scholarly journals Diabetes Apps: Information about COVID-19 and Risk Factors?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A374-A375
Author(s):  
Gloria Wu ◽  
Chap-Kay Kendra Lau ◽  
Brian Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Public Education ◽  
Blood Sugar ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
App Store ◽  
The Us ◽  
Language Accessibility ◽  
Google Play

Abstract Background: Annually, there are 3.7 billion downloads of mobile health apps. There are 275.6 million smartphones in the US. Diabetes affects 34.2 million people and 88 million have prediabetes. Diabetes is a risk factor for COVID-19 and affects longterm health of the survivors. Other risk factors for COVID-19, include race and gender. There are also linguistic barriers to care in Diabetes and COVID-19. Both diabetes and COVID-19 have higher risks associated with race and ethnicity. With the pandemic, the US government, Google and Facebook, in March 2020, provided emergency grants for COVID-19 and dissemination of public education. Did the Diabetes apps meet this moment of public health crisis?. Purpose: Do Diabetes Apps provide information about COVID-19 and its risk factors? Methods: Using the search term “diabetes,” the top ten most downloaded android and iOS apps were assessed in the Google Play Store/Apple App Store, respectively. Inclusion criteria: 1) Android: Downloads > 100,000; iOS: Reviews > 300, star rating >4. Apple App store does not provide download information. 2) Free; 3) Ability to track health data: HbA1C, FBS; 4) Language Accessibility via in-app language settings. Results: In the Google Play Store(DROID), the top ten apps in descending order were: 1) mySugr, 2) Onetouch Reveal, 3) OneDrop Diabetes Management, 4) Diabetes: M, 5) Health2Sync - Diabetes Care, 6) Diabetes, 7) Ontrack Diabetes, 8) Blood Glucose Tracker, 9) Glucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker, and 10) Diabetes Connect. In the Apple App Store(iOS), the top ten apps in descending order were: 1) OneTouch Reveal, 2) Glucose Buddy Diabetes, 3) One Drop for Diabetes, 4) Glucose - Blood Sugar Tracker, 5) Blood Sugar Monitor by Dario, 6) mySugr, 7) Sugarmate, 8) DiabetesPal, 9) Diabetes:M, 10) Center Health - The Diabetes App. Of the 10 DROID apps: 0/10 had COVID symptom information in the app; 3/10 had a COVID statement; In-app language settings: 2/10 had Spanish and 1/10 had Chinese. Gender: 7/10 Droid apps. Race/Ethnicity: 0/10. Of the ten iOS apps: 0/10 had COVID symptom information in the app; 4/10 had a COVID statement (Only mySugr has CDC link for COVID information); In-app language settings: 1/10 had Spanish and 0/10 had Chinese settings. Gender: 9/10 Droid apps; 7/10 iOS apps, Race/Ethnicty:1/10. Conclusion: Of the top 20 diabetes apps, none had information about COVID-19 and its symptoms within the app. Also, the overall language accessibility is limited. Despite popularity of ehealth, physicians can continue to play an important role in public education about Diabetes and COVID-19 during this important time of the pandemic.

scholarly journals A content analysis of free smoking cessation mobile applications in the USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
JuHan Lee ◽  
Jesse Dallery ◽  
Antonio Laracuente ◽  
Ifeoma Ibe ◽  
Samantha Joseph ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Change Strategies ◽  
Technical Quality ◽  
App Store ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Quit Smoking ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Google Play

AbstractAimsTo evaluate the quality and content of free smoking cessation apps and assess their adherence to the US Public Health Service guideline for treating tobacco use and dependence.MethodsIn total 180 apps were downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store in January 2018; the top-ranking 30 apps were retrieved for the search terms: ‘smoking cessation’, ‘quit smoking’, ‘stop smoking’. Technical quality was rated using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and by assessing other characteristics, behavioral change strategies and adherence to the 5As.Results/findingsA total 67 free-to-download apps were identified for full review (n = 40 from the Apple App Store and n = 27 from the Google Play Store). The average MARS score was 16.2/19.0: Engagement (3.3/5.0), Functionality (4.4/5.0), Aesthetics (4.0/5.0), and Information (2.6/5.0). Overall, 43 apps allowed sharing, 12 allowed for an app community, and five required a password. The following features were observed: assessment (n = 51), feedback (n = 38), information/education (n = 45), monitoring (n = 52), and goal setting (n = 23). Significant differences were found among apps adhering to the 5As: Ask (n = 44), Advise (n = 54), Assess (n = 30), Assist (n = 62), and Arrange (n = 0).ConclusionsGiven the growth in smoking cessation apps, future efforts should focus on improving their technical quality and adherence to the 5As.

