Mobile Health (mHealth) Applications and Self Healthcare Management: Willingness of Female Patients Living in Rural Areas to Static Mobile Apps

2019 ◽  
pp. 429-441
Author(s):  
Tahereh Saheb ◽  
Elham Abooei Mehrizi
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Healthcare Management ◽  
Female Patients

scholarly journals Diabetes clinic reinvented: will technology change the future of diabetes care?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 204201882199536
Author(s):  
Marwa Al-Badri ◽  
Osama Hamdy
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Diabetes Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Patient Monitoring ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Diabetes Clinic ◽  
Digital Ecosystem ◽  
Morbid Conditions

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects nearly 463 million people globally and involves multiple co-morbid conditions that require effective treatment and continuous management. These include lifestyle and behavioral modifications, compliance to diabetes medications and close patient monitoring, all of which can be efficiently conducted via telehealth. Integrating digital technology of telehealth and mobile health into diabetes care may improve diabetes management and increase its efficiency. In this review, we examine recent advances in healthcare technology of diabetes. Moreover, we present an example of a comprehensive virtual diabetes clinic, the “Joslin HOME,” as an innovative digital ecosystem for future application in diabetes care. This model utilizes digital health technology and comprises frequent short visits with easy two-way scheduling, focused documentation and simple billing methods. In this new model, a multidisciplinary team is connected with their patients using telehealth and mobile health to overcome the barriers of distance and location. It may possibly extend quality diabetes care to remote, underserved or rural areas.

Mobile Health Applications to Support COVID-19 Self-management: Review and Evaluation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Khenarinezhad ◽  
Ehsan Ghazanfari Savadkoohi ◽  
Leila Shahmoradi
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Complete Information ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Health Applications

Aim: During the epidemic and with an increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) disease prevalence, emergency care is essential to help people stay informed and undertake self-management measures to protect their health. One of these self-management procedures is the use of mobile apps in health. Mobile health (mHealth) applications include mobile devices in collecting clinical health data, sharing healthcare information for practitioners and patients, real-time monitoring of patient vital signs, and the direct provision of care (via mobile telemedicine). Mobile apps are increasing to improve health, but before healthcare providers can recommend these applications to patients, they need to be sure the apps will help change patients' lifestyles. Method: A search was conducted systematically using the keywords "Covid-19," "Coronavirus," "Covid-19, and Self-management" at the "Apple App Store". Then we evaluated the apps according to MARS criteria in May 2020. Results: A total of 145 apps for COVID-19 self-management were identified, but only 32 apps met our inclusion criteria after being assessed. The overall mean MARS score was 2.9 out of 5, and more than half of the apps had a minimum acceptability score (range 2.5-3.9). The "who academy" app received the highest functionality score. Who Academy, Corona-Care and First Responder COVID-19 Guide had the highest scores for behavior change. Conclusion: Our findings showed that few apps meet the quality, content, and functionality criteria for Covid-19 self-management. Therefore, developers should use evidence-based medical guidelines in creating mobile health applications so that, they can provide comprehensive and complete information to both patients and healthcare provider.

Exclusion by Design: Lack of Information about Community Participation in COVID-19-related Mobile Apps and its Relationship to Digital Health Disparities (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammed Yassin Idris ◽  
Maya Korin ◽  
Faven Araya ◽  
Sayeeda Chowdhury ◽  
Humberto Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Participation ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
App Development ◽  
Communities Of Color

UNSTRUCTURED The rate and scale of transmission of COVID-19 overwhelmed healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in under-resourced communities of color that already faced a high prevalence of pre-existing health conditions. One way the health ecosystem has tried to address the pandemic is by creating mobile apps for telemedicine, dissemination of medical information, and disease tracking. As these new mobile health tools continue to be a primary format for healthcare, more attention needs to be given to their equitable distribution, usage, and accessibility. In this viewpoint collaboratively written by a community-based organization and a health app development research team, we present results of our systematic search and analysis of community engagement in mobile apps released between February and December 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide an overview of apps’ features and functionalities but could not find any publicly available information regarding whether these apps incorporated participation from communities of color disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We argue that while mobile health technologies are a form of intellectual property, app developers should make public the steps taken to include community participation in app development. These steps could include community needs assessment, community feedback solicited and incorporated, and community participation in evaluation. These are factors that community-based organizations look for when assessing whether to promote digital health tools among the communities they serve. Transparency about the participation of community organizations in the process of app development would increase buy-in, trust, and usage of mobile health apps in communities where they are needed most.

