existing literature on these apps has been limited to three studies; one on the algorithm and theoretical efficacy of one app [9], and one retrospective study of typical use efficacy for another app [10,11]." 2b) In INTRODUCTION: Speci˸c objectives or hypotheses Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 2b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The aim of this efficacy study is to assess the Dot app as a new mode of app based contraception. The objectives for this study include: 1) obtaining perfect and typical use pregnancy rates for users of Dot; 2) understanding how user interaction with the method is influenced by aspects such as demographics, social support, relationship support, and fertility awareness; and 3) assessing user preferences and best practices METHODS 3a) Description of trial design (such as parallel, factorial) including allocation ratio Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is a "prospective, nonrandomized trial ". "We will utilize a prospective, singlearm design".
3b) Important changes to methods after trial commencement (such as eligibility criteria), with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Our protocol does not address subitem 3b because at this time we are not prepared to change eligibility criteria even after trial commencement 3b-i) Bug ˸xes, Downtimes, Content Changes Bug ˸xes, Downtimes, Content Changes: ehealth systems are often dynamic systems. A description of changes to methods therefore also includes important changes made on the intervention or comparator during the trial (e.g., major bug ˸xes or changes in the functionality or content) (5-iii) and other "unexpected events" that may have in uenced study design such as staff changes, system failures/downtimes, etc. [2].
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 3b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 4a) Eligibility criteria for participants Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "To be eligible to use the app to prevent pregnancy, participants must meet the following criteria: •Self reported usual cycle length of 2040 days with less than 10 days variation •Have not used hormonal contraceptives during their three most recent cycles To be eligible for the study, participants must, in addition to meeting the DOT eligibility criteria: •Be between ages 1839 at the time of admission and live in the United States •Be potentially at risk of pregnancy (i.e., sexually active with a male partner) •Be willing to install a password or biometric protection on their app for security purposes. Breastfeeding women can be admitted into the study upon meeting all other criteria if they have delivered at least six months ago and had at least 3 menstrual cycles postpartum."

4a-i) Computer / Internet literacy
Computer / Internet literacy is often an implicit "de facto" eligibility criterion -this should be explicitly clari˸ed.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol study.
4a-ii) Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. of ine), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic, and clarify if this was a purely web-based trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment), i.e., to what degree got the study team to know the participant. In online-only trials, clarify if participants were quasianonymous and whether having multiple identities was possible or whether technical or logistical measures (e.g., cookies, email con˸rmation, phone calls) were used to detect/prevent these. Does your paper address subitem 4a-ii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Study participants will be recruited from the pool of women who choose to download the app to an Android phone to prevent pregnancy, as determined when they select "prevent pregnancy" as their mode of use." 4a-iii) Information giving during recruitment Information given during recruitment. Specify how participants were briefed for recruitment and in the informed consent procedures (e.g., publish the informed consent documentation as appendix, see also item X26), as this information may have an effect on user self-selection, user expectation and may also bias results.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4a-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Upon the entry of their second period start date, women who have chosen to use Dot for pregnancy prevention will receive a popup message notifying them of the study. If users are interested in participating, they will be provided with a prescreening questionnaire within the app. If women meet these prescreening criteria, they will be contacted by a call center representative, who will conduct the full screening process." "The call center study representative will review the Informed consent document with potential participants. Women will also have the informed consent document available on their phones. Upon reviewing the consent, women will be asked to verbally consent and to electronically consent via the app." 4b) Settings and locations where the data were collected Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 4b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "There are no study site locations, thus study data will be collected both through the app transmitted via Transport Layer Security (TLS), encrypted and stored in AWS DynamoDB, which is scalable, highly available storage solution from AWS ." 4b-i) Report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires Clearly report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires (as common in web-based trials) or otherwise.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Data will be reviewed periodically and checked for consistency and to identify any missing data." 4b-ii) Report how institutional af˸liations are displayed Report how institutional af˸liations are displayed to potential participants [on ehealth media], as af˸liations with prestigious hospitals or universities may affect volunteer rates, use, and reactions with regards to an intervention.(Not a required item -describe only if this may bias results) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 5) The interventions for each group with suf˸cient details to allow replication, including how and when they were actually administered 5-i) Mention names, credential, af˸liations of the developers, sponsors, and owners Mention names, credential, af˸liations of the developers, sponsors, and owners [6] (if authors/evaluators are owners or developer of the software, this needs to be declared in a "Con ict of interest" section or mentioned elsewhere in the manuscript).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The Institute for Reproductive Health is partnering with Cycle Technologies, which developed the Dot app, to conduct a prospective efficacy trial."

