Overview of Digital Health Research: A Global Multi-Disciplinary Collaborative Alliance from the Worldwide Universities Network (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Poon ◽  
Mark Latt ◽  
Michelle A Morris ◽  
Owen Johnson ◽  
Nicholas Fuggle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Development Education ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Research And Education

BACKGROUND Digital health is an important part of the future of health care, prevention and management of disease and innovative monitoring solutions. With an aging population and rising health related costs, digital health is an essential part of the solution, alongside the emerging big data and associated analytics. To varying extents, digital health and big data are present worldwide. However, consistency in terminology, regulation and implementation differ. As an international network of interdisciplinary experts we review and discuss the digital health and big data landscape. OBJECTIVE We firstly identify current challenges and solutions in digital health development, research, deployment in the management of non-communicable disease and regulation and then go on to establish an ongoing and international collaboration of multidisciplinary researchers and educators; creating opportunities for research and education. METHODS The Digital Health Research Network was established using the Worldwide Universities Network as a platform and a funding resource. The newly formed network harnesses expertise from a wide array of academic disciplines within applications of digital health and big data for health. Meetings took place both electronically and face to face, with a Research Open Day in Sydney and the International Symposium for Digital Health in Hong Kong facilitating wider networking and discussion. RESULTS Many challenges working across disciplines in the digital health area have been identified. These include inconsistent definitions for digital health and big data, a diverse range of digital technologies available across the globe, differences in regulation of such technologies. There is not equity in resources and standards globally. He range of stakeholders involved in digital health and big data relating to health are extensive. It is important that these stakeholders can communicate effectively, with a common technical language. Continued development, education and widening engagement are integral components of developing digital health worldwide. CONCLUSIONS Digital Health is a necessary and sufficient factor in achieving health gains. However, in is critical that digital health is leveraged appropriately and that transformation of interdisciplinary practices can intelligently link digital health with care management processes to make a difference. The new interdisciplinary, International Society for Digital Health aims to provide a platform to facilitate this. CLINICALTRIAL n/a

scholarly journals Assessing and piloting interoperability for population health research

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
F Estupiñán-Romero ◽  
J Gonzalez-García ◽  
E Bernal-Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Privacy And Security

Abstract Issue/problem Interoperability is paramount when reusing health data from multiple data sources and becomes vital when the scope is cross-national. We aimed at piloting interoperability solutions building on three case studies relevant to population health research. Interoperability lies on four pillars; so: a) Legal frame (i.e., compliance with the GDPR, privacy- and security-by-design, and ethical standards); b) Organizational structure (e.g., availability and access to digital health data and governance of health information systems); c) Semantic developments (e.g., existence of metadata, availability of standards, data quality issues, coherence between data models and research purposes); and, d) Technical environment (e.g., how well documented are data processes, which are the dependencies linked to software components or alignment to standards). Results We have developed a federated research network architecture with 10 hubs each from a different country. This architecture has implied: a) the design of the data model that address the research questions; b) developing, distributing and deploying scripts for data extraction, transformation and analysis; and, c) retrieving the shared results for comparison or pooled meta-analysis. Lessons The development of a federated architecture for population health research is a technical solution that allows full compliance with interoperability pillars. The deployment of this type of solution where data remain in house under the governance and legal requirements of the data owners, and scripts for data extraction and analysis are shared across hubs, requires the implementation of capacity building measures. Key messages Population health research will benefit from the development of federated architectures that provide solutions to interoperability challenges. Case studies conducted within InfAct are providing valuable lessons to advance the design of a future pan-European research infrastructure.

scholarly journals The Interconnected Health Initiative: A Smithsonian Framework to Extend One Health Research and Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Comizzoli ◽  
Katrina M. Pagenkopp Lohan ◽  
Carly Muletz-Wolz ◽  
James Hassell ◽  
Brian Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Health Research ◽  
One Health ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Good Living ◽  
Research And Education

To better tackle diseases and sustain healthy ecosystems, One Health programs must efficiently bridge health in humans, domestic/livestock species, wild animals and plants, agriculture/aquaculture, and the environment. The Smithsonian Institution proposes to address this by considering ‘health' in a broad sense – the absence of undue pathogens and unnecessary stress for any organisms as well as access to good living conditions in functional environments. Considering the interconnectedness of all life forms, the Smithsonian plans to create a framework that will integrate cultural, social, and educational components into health research on humans, animals, plants, or ecosystems. The objectives of this perspective article are to (1) propose an innovative framework to support an interconnected/integrated approach to health and (2) provide examples fostering impactful collaborations on One Health research and education. Based on the core strengths of the Smithsonian (multidisciplinary research, outreach and education programs, libraries/archives, and collections) and central institutional support, this framework has the potential to extend existing health-related projects, address new needs and situations (e.g., response to pandemics), provide invaluable resources to inform policy and decision makers, and educate all audiences globally.