scholarly journals Weight Loss Mobile Apps: Do They Address COVID-19 and Diabetes

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A31-A32
Author(s):  
Gloria Wu ◽  
Brian Nguyen ◽  
Chap-Kay Kendra Lau ◽  
Vincent Siu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Public Education ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Small Business Administration ◽  
Search Term

Abstract Background: Over 70 million Americans are obese and 99 million are overweight. There are over 3.7 billion ehealth mobile app downloads per year. Weight loss apps offer information on exercise and nutrition as well as weight tracking. Obesity is a risk factor for COVID-19 infection, along with diabetes and hypertension. In addition, obesity plays a role in the increased mortality of COVID patients. In March of 2020, the U.S. government, through the Small Business Administration and through the Small Business Innovation Research program, as well as through Facebook and Google, offered individuals and companies money for public education and/or solutions for the COVID-19 epidemic. Thus, are software app developers adding information about COVID-19 for their audience? Specifically, do weight loss apps mention obesity being a risk factor for DM, Hypertension, and COVID-19? Weight loss apps target a young demographic, and for public health purposes, COVID-19 information needs to reach this demographic since obesity can be a risk factor for COVID-19 infection. Purpose: Do weight loss apps provide information about DM, HTN, and COVID-19 during this pandemic era? Methods: Evaluation of the 10 most popular apps in the Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) stores via the search term “weight loss.” Apps were ranked by downloads/star rating respectively for Android and iOS apps. Apple does not provide information about the number of downloads. App inclusion criteria: 1) Free 2) iOS: star ratings greater than 4 (greater than 10K ratings); Android: greater than or equal to 1 Million downloads; App features: DM, HTN, Race, Gender, COVID-19, BMI, Heart Disease, Calorie Count, and Fitness. Results: DM: 0/20, HTN: 0/20, BMI: 19/20, while Race is 0/20; Gender 19/20; COVID-19: 0/20; Calorie Count 11/20; Fitness 13/20. Conclusion: 1) Weight Loss apps have not ventured in the public education realm of risk factors and comorbidities of COVID-19 despite the pandemic in 2020. 2) As physicians, we should continue to educate our patients with weight issues and other risk factors in the era of a worldwide pandemic.

The Politics of Prophecy: The US Culture Wars and the Battle Over Public Education in the Left Behind Series for Kids

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Ann Abate Michelle
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Culture Wars ◽  
Church History ◽  
Good News ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
School Prayer ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Religious Books ◽  
The Us

This essay argues that in spite of their obvious Biblically-based subject matter, clear Christian content, and undeniable evangelical perspective, the Left Behind novels for kids are not simply religious books; they are also political ones. Co-authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins may claim that their narratives are interested in sharing the good news about Jesus for the sake of the future, but they are equally concerned with offering commentary on contentious US cultural issues in the present. Given the books’ adolescent readership, they are especially preoccupied with the ongoing conservative crusade concerning school prayer. As advocates for this issue, LaHaye and Jenkins make use of a potent blend of current socio-political arguments and of past events in evangelical church history: namely, the American Sunday School Movement (ASSM). These free, open-access Sabbath schools became the model for the public education system in the United States. In drawing on this history, the Left Behind series suggests that the ASSM provides an important precedent for the presence not simply of Christianity in the nation's public school system, but of evangelical faith in particular.

Mobile Applications for Health Management of Older Adults: A Scoping Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Asilah Ahmad ◽  
Shahrul Azman Mohd Noah ◽  
Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin ◽  
Suzana Shahar ◽  
Noorlaili Mohd Tohit
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Personalized Feedback ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
App Store ◽  
Evidenced Based ◽  
Google Play

