scholarly journals An Overview of Commercially Available Apps in the Initial Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melvyn W. B. Zhang ◽  
Aloysius Chow ◽  
Roger C. M. Ho ◽  
Helen E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Keyword Search ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Smartphone Applications ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Contact Tracking ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
Commercial Applications ◽  
Google Play

Introduction: It has been 4 months since the discovery of COVID-19, and there have been many measures introduced to curb movements of individuals to stem the spread. There has been an increase in the utilization of web-based technologies for counseling, and for supervision and training, and this has been carefully described in China. Several telehealth initiatives have been highlighted for Australian residents. Smartphone applications have previously been shown to be helpful in times of a crisis. Whilst there have been some examples of how web-based technologies have been used to support individuals who are concerned about or living with COVID-19, we know of no studies or review that have specifically looked at how M-Health technologies have been utilized for COVID-19.Objectives: There might be existing commercially available applications on the commercial stores, or in the published literature. There remains a lack of understanding of the resources that are available, the functionality of these applications, and the evidence base of these applications. Given this, the objective of this content analytical review is in identifying the commercial applications that are available currently for COVID-19, and in exploring their functionalities.Methods: A mobile application search application was used. The search terminologies used were “COVID” and “COVID-19.” Keyword search was performed based on the titles of the commercial applications. The search through the database was conducted from the 27th March through to the 18th of April 2020 by two independent authors.Results: A total of 103 applications were identified from the Apple iTunes and Google Play store, respectively; 32 were available on both Apple and Google Play stores. The majority appeared on the commercial stores between March and April 2020, more than 2 months after the first discovery of COVID-19. Some of the common functionalities include the provision of news and information, contact tracking, and self-assessment or diagnosis.Conclusions: This is the first review that has characterized the smartphone applications 4 months after the first discovery of COVID-19.

scholarly journals 0982 Content Analysis Of The Features And Claims Of Smartphone Applications For Children’s Sleep

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A373-A373
Author(s):  
I Talker ◽  
J L Kaar ◽  
S L Simon
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Smartphone Applications ◽  
Research Support ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Children’S Sleep ◽  
Google Play ◽  
Bedtime Routine

Abstract Introduction Empirically supported treatments for pediatric sleep problems exist but many families turn to other sources for help with their child’s sleep, such as smartphone applications (apps). Sleep apps are easy for families to access but little evidence exists regarding the validity of the services and information provided. The goal of this study was to examine the features and claims of sleep apps for children. Methods A search of the Apple iTunes store and Google Play Store was conducted using the terms “kids sleep” and “baby sleep”. 635 apps were initially identified. Apps were excluded if they were not specifically for children (n=163), not for sleep (n=152), or if they had <100,000 downloads (n=246). Content analyses were used to assess the apps functions, claims, and evidence base. Results A total of 74 apps were examined of which only 4% offered sleep improvement strategies. The majority were sound and light apps (77%) and 19% were bedtime games/stories. The apps were highly rated (average 4.4 out of 5) and most were free (54%); the price of paid apps ranged from $0.99 to $119.99 (annual subscription). Only 2 apps were identified as containing empirical evidence, and all of the apps featuring games and stories to be used as part of the bedtime routine are in opposition to the recommendation to avoid the melatonin-suppressing effect of electronics/bright light before bedtime. Despite this, many apps boasted claims that they will help children “fall asleep instantly,” “cry less and sleep better,” or improve child development. Conclusion A large variety of sleep applications exist aimed for use with children. Many boast claims that cannot be supported by empirical evidence, and indeed may be in opposition to research support. Collaboration between sleep researchers and technology developers may be beneficial for the creation of evidence-supported apps to help with children’s sleep. Support N/A

Web-Based Peer and Self-Assessment System Design and Development for Elementary School Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet EMIN KORTAK
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Elementary School Students ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Peer Assessment ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
School Students ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Web Based ◽  
User Friendly