5-ii) Describe the history/development process
Describe the history/development process of the application and previous formative evaluations (e.g., focus groups, usability testing), as these will have an impact on adoption/use rates and help with interpreting results.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The first study, assessing algorithm development and theoretical efficacy, was conducted on the Dot app. The Dynamic Optimal Timing (DOT) algorithm for the Dot app was developed as a method of family planning that could be deployed on a mobile app platform without the need for any other assistive technology such as a basal body temperature thermometer.
DOT's predictions are based on Bayesian statistical calculations using

5-iii) Revisions and updating
Revisions and updating. Clearly mention the date and/or version number of the application/intervention (and comparator, if applicable) evaluated, or describe whether the intervention underwent major changes during the evaluation process, or whether the development and/or content was "frozen" during the trial.
Describe dynamic components such as news feeds or changing content which may have an impact on the replicability of the intervention (for unexpected events see item 3b).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

5-iv) Quality assurance methods
Provide information on quality assurance methods to ensure accuracy and quality of information provided [1], if applicable.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Data will be reviewed periodically and checked for consistency and to identify any missing data. A number of standard analytic reports on various aspects, such as recruitment, study status, survey completion, and other relevant data points will be developed and run through the system throughout the duration of the study. " 5-v) Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screencapture video, and/or providing owcharts of the algorithms used Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screen-capture video, and/or providing owcharts of the algorithms used. Replicability (i.e., other researchers should in principle be able to replicate the study) is a hallmark of scienti˸c reporting. not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol.

5-vi) Digital preservation
Digital preservation: Provide the URL of the application, but as the intervention is likely to change or disappear over the course of the years; also make sure the intervention is archived (Internet Archive, webcitation.org, and/or publishing the source code or screenshots/videos alongside the article). As pages behind login screens cannot be archived, consider creating demo pages which are accessible without login.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-vi?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol paper.

5-vii) Access
Access: Describe how participants accessed the application, in what setting/context, if they had to pay (or were paid) or not, whether they had to be a member of speci˸c group. If known, describe how participants obtained "access to the platform and Internet" [1]. To ensure access for editors/reviewers/readers, consider to provide a "backdoor" login account or demo mode for reviewers/readers to explore the application (also important for archiving purposes, see vi).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-vii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Study participants will be recruited from the pool of women who choose to download the app to an Android phone to prevent pregnancy, as determined when they select "prevent pregnancy" as their mode of use." subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-viii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "As part of the study, participants will be asked to provide daily sexual history information (whether they had intercourse on a particular day and if so, whether they also used a barrier method or emergency contraception) and their period start dates. The also will be asked to complete four brief surveys that will be distributed throughout the course of the study. Sexual history and period start date information will be collected exclusively through the app, but participants will have the choice to self complete the surveys within the app, or to be contacted by a study representative who can administer them. "

5-ix) Describe use parameters
Describe use parameters (e.g., intended "doses" and optimal timing for use). Clarify what instructions or recommendations were given to the user, e.g., regarding timing, frequency, heaviness of use, if any, or was the intervention used ad libitum. Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol paper.

5-x) Clarify the level of human involvement
Clarify the level of human involvement (care providers or health professionals, also technical assistance) in the e-intervention or as co-intervention (detail number and expertise of professionals involved, if any, as well as "type of assistance offered, the timing and frequency of the support, how it is initiated, and the medium by which the assistance is delivered". It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of human involvement required for the trial, and the level of human involvement required for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-x?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Human involvement in this study is limited since data collection is mainly occurring through a mobile device. However, if the participant wishes to complete a survey over the phone, they have the ability to contact a call center in which they will be connected to a Dot representative/interviewer.