BACKGROUND Currently, the use of smartphones to deliver health-related content has experienced a rapid growth, with more than 165,000 mobile health (mHealth) applications currently available in the digital marketplace such as iOS store and Google Play. Among these, there are several mobile applications (mobile apps) that offer tools for disease prevention and management among older generations. These mobile apps could potentially promote health behaviors which will reduce or delay the onset of disease. However, no review to date that has focused on the app marketplace specific for older adults and little is known regarding its evidence-based quality towards the health of older adults. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review was to characterize and critically appraise the content and functionality of mobile apps that focuses on health management and/or healthy lifestyle among older adults. METHODS An electronic search was conducted between May 2019 to December 2019 of the official app store for two major smartphone operating systems: iPhone operating system (iTunes App Store) and Android (Google Play Store). Stores were searched separately using predetermined search terms. Two authors screened apps based on information provided in the app description. Metadata from all included apps were abstracted into a standard assessment criteria form. Evidenced based strategies and health care expert involvement of included apps was assessed. Evidenced based strategies included: self-monitoring, goal setting, physical activity support, healthy eating support, weight and/or health assessment, personalized feedback, motivational strategies, cognitive training and social support. Two authors verified the data with reference to the apps and downloaded app themselves. RESULTS A total of 16 apps met the inclusion criteria. Six out of 16 (37.5%) apps were designed exclusively for the iOS platform while ten out of 16 (62.5%) were designed for Android platform exclusively. Physical activity component was the most common feature offered in all the apps (9/16, 56.3%) and followed by cognitive training (8/16, 50.0%). Diet/nutrition (0/16, 0%) feature, however, was not offered on all reviewed mobile apps. Of reviewed apps, 56.3% (9/16) provide education, 37.5% (6/16) provide self-monitoring features, 18.8% (3/16) provide goal setting features, 18.5% (3/16) provide personalized feedback, 6.3% (1/16) provide social support and none of the reviewed apps offers heart rate monitoring and reminder features to the users. CONCLUSIONS All reviewed mobile apps for older adults in managing health did not focused on diet/nutrition component, lack of functional components and lack of health care professional involvement in their development process. There is also a need to carry out scientific testing prior to the development of the app to ensure cost effective and its health benefits to older adults. Collaborative efforts between developers, researchers, health professionals and patients are needed in developing evidence-based, high quality mobile apps in managing health prior they are made available in the app store.

Using Photovoice to understand physical and social living environment influence on adherence to diabetes

2021 ◽  
pp. 136345932110200
Author(s):  
Alice Scavarda ◽  
Giuseppe Costa ◽  
Franca Beccaria
Keyword(s):  
Blood Sugar ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Bonding Social Capital ◽  
Physical Context ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Italian City ◽  
The Individual

Within the past several years, a considerable body of research on adherence to diabetes regimen has emerged in public health. However, the focus of the vast majority of these studies has been on the individual traits and attitudes affecting adherence. Still little is known on the role of the social and physical context in supporting or hindering diabetes self-management, particularly from a qualitative standpoint. To address these limitations, this paper presents the findings of a Photovoice study on a sample of 10 type 2 diabetic older adults living in a deprived neighbourhood of an Italian city. The findings reveal that the possibility to engage in diet, exercise and blood sugar monitoring seems to be more affected by physical and social elements of the respondents’ environment than by the interviewees’ beliefs and attitudes. Both environmental barriers and social isolation emerge as barriers to lifestyle changes and self-care activities related to blood sugar monitoring. The predominance of bonding social capital, the scant level of trust and the negative perception of local health services result in a low level of social cohesion, a limited circulation of health information on diabetes management and, consequently, in poor health outcomes.

scholarly journals 2020 FDA TIDES (Peptides and Oligonucleotides) Harvest

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Othman Al Musaimi ◽  
Danah Al Shaer ◽  
Fernando Albericio ◽  
Beatriz de la Torre
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Drug Administration ◽  
Mode Of Action ◽  
Chemical Structure ◽  
Food And Drug Administration ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
New Drug ◽  
Target Mode ◽  
The Us

2020 has been an extremely difficult and challenging year as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and one in which most efforts have been channeled into tackling the global health crisis. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 53 new drug entities, six of which fall in the peptides and oligonucleotides (TIDES) category. The number of authorizations for these kinds of drugs has been similar to that of previous years, thereby reflecting the consolidation of the TIDES market. Here, the TIDES approved in 2020 are analyzed in terms of chemical structure, medical target, mode of action, and adverse effects.

231 Breast Lymphedema After Breast Conservative Surgery; An Up-To-Date Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Abouelazayem ◽  
M Elkorety ◽  
S Monib
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Breast Surgery ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Conservative Surgery ◽  
Breast Size ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Common Complication ◽  
Breast Conservative Surgery ◽  
Conservative Breast Surgery

Abstract Background While arm lymphedema following breast cancer treatment is a common complication; breast lymphedema following treatment is not uncommon. Several risk factors were found to contribute to breast lymphedema, Aim: We aimed to provide a systematic review to help avoiding or management of breast lymphoedema Method The search term 'breast lymphedema' was combined with 'breast conservative surgery' and was used to conduct literature research in PubMed and Medline. The term lymphedema was combined with breast, conservative and surgery to search Embase database. All papers published in English were included with no exclusion date limits Results A total of 2155 female patients were included in this review; age ranged from 26 to 90. Mean BMI was 28.4, most of the studies included patients who underwent conservative breast surgery. Incidence of breast lymphedema ranged from 24.8% to 90.4%. Several risk factors were linked to breast lymphedema after conservative breast surgery, such as body mass index (BMI), breast size, tumour size, tumour site, type of surgery and adjuvant therapy. Treatment options focused on decongestive lymphatic therapy, including Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), self-massaging, compression bras or Kinesio taping. Conclusions Breast lymphedema is a relatively common complication, yet there is no clear consensus on the definition or treatment options.

