Multidisciplinary Approach to the Development of Digital Health Messages for Rural Populations in Tanzania (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Holst ◽  
Ghislain Maurice Norbert Isabwe ◽  
Felix Sukums ◽  
Helena Ngowi ◽  
Flora Kajuna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Taenia Solium ◽  
Health Messages ◽  
National Language ◽  
Health Promotion And Education ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hiv Aids

BACKGROUND Health workers have traditionally delivered health promotion and education to rural communities in the Global South in paper leaflet formats or orally. With the rise of digital technologies, health promotion and education can be provided in innovative and more effective formats, which are believed to have a higher impact on disease prevention and treatment. OBJECTIVE Using a multidisciplinary approach, the objective of this project was to develop short and simple digital health educational messages for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis and anthrax for rural communities in Tanzania. METHODS The multidisciplinary team of the Non-discriminating Access for Digital Inclusion (DigI) project digitalised and customised available government-approved paper-based health promotion messages into a screen suitable format. The team worked closely together and utilised its diverse expertise to develop the digital health messages with disease-specific content, in Tanzania's national language (Swahili) as well as English. The development process included the following phases: 1) a local needs assessment; 2) identification of government-approved health promotion materials in a non-digital format; 3) identification of key health messages for each of the five relevant domains (prevalence, cause/transmission, signs/symptoms, treatment and prevention); 4) creation of a practical and engaging story, easy to understand for the general public; 5) drafting of a storyboard for an animated video with review, feedback and revisions; 6) forward and backward translation from English to Swahili; 7) audio recording of the story in both languages; 8) finalisation and presentation for the animations; 9) development of relevant quiz questions related to the health messages in each domain; and 10) development of web and mobile applications to access the digital health messages. RESULTS Between 2017 and 2019, we developed key health messages, quizzes and animated health videos to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis and anthrax, which are all of public health importance in Tanzania. The four videos and other contents are available on a digital health platform (DigI platform), established by the DigI project, in both Swahili and English. CONCLUSIONS Our methodological multidisciplinary approach ensures that the digital health messages for the public are clear, high quality and align with the government objectives for health promotion. It also demonstrates the diversity of scientific disciplines required when collaborating on a digital health project. We recommend this approach to be applied to the development of other digital health messages for a wide range of diseases. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-25128

Healthcare apps on smartphones available in Brazil: a preliminary classification (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
André De Faria Pereira Neto ◽  
Leticia Barbosa ◽  
Rodolfo Paolucci
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Disease Prevention ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
World Health ◽  
Computing Device ◽  
Care Treatment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Applications

UNSTRUCTURED Billions of people in the world own a smartphone. It is a low-cost, portable computing device with countless features, among which applications stand out, which are programs or software developed to meet a specific goal. A wide range of applications available ranging from entertainment and personal organization to work and education is available currently. It is a vast and profitable market. Health applications have been a means of intervention for different areas, including chronic diseases, epidemics, and health emergencies. A recently published paper in the journal with the highest impact factor in Digital Health (“Journal of Medical Internet Research”) proposes a classification of health applications. This study performs a critical analysis of this organization and presents other sort criteria. This paper also presents and analyzes the “Meu Info Saúde” (“My Health Info”) app – a pioneering government initiative focused on primary care launched by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The application classification proposal that will be presented builds on the intervention strategies in the health-disease process, namely: “Health Promotion”, “Disease Prevention” and “Care, Treatment and Rehabilitation”, as defined by official documents such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most applications present in the sample are of private and foreign origin, free to download, but with a display of ads or the sale of products and services. The sampled applications were classified as “Health Promotion”, and some applications have also been categorized as “Disease Prevention” or “Care, Treatment or Rehabilitation” because they have multiple functionalities. The applications identified as “Health Promotion” focused only on individuals’ lifestyle and their increased autonomy and self-care management capacity. From this perspective, the apps analyzed in this paper differ from the “Meu Info-Saúde” application developed at Fiocruz.