scholarly journals Elements of Social Convoy Theory in Mobile Health for Palliative Care: Scoping Review

10.2196/16060 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e16060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer D Portz ◽  
Kira Elsbernd ◽  
Evan Plys ◽  
Kelsey Lynett Ford ◽  
Xuhong Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Patient Use

Background Mobile health (mHealth) provides a unique modality for improving access to and awareness of palliative care among patients, families, and caregivers from diverse backgrounds. Some mHealth palliative care apps exist, both commercially available and established by academic researchers. However, the elements of family support and family caregiving tools offered by these early apps is unknown. Objective The objective of this scoping review was to use social convoy theory to describe the inclusion and functionality of family, social relationships, and caregivers in palliative care mobile apps. Methods Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review guidelines, a systematic search of palliative care mHealth included (1) research-based mobile apps identified from academic searches published between January 1, 2010, and March 31, 2019 and (2) commercially available apps for app stores in April 2019. Two reviewers independently assessed abstracts, app titles, and descriptions against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Abstracted data covered app name, research team or developer, palliative care element, target audience, and features for family support and caregiving functionality as defined by social convoy theory. Results Overall, 10 articles describing 9 individual research-based apps and 22 commercially available apps were identified. Commercially available apps were most commonly designed for both patients and social convoys, whereas the majority of research apps were designed for patient use only. Conclusions Results suggest there is an emerging presence of apps for patients and social convoys receiving palliative care; however, there are many needs for developers and researchers to address in the future. Although palliative care mHealth is a growing field, additional research is needed for apps that embrace a team approach to information sharing, target family- and caregiver-specific issues, promote access to palliative care, and are comprehensive of palliative needs.

scholarly journals Mobile Health Apps for Medical Emergencies: Systematic Review

10.2196/18513 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e18513
Author(s):  
Alejandro Plaza Roncero ◽  
Gonçalo Marques ◽  
Beatriz Sainz-De-Abajo ◽  
Francisco Martín-Rodríguez ◽  
Carlos del Pozo Vegas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
App Store ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Medical Emergencies ◽  
Google Play

Background Mobile health apps are used to improve the quality of health care. These apps are changing the current scenario in health care, and their numbers are increasing. Objective We wanted to perform an analysis of the current status of mobile health technologies and apps for medical emergencies. We aimed to synthesize the existing body of knowledge to provide relevant insights for this topic. Moreover, we wanted to identify common threads and gaps to support new challenging, interesting, and relevant research directions. Methods We reviewed the main relevant papers and apps available in the literature. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was used in this review. The search criteria were adopted using systematic methods to select papers and apps. On one hand, a bibliographic review was carried out in different search databases to collect papers related to each application in the health emergency field using defined criteria. On the other hand, a review of mobile apps in two virtual storage platforms (Google Play Store and Apple App Store) was carried out. The Google Play Store and Apple App Store are related to the Android and iOS operating systems, respectively. Results In the literature review, 28 papers in the field of medical emergency were included. These studies were collected and selected according to established criteria. Moreover, we proposed a taxonomy using six groups of applications. In total, 324 mobile apps were found, with 192 identified in the Google Play Store and 132 identified in the Apple App Store. Conclusions We found that all apps in the Google Play Store were free, and 73 apps in the Apple App Store were paid, with the price ranging from US $0.89 to US $5.99. Moreover, 39% (11/28) of the included studies were related to warning systems for emergency services and 21% (6/28) were associated with disaster management apps.

Nick Noguez and Michael Gonzalez Discuss their Research Project: Are Social Features in Mobile Health Apps Effective in Engaging Users? A Content Analysis of Smoking Cessation Mobile Apps

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Noguez And Michael Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Social Features ◽  
Mobile Health Apps

  Despite the ubiquity of smartphone ownership and the increasing integration of social engagement features in smoking cessation apps to engage users, thesocial engagement features that exist in current smoking cessation apps and how effective these social features are in engaging users remain unclear. To fill the gap in the literature, a content analysis of free and paid smoking cessation mobile apps isconducted to examine a) the presence of socialengagement features(e.g., social support, social announcement, social referencing) and non-social engagement features (e.g., personal environmental changes, goal setting), and b) their relationship with user ratingsand engagement scores (e.g., Mobile App rating scale [MARS]). The findings will not only extend the mobile health apps engagement typology,but also inform smoking cessation mobile apps design.