scholarly journals THU0442 GOUT AND HEART FAILURE IN THE US: A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 458.2-458
Author(s):  
G. Singh ◽  
M. Sehgal ◽  
A. Mithal
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Confidence Intervals ◽  
Burden Of Illness ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Us

Background:Heart failure (HF) is the eighth leading cause of death in the US, with a 38% increase in the number of deaths due to HF from 2011 to 2017 (1). Gout and hyperuricemia have previously been recognized as significant risk factors for heart failure (2), but there is little nationwide data on the clinical and economic consequences of these comorbidities.Objectives:To study heart failure hospitalizations in patients with gout in the United States (US) and estimate their clinical and economic impact.Methods:The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) is a stratified random sample of all US community hospitals. It is the only US national hospital database with information on all patients, regardless of payer, including persons covered by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and the uninsured. We examined all inpatient hospitalizations in the NIS in 2017, the most recent year of available data, with a primary or secondary diagnosis of gout and heart failure. Over 69,800 ICD 10 diagnoses were collapsed into a smaller number of clinically meaningful categories, consistent with the CDC Clinical Classification Software.Results:There were 35.8 million all-cause hospitalizations in patients in the US in 2017. Of these, 351,735 hospitalizations occurred for acute and/or chronic heart failure in patients with gout. These patients had a mean age of 73.3 years (95% confidence intervals 73.1 – 73.5 years) and were more likely to be male (63.4%). The average length of hospitalization was 6.1 days (95% confidence intervals 6.0 to 6.2 days) with a case fatality rate of 3.5% (95% confidence intervals 3.4% – 3.7%). The average cost of each hospitalization was $63,992 (95% confidence intervals $61,908 - $66,075), with a total annual national cost estimate of $22.8 billion (95% confidence intervals $21.7 billion - $24.0 billion).Conclusion:While gout and hyperuricemia have long been recognized as potential risk factors for heart failure, the aging of the US population is projected to significantly increase the burden of illness and costs of care of these comorbidities (1). This calls for an increased awareness and management of serious co-morbid conditions in patients with gout.References:[1]Sidney, S., Go, A. S., Jaffe, M. G., Solomon, M. D., Ambrosy, A. P., & Rana, J. S. (2019). Association Between Aging of the US Population and Heart Disease Mortality From 2011 to 2017. JAMA Cardiology. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2019.4187[2]Krishnan E. Gout and the risk for incident heart failure and systolic dysfunction. BMJ Open 2012;2:e000282.doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000282Disclosure of Interests: :Gurkirpal Singh Grant/research support from: Horizon Therapeutics, Maanek Sehgal: None declared, Alka Mithal: None declared

scholarly journals P50 Exploring the Merits and Availability of Smartphone Applications Related to Melanoma

BJS Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade Kabbani ◽  
Jamil Kabbani ◽  
Jade Kabbani
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Management ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Patient Access ◽  
Smartphone Applications ◽  
App Store ◽  
Widespread Availability ◽  
Smartphone Use ◽  
Clinical Tools ◽  
Google Play ◽  
Privacy Issues

Abstract Background The increased use of smartphone applications across healthcare specialties has been particularly relevant in dermatology, with dermatology related applications widely available on mainstream application stores. We reviewed published literature regarding melanoma-related applications, and the number and types of such applications available for download. Methods A literature search of “dermatology”, “smartphone” and “melanoma” was conducted to identify publications assessing applications of interest. “Melanoma” was searched in Apple’s (iOS) “App Store” and Google’s “Google Play”, and application purposes and ratings were analysed. Results 54 of the 63 literature search results explored smartphone use in relation to melanoma, describing benefits including quicker patient access to care, reduced referrals and hence unnecessary consultations, and improved accessibility to information. However, concerns include insufficient image quality, privacy issues related to encryption, and diagnostic inaccuracy. Searches on the Google Play and iOS stores identified 249 and 51 apps respectively. 25% of Google Play results were categorised as clinical tools, 17% as educational, and 58% as recreational. The corresponding results for the App store were 92%, 6% and 2%. 81% of the educational apps and 92% of the clinical management apps related to dermatology and melanoma on Google Play, whereas all of the clinical management apps and 67% of the education apps on the App store were of relevance. Conclusion The results illustrate the widespread availability of applications related to melanoma, particularly for educational and clinical purposes. Standardising photographing techniques, improving diagnostic accuracy, and privacy issues are important aspects to consider and warrant further investigation.

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