5-xi) Report any prompts/reminders used
Report any prompts/reminders used: Clarify if there were prompts (letters, emails, phone calls, SMS) to use the application, what triggered them, frequency etc. It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of prompts/reminders required for the trial, and the level of prompts/reminders for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-xi? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Participants will receive popup notifications often as a reminder to enter daily sexual history or to complete a survey. If a women has not responded, then an interviewer from the call center will make several attempts to reach the study participant.

5-xii) Describe any co-interventions (incl. training/support)
Describe any co-interventions (incl. training/support): Clearly state any interventions that are provided in addition to the targeted eHealth intervention, as ehealth intervention may not be designed as stand-alone intervention. This includes training sessions and support [1]. It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of training required for the trial, and the level of training for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-xii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol paper.
6a) Completely de˸ned pre-speci˸ed primary and secondary outcome measures, including how and when they were assessed Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Pregnancy status is the primary outcome measure." "The main secondary outcome is discontinuation of use of the Dot app for pregnancy prevention (to become pregnant, because participants are no longer sexually active, or because they prefer another method of family planning); or discontinuation from the study (because their cycle length is outside the range or variability covered by Dot, they chooses to leave the 6a-i) Online questionnaires: describe if they were validated for online use and apply CHERRIES items to describe how the questionnaires were designed/deployed If outcomes were obtained through online questionnaires, describe if they were validated for online use and apply CHERRIES items to describe how the questionnaires were designed/deployed [9]. Does your paper address subitem 6a-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text Participants will fill provide qualitative feedback through the app on their phone or through the call center.
"The technical architecture will utilize cloud services provided by Amazon. Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides a simple and streamlined way to access servers, storage, and databases over the internet" 6b) Any changes to trial outcomes after the trial commenced, with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to the protocol manuscript since they study has not yet begun.
7a) How sample size was determined NPT: When applicable, details of whether and how the clustering by care provides or centers was addressed 7a-i) Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 7a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study " Our estimated sample size, given 80% power, 95% confidence levels, and an assumed relative risk of 3, is 432 participants [18] However, our sample size decision making was also influenced by considerations for study attrition, which is a significant concern in longitudinal, webbased research [1011]. We factored in previously identified variables negatively affecting attrition, such as marital status [19], youngeraged study participants [20], and research on a mobile platform [21], which are known attributes of our proposed research cohort. Given these factors, we see a need to enroll a significantly larger number of women to ensure that a sufficient number of women complete 13 cycles of study participation and to allow for the calculation of valid efficacy and effectiveness rates. Based on the rate of discontinuation in the SDM efficacy study (54.4%), and the higher potential for attrition in this particular study, we plan to overpower the proposed study, by recruiting up to 2,000 women and enrolling 1,200 women. Quarterly, the IRH study team will evaluate the discontinuation rate and determine whether new or additional recruitment efforts for the study will be deployed [22]. We will also examine characteristics of participants who exit our study, to identify potential threats to external and internal study validity. "

7b) When applicable, explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 7b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript.
8a) Method used to generate the random allocation sequence NPT: When applicable, how care providers were allocated to each trial group Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript because we are not using care providers or allocating any interventions.
8b) Type of randomisation; details of any restriction (such as blocking and block size) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript because this trial is not randomized.
9) Mechanism used to implement the random allocation sequence (such as sequentially numbered containers), describing any steps taken to conceal the sequence until interventions were assigned Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 9? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript because this trial is not randomized.
10) Who generated the random allocation sequence, who enrolled participants, and who assigned participants to interventions Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 10? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript because this trial is not randomized.
11a) If done, who was blinded after assignment to interventions (for example, participants, care providers, those assessing outcomes) and how NPT: Whether or not administering co-interventions were blinded to group assignment 11a-i) Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't. Usually, in web-based trials it is not possible to blind the participants [1, 3] (this should be clearly acknowledged), but it may be possible to blind outcome assessors, those doing data analysis or those administering co-interventions (if any).