Mobile health (mHealth) for headache disorders: A review of the evidence base

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 472-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahsa Mosadeghi-Nik ◽  
Marzyeh S Askari ◽  
Farhad Fatehi
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Headache Disorders ◽  
Trigger Factors ◽  
Clinical Safety ◽  
Hierarchy Of Evidence ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Conference Papers

The aim of this review was to explore and summarise the evidence base for using mobile apps for the management of headache disorders. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus were searched for studies reporting the use of mobile health applications (apps) for managing headache disorders. Different combinations of keywords for mobile health, smartphone and headache were used for electronic search. Six studies (two journal papers and four conference papers) met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. All of the reviewed studies were categorised as the lowest level (level IV) of evidence according to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) hierarchy of evidence. The results of the studies demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a few mobile apps for headache in very limited settings, and indicated that these apps can be effective tools for identifying trigger factors of migraine, improving self-management of headache disorders, and mediating the interactions between headache sufferers and their treating doctors. The role of participatory research and involvement of patients and clinicians in the development of such apps was also highlighted. Despite the availability of numerous mobile apps for headache disorders, the evidence base to support their effectiveness and clinical safety is very weak. The current literature indicates that mobile apps have the potential for improving the care of headache sufferers, but this is yet to be proven by adequately designed studies.

scholarly journals Self-management mobile apps for people with epilepsy: A systematic review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Alzamanan Sr ◽  
LIM KHENG SEANG ◽  
Maizatul Akmar Ismail ◽  
Norjihan Abdul Ghani
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Keywords Epilepsy ◽  
Treatment Management ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Patients With Epilepsy ◽  
Health Applications

BACKGROUND Patients with epilepsy (PWE) are motivated to manage and cope with their disorder by themselves, that is, self-management (SM). Mobile health applications (apps) have multiple features that show a huge potential to improve self-management of individuals with chronic disorders such as epilepsy. OBJECTIVE This study aims to review all available free apps related to the self-management of PWE and to determine the self-management domains included in these apps METHODS Systematic reviews were performed for all apps by searching in iOS and Android app databases using the keywords “epilepsy” and “seizure.” RESULTS We identified 22 epilepsy SM apps:6 were found in iOS, 7 in Android, and 9 in both.Of the 11 domains of self-management, seizure tracking and seizure response features were available in most Apps(N=22 and N=19respectively), followed by treatment management(N=17) and medication adherence(N=15).Three apps (Epilepsy Journal, Epilepsy Tool Kit and EpiDiary) were installed more than 10,000 times, with features focused specifically on a few domains (including treatment management, medication adherence, health-care communication, and seizure tracking). Two Apps had >6 SM domains (Young epilepsy and E-Epilepsy Inclusion) but both with lower installation rates (5000+ and 100+ respectively). CONCLUSIONS There were mobile health applications to improve self-management in epilepsy in both iOS and Android platform, but the installation rate of most apps was low. The self-management features in various Apps were different and common features included seizure tracking and seizure response.

scholarly journals Enhancing the Impact of Mobile Health Literacy Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond L Ownby ◽  
Amarilis Acevedo ◽  
Drenna Waldrop-Valverde
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Health Behavior Change ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
Literacy Interventions ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Health literacy is a key factor in health outcomes that should be considered when creating mobile health promotion apps. In this paper, we detail our work over the past 10 years in developing the theory and practice of targeting the content of mobile apps at a level appropriate for the intended audience. We include a review of our theory of health literacy as expertise, the ASK model, and integrate it with the Theory of Planned Behavior. We then provide data that support both the model and its use. More recently, we have developed a predictive analytic model that uses demographic information and patient performance on a 10-item screening measure to determine patient level of health literacy at a high level of accuracy. The predictive model will enable apps to automatically provide content to users at an appropriate level of health literacy. This strategy, along with other aspects of tailoring, will allow apps to be more personally relevant to users, enhancing their effects in promoting health behavior change.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document