scholarly journals A digital health intervention to increase health knowledge related to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis in Iringa, Tanzania: Protocol of a mixed-method study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Holst ◽  
Felix Sukums ◽  
Bernard Ngowi ◽  
Lien My Diep ◽  
Tewodros Aragie Kebede ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Taenia Solium ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Health Messages ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
The Difference

BACKGROUND Health promotion and health education have traditionally been given to communities in the global south in the form of leaflets or orally by healthcare workers. Digital health interventions (DHIs) such as digital health messages accessed with, for example, smartphones have the potential to reach more people at a lower cost and to contribute to strengthening of the healthcare system. The DHI in this study is focused on disseminating digital health education on three disease complexes of high public health concern, i.e. HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Taenia solium (neuro)cysticercosis/taeniosis (TSCT), a parasitic zoonotic disease that requires a Health One approach to combat. The DHI presents the participants with animated health videos (animations) and provides access to internet hotspots in rural Tanzanian communities, with a freely accessible digital health platform containing messages about health. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to measure the effect of the DHI on health knowledge uptake and retention over time in the rural communities. METHODS This is a mixed-method study including a non-randomized, controlled trial and qualitative interviews, conducted in rural Tanzania, in which the DHI is being implemented. A health platform containing digital health messages to the communities was developed prior to the study. The health messages comprise text, pictures, quizzes and animations of everyday stories, aiming at disease prevention and early treatment. The baseline and immediate-after assessment was completed in Iringa, Tanzania in 2019. The participants were interviewed by enumerators and completed questionnaires with questions regarding health knowledge. Participants in the intervention group were exposed to three health animations once, on a tablet device. The participants’ health knowledge was immediately assessed again after exposure. The first follow-up survey was undertaken in August 2019. The internet hotspots with the health platform were thereafter rolled out in the intervention villages in November 2019. Qualitative interviews were undertaken in February 2020. The second follow-up was completed in June 2020. RESULTS A total of 600 participants have been enrolled in the trial. We will assess 1) the difference in knowledge scores between baseline and immediate-after in the intervention group, 2) the difference in knowledge scores between the groups on the changes from baseline to 3 and 6 months post DHI rollout. As a randomised design was not feasible, potential confounders, e.g. age, gender, education and time from exposure, may be introduced, for which results will be adjusted. Data analysis for the 35 qualitative interviews is currently ongoing, where perspectives and experiences related to use and non-use of the hotspots are being explored. CONCLUSIONS This is an ongoing digital health study, aiming at evaluating the effects of a DHI based on relevant health messages, of which published results can be expected next year. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03808597; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03808597

scholarly journals Utilizing a Community-Based Partnership to Increase Health Promotion Among Rural Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 564-564
Author(s):  
Cassandra Ford ◽  
Martha Crowther ◽  
Keri Barron ◽  
Mary Ann Kelley
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Promotion And Education ◽  
Group Members

Abstract Older adults living in rural communities often encounter health disparities related to chronic conditions and access to care. In an effort to address these disparities, a community-based program focused on health promotion and education was implemented with community dwelling, rural, African American older adults. We partnered with a local church to provide education regarding health promotion, chronic disease self-management, and support for senior group members (n=32). Program materials were accessed online in order to facilitate sustainability and potential program expansion. Key findings from a qualitative content analysis indicated the majority of participants reported improved engagement in chronic disease management and health promotion activities (i.e., following a healthy diet, monitoring blood pressure, taking medications as prescribed), incorporating health behaviors to prevent the development of co-morbid conditions, and increased client-provider communication. Implications for further research will be discussed and key elements of program implementation such as a continued partnership will be explored.

scholarly journals P4.10 Ifmsa brazil’s experience on health promotion and education in hiv/aids

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey Oliveira da Cruz ◽  
Rafael Silveira Batista ◽  
Bruna Kariny de Oliveira Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Promotion And Education ◽  
Hiv Aids

The development of information interaction as a key element of state risk management and health protection

2020 ◽  
pp. 68-76
Author(s):  
S. Voronkova
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Information System ◽  
Information Interaction ◽  
New Information ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Working Age ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Working Age Population ◽  
Types Of Information

The article discusses ways to obtain information about risk factors and the health status of the population. The article describes a new information system «labor Medicine», which allows to organize the collection of a wide range of data for further analysis and application in the activities of various Executive authorities, public organizations, foundations, legal entities and citizens. It is proposed to improve this system by expanding the types of information collected, creating a passport for health promotion organizations, as well as integration with systems that are being implemented in the Russian Federation for managing the health of the working-age population in the context of state policy in the field of Informatization.

