scholarly journals Mobile Health Features Supporting Self-Management Behavior in Patients With Chronic Arthritis: Mixed-Methods Approach on Patient Preferences (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Geuens ◽  
Luc Geurts ◽  
Thijs W Swinnen ◽  
Rene Westhovens ◽  
Vero Vanden Abeele

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic arthritis (CA) ideally apply self-management behaviors between consultations. This enduring, tedious task of keeping track of disease-related parameters, adhering to medication schemes, and engaging in physical therapy may be supported by using a mobile health (mHealth) app. However, further research is needed to determine which self-management features are valued most by adult patients with CA patients. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the preference of features for an mHealth app to support self-management behavior in patients with CA. In addition, we aimed to explore the motives behind these ratings. METHODS A mixed-methods approach was used to gather information from 31 adult patients (14 females), aged 23 to 71 years (mean 51 [SD 12.16]), with CA. Structured interviews were conducted to gather data pertaining to preferences of app features. Interviews were analyzed qualitatively, whereas ratings for each of the 28 features studied were analyzed quantitatively. RESULTS In general, patients with CA favored the use of features pertaining to supporting active and direct disease management, (eg, medication intake and detecting and alarming of bad posture), helping them to keep a close watch on their disease status and inform their health care professional (eg, providing a means to log and report disease-related data) and receiving personalized information (eg, offering tailored information based on the patient’s health data). Patients strongly disliked features that provide a means of social interaction or provide incentivization for disease-related actions (eg, being able to compare yourself with other patients, cooperating toward a common goal, and receiving encouragement from friends and/or family). Driving these evaluations is the finding that every patient with CA hurts in his/her own way, the way the disease unfolds over time and manifests itself in the patient and social environment is different for every patient, and patients with CA are well aware of this. CONCLUSIONS We have offered an insight into how patients with CA favor mHealth features for self-management apps. The results of this research can inform the design and development of prospective self-management apps for patients with CA.


10.2196/12535 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e12535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Geuens ◽  
Luc Geurts ◽  
Thijs W Swinnen ◽  
Rene Westhovens ◽  
Vero Vanden Abeele


10.2196/17776 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e17776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Li ◽  
Ning Liang ◽  
Fanlong Bu ◽  
Therese Hesketh

Background Effective treatment of hypertension requires careful self-management. With the ongoing development of mobile technologies and the scarcity of health care resources, mobile health (mHealth)–based self-management has become a useful treatment for hypertension, and its effectiveness has been assessed in many trials. However, there is a paucity of comprehensive summaries of the studies using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Objective This systematic review aimed to measure the effectiveness of mHealth in improving the self-management of hypertension for adults. The outcome measures were blood pressure (BP), BP control, medication adherence, self-management behavior, and costs. Methods A systematic search was conducted using 5 electronic databases. The snowballing method was used to scan the reference lists of relevant studies. Only peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 2010 and September 2019 were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by 3 researchers independently, adhering to the validation guideline and checklist. Both a meta-analysis and a narrative synthesis were carried out. Results A total of 24 studies with 8933 participants were included. Of these, 23 studies reported the clinical outcome of BP, 12 of these provided systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) data, and 16 articles focused on change in self-management behavior and medication adherence. All 24 studies were included in the narrative synthesis. According to the meta-analysis, a greater reduction in both SBP and DBP was observed in the mHealth intervention groups compared with control groups, −3.78 mm Hg (P<.001; 95% CI −4.67 to −2.89) and −1.57 mm Hg (P<.001; 95% CI −2.28 to −0.86), respectively. Subgroup analyses showed consistent reductions in SBP and DBP across different frequencies of reminders, interactive patterns, intervention functions, and study duration subgroups. A total of 16 studies reported better medication adherence and behavioral change in the intervention groups, while 8 showed no significant change. Six studies included an economic evaluation, which drew inconsistent conclusions. However, potentially long-term financial benefits were mentioned in all economic evaluations. All studies were assessed to be at high risk of bias. Conclusions This review found that mHealth self-management interventions were effective in BP control. The outcomes of this review showed improvements in self-management behavior and medication adherence. The most successful mHealth intervention combined the feature of tailored messages, interactive communication, and multifaceted functions. Further research with longer duration and cultural adaptation is necessary. With increasing disease burden from hypertension globally, mHealth offers a potentially effective method for self-management and control of BP. mHealth can be easily integrated into existing health care systems. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42019152062; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=152062