2 3 4 5
subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 11a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript because this trial is not randomized.
11a-ii) Discuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator" Informed consent procedures (4a-ii) can create biases and certain expectations -discuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator".
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 11a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript because this trial is not randomized.
11b) If relevant, description of the similarity of interventions (this item is usually not relevant for ehealth trials as it refers to similarity of a placebo or sham intervention to a active medication/intervention) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 11b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript.
12a) Statistical methods used to compare groups for primary and secondary outcomes NPT: When applicable, details of whether and how the clustering by care providers or centers was addressed Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 12a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "We will apply single decrement multicensoring life tables to calculate Dot efficacy (probability of nonpregnancy status) and rates of continuation (womenmonths of method use). Censoring occurs when incomplete information is available about the survival time of some women [23]. Censoring cycles will facilitate the use of more cycles from the analysis without discontinuing women from the study." 12a-i) Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values: Not all participants will use the intervention/comparator as intended and attrition is typically high in ehealth trials. Specify how participants who did not use the application or dropped out from the trial were treated in the statistical analysis (a complete case analysis is strongly discouraged, and simple imputation techniques such as LOCF may also be problematic [4]).
subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 12a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "A number of standard analytic reports on various aspects, such as recruitment, study status, survey completion, and other relevant data points will be developed and run through the system throughout the duration of the study."

12b) Methods for additional analyses, such as subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 12b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Dot efficacy will be assessed by typical use (correct + incorrect use resulting in pregnancy) and method failure (correct use resulting in pregnancy) pregnancy rates. The unit of analysis will be the cycle and pregnancies recorded by cycle of Dot use. Life tables will be calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and the Pearl index ( Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The call center study representative will review the Informed consent document with potential participants. Women will also have the informed consent document available on their phones. Upon reviewing the consent, women will be asked to verbally consent and to electronically consent via the app."

X26-iii) Safety and security procedures
Safety and security procedures, incl. privacy considerations, and any steps taken to reduce the likelihood or detection of harm (e.g., education and training, availability of a hotline) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem X26-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Several steps will be taken throughout the course of the study to ensure participant confidentiality. Women who agree to participate must agree to set a passcode for the app, so that the app and study data are protected.
All study data will be pushed, pulled and stored in accordance with or exceeding HIPAA compliance standards set forth by Georgetown University. "

RESULTS
13a) For each group, the numbers of participants who were randomly assigned, received intended treatment, and were analysed for the primary outcome NPT: The number of care providers or centers performing the intervention in each group and the number of patients treated by each care provider in each center Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 13b) For each group, losses and exclusions after randomisation, together with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13b? (NOTE: Preferably, this is shown in a CONSORT ow diagram) * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The trial has yet to be conducted.

13b-i) Attrition diagram
Strongly recommended: An attrition diagram (e.g., proportion of participants still logging in or using the intervention/comparator in each group plotted over time, similar to a survival curve) or other ˸gures or tables demonstrating usage/dose/engagement. 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 13b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript or cite the ˸gure number if applicable (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The trial has yet to be conducted.
14a) Dates de˸ning the periods of recruitment and followup Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is item is addressed in Figure 1 of the protocol manuscript, which details the Dot study timeline.

14a-i) Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period
Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period, e.g., signi˸cant changes in Internet resources available or "changes in computer hardware or Internet delivery resources" 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 14a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.
14b) Why the trial ended or was stopped (early) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.

15) A table showing baseline demographic and clinical characteristics for each group
NPT: When applicable, a description of care providers (case volume, quali˸cation, expertise, etc.) and centers (volume) in each group Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 15? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.

15-i) Report demographics associated with digital divide issues
In ehealth trials it is particularly important to report demographics associated with digital divide issues, such as age, education, gender, social-economic status, computer/Internet/ehealth literacy of the participants, if known.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 15-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.
16) For each group, number of participants (denominator) included in each analysis and whether the analysis was by https://docs.google.com/a/georgetown.edu/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZBSUp1bwOc_OimqcS64RdfIAFvmrTSkZQL23O8O9hrL5Sw/viewform?hl=en_US&formk… 30/39 original assigned groups 16-i) Report multiple "denominators" and provide de˸nitions Report multiple "denominators" and provide de˸nitions: Report N's (and effect sizes) "across a range of study participation [and use] thresholds" [1], e.g., N exposed, N consented, N used more than x times, N used more than y weeks, N participants "used" the intervention/comparator at speci˸c pre-de˸ned time points of interest (in absolute and relative numbers per group). Always clearly de˸ne "use" of the intervention.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 16-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.