This research aimed at designing and improving the web-based integrated peer and self- assessment. WesPASS (web-based peer-assessment system), developed in this research, allows students to assess their own or their peers’ performance and project assignments and to report about the result of these assessments so that they correct their assignments. This study employed design-based research. The participants included 102 fourth grade primary school students and their 4 teachers from 2 state and 2 private primary schools in Ankara, Kecioren (Turkey) who employed the system and were engaged in a questionnaire survey to assess its quality. The findings were analyzed through quantitative data analysis. The findings revealed that the system can be used by elementary school students for peer and self-assessment system. The participants stated that WesPASS is simple and user-friendly, and it accelerates the assessment process by employing information technology and allows to share opinions 

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.

scholarly journals Management of Sternal Precautions Following Median Sternotomy by Physical Therapists in Australia: A Web-Based Survey

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara J. Tuyl ◽  
Jennifer H. Mackney ◽  
Catherine L. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Physical Therapist ◽  
Median Sternotomy ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Wound Breakdown ◽  
Observational Design ◽  
Midline Sternotomy

Background Sternal precautions are utilized within many hospitals with the aim of preventing the occurrence of sternal complications (eg, infection, wound breakdown) following midline sternotomy. The evidence base for sternal precaution protocols, however, has been questioned due to a paucity of research, unknown effect on patient outcomes, and possible discrepancies in pattern of use among institutions. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate and document the use of sternal precautions by physical therapists in the treatment of patients following median sternotomy in hospitals throughout Australia, from immediately postsurgery to discharge from the hospital. Design A cross-sectional, observational design was used. An anonymous, Web-based survey was custom designed for use in the study. Methods The questionnaire was content validated, and the online functionality was assessed. The senior cardiothoracic physical therapist from each hospital identified as currently performing cardiothoracic surgery (N=51) was invited to participate. Results The response rate was 58.8% (n=30). Both public (n=18) and private (n=12) hospitals in all states of Australia were represented. Management protocols reported by participants included wound support (n=22), restrictions on lifting and transfers (n=23), and restrictions on mobility aid use (n=15). Factors influencing clinical practice most commonly included “workplace practices/protocols” (n=27) and “clinical experience” (n=22). Limitations The study may be limited by response bias. Conclusions Significant variation exists in the sternal precautions and protocols used in the treatment of patients following median sternotomy in Australian hospitals. Further research is needed to investigate whether the restrictions and precautions used are necessary and whether protocols have an impact on patient outcomes, including rates of recovery and length of stay.

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.

scholarly journals Current practices in clinical neurofeedback with functional MRI—Analysis of a survey using the TIDieR checklist

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 28-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Randell ◽  
Rachel McNamara ◽  
Leena Subramanian ◽  
Kerenza Hood ◽  
David Linden
Keyword(s):  
Functional Mri ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Complex Interventions ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Study Protocols ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Intervention Description ◽  
Standard Terms

AbstractBackgroundA core principle of creating a scientific evidence base is that results can be replicated in independent experiments and in health intervention research. The TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) checklist has been developed to aid in summarising key items needed when reporting clinical trials and other well designed evaluations of complex interventions in order that findings can be replicated or built on reliably. Neurofeedback (NF) using functional MRI (fMRI) is a multicomponent intervention that should be considered a complex intervention. The TIDieR checklist (with minor modification to increase applicability in this context) was distributed to NF researchers as a survey of current practice in the design and conduct of clinical studies. The aim was to document practice and convergence between research groups, highlighting areas for discussion and providing a basis for recommendations for harmonisation and standardisation.MethodsThe TIDieR checklist was interpreted and expanded (21 questions) to make it applicable to neurofeedback research studies. Using the web-based Bristol Online Survey (BOS) tool, the revised checklist was disseminated to researchers in the BRAINTRAIN European research collaborative network (supported by the European Commission) and others in the fMRI-neurofeedback community.ResultsThere were 16 responses to the survey. Responses were reported under eight main headings which covered the six domains of the TIDieR checklist: What, Why, When, How, Where and Who.ConclusionsThis piece of work provides encouraging insight into the ability to be able to map neuroimaging interventions to a structured framework for reporting purposes. Regardless of the considerable variability of design components, all studies could be described in standard terms of diagnostic groups, dose/duration, targeted areas/signals, and psychological strategies and learning models. Recommendations are made which include providing detailed rationale of intervention design in study protocols.