2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Danh Nguyen ◽  
Lauren J Frensham ◽  
Michael XC Wong ◽  
Sylvain MM Meslin ◽  
Paige Martin ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Gout is a form of chronic arthritis caused by elevated serum uric acid (SUA) and culminates in painful gout attacks. Effective uric acid-lowering therapies exist, however adherence is low. This is partly due to the lack of support for patients to self-manage their disease. Mobile health applications (apps) have been used in self-management of chronic conditions. However, not all are developed with patients, limiting their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to design an effective gout self-management app by collecting feedback from gout patients. METHODS Two mixed-methods studies were conducted. In Study 1, researchers developed a short educational video and written materials about gout management, designed to be embedded into an app. Six interviews and one focus group were held with gout patients to gather feedback on these materials. Usability testing in Study 2 involved additional gout patients using a pilot version of Healthy.me Gout, a gout self-management app, for two weeks. Following the trial, patients participated in an interview about their experiences using the app. RESULTS Patients viewed the gout educational material positively, appreciating the combined use of video, text and images. Patients were receptive to using a mobile app to self-manage their gout. Feedback about Healthy.me Gout was generally positive, with patients reporting that the tracking and diary features were most useful. Patients also provided suggestions for improving the app and educational materials. CONCLUSIONS These studies involved patients in the development of a gout self-management app. Patients provided insight to improve the app’s presentation and usability, and general lessons on useful features for chronic disease apps. Gout patients enjoyed tracking their SUA concentrations and gout attack triggers. These capabilities can be translated to self-management apps for chronic diseases that require monitoring of pathological values, medication adherence and/or symptoms. Future health app design should integrate patient input and be developed iteratively to address concerns identified by patients.



Author(s):  
Lies van Roessel ◽  
Jan Švelch

Despite a growing academic interest in in-game monetization, much less attention has been paid to the production context of microtransactions. With this chapter, we aim to address this gap by focusing on the roles and responsibilities related to video game monetization. We answer the titular question of this chapter using a mixed methods approach, combining semi-structured interviews, content analysis of job descriptions, and frequency analysis of in-game credits. Results suggest that monetization responsibilities are both being integrated into various existing roles, including game designers or product managers, but also spawn new dedicated roles of monetization specialists. Monetization as a game development task is closely related to data analysis and only inconsistently appears in in-game credits.



2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Clare ◽  
Stephen Rowley

Background: Aseptic technique is an important infection prevention competency for protecting patients from healthcare-associated infection (HAI). Healthcare providers using the Aseptic Non Touch Technique (ANTT®) aseptic technique have demonstrated reduced variability and improved compliance with aseptic technique. Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to determine whether standardizing aseptic technique for invasive IV procedures, using the ANTT® - Clinical Practice Framework (CPF), increases staff compliance with the infection prevention actions designed to achieve a safe and effective aseptic technique, and whether this is sustainable over time. Methods: A pragmatic evaluation using a mixed-methods approach consisting of an observational audit of practice, a self-report survey and structured interviews with key stakeholders. Compliance with aseptic technique before and after the implementation of ANTT® was measured by observation of 49 registered healthcare professionals. Results: Mean compliance with competencies was 94%; each component of practice was improved over baseline: hand hygiene = 63% ( P ≤ 0.001); glove use = 14% ( P ≤ 0.037); Key-Part protection = 54% ( P ≤ 0.001); a non-touch technique = 45% ( P ≤ 0.001); Key-Part cleaning = 82% ( P ≤ 0.001); and aseptic field management = 80% ( P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: Results show implementation of ANTT® improved compliance with the prerequisite steps for safe and effective aseptic technique as defined by the ANTT®-CPF. Improvements in compliance were sustained over four years.



2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Willems ◽  
Erik Farin-Glattacker ◽  
Thorsten Langer