16-ii) Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat
Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat, secondary analyses could include comparing only "users", with the appropriate caveats that this is no longer a randomized sample (see 18-i).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 16-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.
17a) For each primary and secondary outcome, results for each group, and the estimated effect size and its precision (such as 95% con˸dence interval) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Dot efficacy will be assessed by typical use (correct + incorrect use resulting in pregnancy) and method failure (correct use resulting in pregnancy) pregnancy rates. The unit of analysis will be the cycle and pregnancies recorded by cycle of Dot use. Life tables will be calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and the Pearl index (number of pregnancies per 100 woman years, computed [(number of pregnancies × 1300)/number of cycles during therapy]. A 95% CI will be calculated and the standard error (SE) was computed [24,25]." 17a-i) Presentation of process outcomes such as metrics of use and intensity of use In addition to primary/secondary (clinical) outcomes, the presentation of process outcomes such as metrics of use and intensity of use (dose, exposure) and their operational de˸nitions is critical. This does not only refer to metrics of attrition (13-b) (often a binary variable), but also to more continuous exposure metrics such as "average session length". These must be accompanied by a technical description how a metric like a "session" is de˸ned (e.g., timeout after idle time) [1] (report under item 6a).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 17a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol. paper.
17b) For binary outcomes, presentation of both absolute and relative effect sizes is recommended Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.
18) Results of any other analyses performed, including subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses, distinguishing pre-speci˸ed from exploratory Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 18? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.

18-i) Subgroup analysis of comparing only users
A subgroup analysis of comparing only users is not uncommon in ehealth trials, but if done, it must be stressed that this is a self-selected sample and no longer an unbiased sample from a randomized trial (see 16-iii).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 18-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not applicable to our protocol manuscript. The Dot study has not begun.

19) All important harms or unintended effects in each group
(for speci˸c guidance see CONSORT for harms) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 19? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study The protocol manuscript address any security and/or privacy harms within the Methods under the Security and Backup subsection. For this study, a positive indication of pregnancy may be an unintended harm. This study targets women who are trying to avoid pregnancy but are currently not using a contraceptive method. During the initial recruitment period, potential participants will be made aware of this unintended outcome before consenting into the study.

19-i) Include privacy breaches, technical problems
Include privacy breaches, technical problems. This does not only include physical "harm" to participants, but also incidents such as perceived or real privacy breaches [1], technical problems, and other unexpected/unintended incidents. "Unintended effects" also includes unintended positive effects [2].
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 19-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "All data in transit will be secured by HTTPS/TLS. Data at rest will be secured using a variety of encryption methods, including Amazon EBS encryption and RDS encryption. Amazon Web Services (AWS) ecosystem consists of distributed and fully redundant data centers strategically located throughout the United States. The IRH technical solution will be hosted within the northern Virginia region as it is one of the largest AWS regions as well as within the same geographical area as Georgetown University and IRH offices. The AWS storage solution will deliver highly scalable and reliable cloud storage for backup and recovery. Data backups have been configured based on the research design and information needs; however they will be performed using a combination of incremental and full backups. " 19-ii) Include qualitative feedback from participants or observations from staff/researchers Include qualitative feedback from participants or observations from staff/researchers, if available, on strengths and shortcomings of the application, especially if they point to unintended/unexpected effects or uses. This includes (if available) reasons for why people did or did not use the application as intended by the developers.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 19-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Participants will provide feedback about the app and the study through periodic surveys. If the study participant has any comments or concerns, they are able to easily contact the call center. If for any reason the call center is unable to address the participant's concerns, their concerns will be forwarded to research staff for further clarification.