scholarly journals Big Tech platforms in health research: Re-purposing big data governance in light of the General Data Protection Regulation’s research exemption

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205395172110187
Author(s):  
Luca Marelli ◽  
Giuseppe Testa ◽  
Ine van Hoyweghen
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Data Protection ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Data Governance ◽  
General Data Protection Regulation ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
General Data

The emergence of a global industry of digital health platforms operated by Big Tech corporations, and its growing entanglements with academic and pharmaceutical research networks, raise pressing questions on the capacity of current data governance models, regulatory and legal frameworks to safeguard the sustainability of the health research ecosystem. In this article, we direct our attention toward the challenges faced by the European General Data Protection Regulation in regulating the potentially disruptive engagement of Big Tech platforms in health research. The General Data Protection Regulation upholds a rather flexible regime for scientific research through a number of derogations to otherwise stricter data protection requirements, while providing a very broad interpretation of the notion of “scientific research”. Precisely the breadth of these exemptions combined with the ample scope of this notion could provide unintended leeway to the health data processing activities of Big Tech platforms, which have not been immune from carrying out privacy-infringing and socially disruptive practices in the health domain. We thus discuss further finer-grained demarcations to be traced within the broadly construed notion of scientific research, geared to implementing use-based data governance frameworks that distinguish health research activities that should benefit from a facilitated data protection regime from those that should not. We conclude that a “re-purposing” of big data governance approaches in health research is needed if European nations are to promote research activities within a framework of high safeguards for both individual citizens and society.

Health research capacity in Nepal: Analysis of the trend and the role of local researchers

2021 ◽  
pp. 004947552098277
Author(s):  
Madhu Kharel ◽  
Alpha Pokharel ◽  
Krishna P Sapkota ◽  
Prasant V Shahi ◽  
Pratisha Shakya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Research ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Evidence Based Decision Making

Evidence-based decision-making is less common in low- and middle-income countries where the research capacity remains low. Nepal, a lower-middle-income country in Asia, is not an exception. We conducted a rapid review to identify the trend of health research in Nepal and found more than seven-fold increase in the number of published health-related articles between 2000 and 2018. The proportion of articles with Nepalese researchers as the first authors has also risen over the years, though they are still only in two-thirds of the articles in 2018.

scholarly journals Studying the COVID-19 infodemic at scale

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205395172110211
Author(s):  
Anatoliy Gruzd ◽  
Manlio De Domenico ◽  
Pier Luigi Sacco ◽  
Sylvie Briand
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Misleading Information ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Health Related

This special theme issue of Big Data & Society presents leading-edge, interdisciplinary research that focuses on examining how health-related (mis-)information is circulating on social media. In particular, we are focusing on how computational and Big Data approaches can help to provide a better understanding of the ongoing COVID-19 infodemic (overexposure to both accurate and misleading information on a health topic) and to develop effective strategies to combat it.

scholarly journals Promoting Problem Solving About Health Management: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Evaluation of a Digital Health Intervention for Older Adults With Pre-Frailty and Frailty

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142098568
Author(s):  
Annie T. Chen ◽  
Frances Chu ◽  
Andrew K. Teng ◽  
Soojeong Han ◽  
Shih-Yin Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Health Related

Background: There is a need for interventions to promote health management of older adults with pre-frailty and frailty. Technology poses promising solutions, but questions exist about effective delivery. Objectives: We present the results of a mixed-methods pilot evaluation of Virtual Online Communities for Older Adults (VOCALE), an 8-week intervention conducted in the northwestern United States, in which participants shared health-related experiences and applied problem solving skills in a Facebook group. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods process evaluation, integrating quantitative and qualitative data, to characterize the intervention and its effects. We focus on four areas: health-related measures (health literacy and self-efficacy), participation, problem solving skills enacted, and subjective feedback. Results: Eight older adults with pre-frailty and frailty (age = 82.7 ± 6.6 years) completed the study. There was an upward trend in health literacy and health self-efficacy post-intervention. Participants posted at least two times per week. Content analysis of 210 posts showed participants were able to apply the problem solving skills taught, and exit interviews showed participants’ increased awareness of the need to manage health, and enjoyment in learning about others. Conclusion: This mixed-methods evaluation provides insight into feasibility and design considerations for online interventions to promote health management among vulnerable older adults.

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