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of the anterior horn cells in the spinal cord, resulting in muscle atrophy, and proximal muscle weakness. SMA presents with a wide range of symptoms requiring multiple clinical specialists and therapists. Integrating care between disciplines can be challenging due to the dynamic course of the disease, and great distances between specialist centers and local providers. Insufficient care integration can lead to suboptimal quality of care and more difficulties for patients and families. This study aims to improve care integration through a Case Management intervention, and taking a mixed-methods approach, to evaluate its impact.Methods: An exploratory, controlled, two-armed study with baseline, post- and follow-up measurement and process evaluation is conducted to evaluate our intervention compared to usual care. Through a multi-perspective state analysis, we investigate the experiences of caregivers and healthcare providers concerning the actual healthcare quality of patients with SMA I and II. Semi-structured interviews and care diaries are used. We apply that data to conceive a tailored Case Management intervention supplemented by a digital platform. The intervention's effect is examined in comparison to a control group taking a mixed-methods approach. As primary endpoints, we investigate the caregivers' health-related quality of life and the quality of care integration. Secondary endpoints are the use of healthcare services (patients and caregivers) and costs. We assess the process quality from the perspectives of caregivers and healthcare providers through semi-structured interviews.Discussion: This is an exploratory, controlled study to assess the impact of a tailored Case Management intervention to improve the care of patients with SMA I and II. After the evaluation, results on feasibility, expected effect sizes, and process quality will be available. On this basis, future randomized controlled trials can be planned. If demonstrated beneficial, the experience gained within this study may also be valuable for care strategies in other regions and other (non-pediatric) patient groups with rare diseases and/or chronic, complex conditions.Clinical Trial registration:https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&amp;TRIAL_ID=DRKS00018778, identifier: DRKS00018778.



10.2196/11442 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e11442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique van Beukering ◽  
Adeline Velu ◽  
Liesbeth van den Berg ◽  
Marjolein Kok ◽  
Ben Willem Mol ◽  
...  


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-205
Author(s):  
Arsalan Gharaveis ◽  
Hamed Yekita ◽  
Gholamreza Shamloo

Objectives: This research aims to explore the perceptions of nursing staff regarding the effects of daylighting on behavioral factors including mood, stress, satisfaction, medical error, and efficiency. Background: In spite of an extensive body of literature seeking to investigate the impact of daylighting on patients, a limited number of studies have been done for the sake of nurses’ perceptions and behavioral responses. Method: A mixed-methods approach, comprised of qualitative explorations (structured interviews) and a validated survey, was applied and the results were compared and triangulated. Five nurses were interviewed and 156 nurses volunteered for a lighting survey from six departments of three inpatient facilities in Iran. Results: The findings of this study are consistent with the existing evidence that daylighting and view to the outside enhance nurses’ perceptions regarding satisfaction, mood, stress, medical error, and alertness, while reducing fatigue and stress. Conclusion: Patient rooms and work stations are the most crucial areas to provide daylighting from nurses’ perspectives.



2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 276
Author(s):  
Ines Viktoria Stelzer ◽  
Anna Sierawska ◽  
Alena Buyx ◽  
Judit Simon

Personalized medicine (PM) to tailor healthcare (HC) to the individual, is a promising but challenging concept. So far, no study exists investigating stakeholders’ perspectives on PM in oncology in Austria potentially hindering implementation, which was the aim of this study. We performed semi-structured interviews among experts (n = 14) and cancer patients (n = 2) of the Vienna General Hospital and the Medical University of Vienna and analyzed them by a mixed methods network theoretical approach. Study results show a great variety of topics addressed by the interviewees. Clear differences in the topic selection between patients and experts could be observed. Patient-doctor relationship was the most prominent theme among experts, whereas HC systems and public health in PM was more relevant for the patients. Although promising new molecular pathology methods were explicitly mentioned, the experts believed that their practical implementation and the implementation of PM in standard care will take a long time in Austria. A variety of concerns regarding PM were mentioned by the experts, including communication issues and knowledge gaps. Besides important insights into the current situation of PM in Austria, the study has shown that network theory is a powerful tool for analyzing qualitative interview data.



2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Doyle ◽  
Jan de Vries ◽  
Agnes Higgins ◽  
Brian Keogh ◽  
Padraig McBennett ◽  
...  

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a one-day mental health Wellness Workshop on participants’ mental health and attitudes towards mental health. Design: Convergent, longitudinal mixed-methods approach. Setting: The study evaluated Wellness Workshops which took place throughout the Republic of Ireland. Method: Questionnaires measuring hope, mental health self-efficacy, attitudes towards mental health and perceived impact on wellbeing were administered to participants before the workshop ( n = 415), 1 week after ( n = 221) and 3 months after ( n = 110). Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 participants to generate a more in-depth understanding of the impact of the workshop. Results: Quantitative findings relating to hope, mental health self-efficacy and attitudes towards mental health did not identify statistically significant changes; however, participants’ perceptions of the effect of the workshop on wellbeing suggested a positive impact which was maintained over time. Qualitative findings, however, suggested that hope and self-efficacy were improved and the simplicity and utility of the wellness strategies disseminated in the workshop, in addition to the warmth and openness of the narrative approach used by the facilitators, were central to the perceived positive impact. Conclusion: This evaluation demonstrates the potential for wellness interventions to have a subjective improvement in wellbeing in members of the general public.



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