22)
Interpretation consistent with results, balancing bene˸ts and harms, and considering other relevant evidence NPT: In addition, take into account the choice of the comparator, lack of or partial blinding, and unequal expertise of care providers or centers in each group 22-i) Restate study questions and summarize the answers suggested by the data, starting with primary outcomes and process outcomes (use) Restate study questions and summarize the answers suggested by the data, starting with primary outcomes and process outcomes (use).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 22-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This is not entirely applicable to our protocol manuscript, since the study has not begun and we have not collected data. "The main aims of the Dot efficacy study are to estimate the efficacy and effectiveness of the Dot app for pregnancy prevention. The findings from this trial will represent the first prospective efficacy trial conducted on an app based method of family planning. This is an essential step in developing a research base to support the use of these methods as part of the existing contraceptive method mix, and identifying lessons for establishing best practices to guide future research on similar apps. A stronger evidence base for fertility awareness apps will serve both the global family planning community and consumers who wish to use these methods, but have little concrete information on their efficacy. In addition to our main objectives, our study will also attempt to answer additional questions around several relevant topics to both reproductive health and to mHealth research. Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study enhancement that overlays and is activated within an existing commercial app. Collaboration between research institutes and commercial app developers represents a potentially exciting opportunity in mHealth. Yet, such collaborations require significant deliberations around how to develop and implement quality research studies in a way that maintains app fidelity and doesn't inhibit user experience. We anticipate that our experiences and findings will also provide insights into the opportunities and challenges of collaboration and can provide recommendations for future research/developer partnerships." 20) Trial limitations, addressing sources of potential bias, imprecision, and, if relevant, multiplicity of analyses

20-i) Typical limitations in ehealth trials
Typical limitations in ehealth trials: Participants in ehealth trials are rarely blinded. Ehealth trials often look at a multiplicity of outcomes, increasing risk for a Type I error. Discuss biases due to non-use of the intervention/usability issues, biases through informed consent procedures, unexpected events.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 20-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Our protocol acknowledges that the trial will not be randomized and thus not be blinded.

21) Generalisability (external validity, applicability) of the trial ˸ndings
NPT: External validity of the trial ˸ndings according to the intervention, comparators, patients, and care providers or centers involved in the trial 21-i) Generalizability to other populations Generalizability to other populations: In particular, discuss generalizability to a general Internet population, outside of a RCT setting, and general patient population, including applicability of the study results for other organizations 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 21-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Our trial has not begun, and thus is not applicable to our protocol paper.

21-ii) Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting
Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting (e.g., prompts/reminders, more human involvement, training sessions or other co-interventions) and what impact the omission of these elements could have on use, adoption, or outcomes if the intervention is applied outside of a RCT setting.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 21-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Our trial has not begun, and thus is not applicable to our protocol paper.

23) Registration number and name of trial registry
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 23? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study https://docs.google.com/a/georgetown.edu/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZBSUp1bwOc_OimqcS64RdfIAFvmrTSkZQL23O8O9hrL5Sw/viewform?hl=en_US&formk… 37/39 "Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov GR409775" 24) Where the full trial protocol can be accessed, if available Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 24? * Cite a Multimedia Appendix, other reference, or copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study We are publishing the protocol paper in JMIR.

25)
Sources of funding and other support (such as supply of drugs), role of funders Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 25? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

X27) Con icts of Interest (not a CONSORT item)
X27-i) State the relation of the study team towards the system being evaluated In addition to the usual declaration of interests (˸nancial or otherwise), also state the relation of the study team towards the system being evaluated, i.e., state if the authors/evaluators are distinct from or identical with the developers/sponsors of the intervention.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem X27-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brie y explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The authors declare they have no conflicting interests in the publication of this paper."

About the CONSORT EHEALTH checklist
As a result of using this checklist, did you make changes in your manuscript? * yes, major changes yes, minor changes no What were the most important changes you made as a result of using this checklist?
How much time did you spend on going through the checklist INCLUDING making changes in your manuscript * This took about an hour to complete.
As a result of using this checklist, do you think your manuscript has improved? * yes no Other: Would you like to become involved in the CONSORT EHEALTH group? This would involve for example becoming involved in participating in a workshop and writing an "Explanation and Elaboration" document We used the SPIRIT checklist to develop our protocol paper. STOP -Save this form as PDF before you click submit To generate a record that you ˸lled in this form, we recommend to generate a PDF of this page (on a Mac, simply select "print" and then select "print as PDF") before you submit it.
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