Healthcare Utilization, Unmet Service Needs, and Medication Adherence Among People Living with HIV/AIDS

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 436-442
Author(s):  
Xiangjun Zhang ◽  
Roy F. Oman ◽  
Trudy A. Larson ◽  
Elizabeth J. Christiansen ◽  
Michelle L. Granner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Service Utilization ◽  
Medical Service ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Adherence Group ◽  
Hiv Aids

Background: Comorbidity rates and service needs are high among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The effects of service utilization and unmet service needs on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations among PLWHA’s service utilization, unmet service needs, and ART adherence. Methods: PLWHA (N=162) 18 years or older were recruited from a Nevada statewide needs assessment project in 2016. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on paper or online. The independent variables were service utilization and unmet service needs. The outcome variable was ART adherence. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between the amount of utilized services and unmet service needs with ART adherence. Results: Only 12 (7.5%) participants reported they received all needed services. The ART non-adherence group showed significantly higher unmet medical service needs compared to the ART adherence group (p=0.007). Unmet medical service needs (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 0.69, CI 0.53-0.90) and unmet support service needs (AOR 0.68, CI 0.48-0.97) were negatively associated with ART adherence. However, utilizing medical services (AOR 1.06, CI 0.87-1.30) and support services (AOR 0.88, CI 0.74-1.04) in the current year were not significantly associated with ART adherence. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that health promotion programming should focus not only on introducing new services at the community level, but also work to optimize the availability and awareness of current services. Furthermore, health promotion programs should focus on filling service coverage gaps and improving the facilitation of services.

scholarly journals Drivers of Infectious Disease Seasonality: Potential Implications for COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 074873042098732
Author(s):  
N. Kronfeld-Schor ◽  
T. J. Stevenson ◽  
S. Nickbakhsh ◽  
E. S. Schernhammer ◽  
X. C. Dopico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Human Coronaviruses ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Timing Phase

Not 1 year has passed since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since its emergence, great uncertainty has surrounded the potential for COVID-19 to establish as a seasonally recurrent disease. Many infectious diseases, including endemic human coronaviruses, vary across the year. They show a wide range of seasonal waveforms, timing (phase), and amplitudes, which differ depending on the geographical region. Drivers of such patterns are predominantly studied from an epidemiological perspective with a focus on weather and behavior, but complementary insights emerge from physiological studies of seasonality in animals, including humans. Thus, we take a multidisciplinary approach to integrate knowledge from usually distinct fields. First, we review epidemiological evidence of environmental and behavioral drivers of infectious disease seasonality. Subsequently, we take a chronobiological perspective and discuss within-host changes that may affect susceptibility, morbidity, and mortality from infectious diseases. Based on photoperiodic, circannual, and comparative human data, we not only identify promising future avenues but also highlight the need for further studies in animal models. Our preliminary assessment is that host immune seasonality warrants evaluation alongside weather and human behavior as factors that may contribute to COVID-19 seasonality, and that the relative importance of these drivers requires further investigation. A major challenge to predicting seasonality of infectious diseases are rapid, human-induced changes in the hitherto predictable seasonality of our planet, whose influence we review in a final outlook section. We conclude that a proactive multidisciplinary approach is warranted to predict, mitigate, and prevent seasonal infectious diseases in our complex, changing human-earth system.

Use of Digital Health Tools for Health Promotion in Cancer Survivors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry K. Onyeaka ◽  
Juliana Zambrano ◽  
Regina M. Longley ◽  
Christopher M. Celano ◽  
John A. Naslund ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Digital Health
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