Gritty Leaders: The Impact of Grit on Positive Leadership Capacity

2018 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 1449-1470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Schimschal ◽  
Tim Lomas
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Leadership Strategies ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Positive Leadership ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The concepts of grit and positive leadership are central to extraordinary performance. However, to date there has been little empirical analysis of the relationship between a leader’s level of grit and their capacity to implement positive leadership strategies and practices. This correlational study explores these linkages, taking grit subfactors into consideration as well as three dimensions of positive leadership. Convenience sampling was used to survey 100 leaders across a range of industries. Respondents completed the Grit Scale and 18 questions from the Positive Leadership Practices Self-Assessment. Results indicated that grit positively correlated with positive leadership, and perseverance exhibited a stronger relationship than passion. Further, grit accounted for variance in positive leadership. These findings provide a solid evidence base for giving leaders access to development opportunities that can accelerate the growth of grit and positive leadership.

scholarly journals Quality and Safety in eHealth: The Need to Build the Evidence Base (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Borycki
Keyword(s):  
Health Informatics ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Quality And Safety ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Safety Science ◽  
Improve Patient

UNSTRUCTURED Research in the area of health technology safety has demonstrated that technology may both improve patient safety and introduce new types of technology-induced errors. Thus, there is a need to publish safety science literature to develop an evidence-based research base, on which we can continually develop new, safe technologies and improve patient safety. The aim of this viewpoint is to argue for the need to advance evidence-based research in health informatics, so that new technologies can be designed, developed, and implemented for their safety prior to their use in health care. This viewpoint offers a historical perspective on the development of health informatics and safety literature in the area of health technology. I argue for the need to conduct safety studies of technologies used by health professionals and consumers to develop an evidence base in this area. Ongoing research is necessary to improve the quality and safety of health technologies. Over the past several decades, we have seen health informatics emerge as a discipline, with growing research in the field examining the design, development, and implementation of different health technologies and new challenges such as those associated with the quality and safety of technology use. Future research will need to focus on how we can continually extend safety science in this area. There is a need to integrate evidence-based research into the design, development, and implementation of health technologies to improve their safety and reduce technology-induced errors.

Looking for needles in a haystack: how do ebook reader applications handle active indexes? Part 4 - smartphones

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34
Author(s):  
Mary Coe ◽  
Jan Wright
Keyword(s):  
User Interface ◽  
The Other ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Smartphone Applications ◽  
Tablet Devices ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Third ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Complex Question

Indexes in ebooks can be ‘active’, with hyperlinks into the text. Should these links go to the page, paragraph, line or word level? This is a complex question, but the main concern may be the user interface in ebook reader applications. In this last article of a four-part series, Mary Coe and Jan Wright report on their investigation of how active ebook indexes are handled by applications on smartphones. They conclude that smartphone applications perform reasonably well but do not handle all levels of locator specificity with precision and that small smartphone screens can lead to problems with index display and use. They also conclude the series with a summary of their findings across all ereading applications and devices. (See also the other articles in this series - the first part on Web-based browser ereader applications in The Indexer 37(2), pp. 125-40; the second part on dedicated ereader devices in The Indexer 38(1), pp. 29-44; and the third part on tablet devices in The Indexer 38(3), pp. 271-89.)

Reflecting on Portfolio Development

2013 ◽  
pp. 197-211
Author(s):  
Hea-Jin Lee ◽  
Leah Herner-Patnode
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Portfolio Assessment ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Assessment Procedure ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Web Based

This study adopted portfolio assessment as a means of deepening pre-service teachers’ understanding of teaching and learning. The ultimate goal of using the portfolio was to bring the program in line with the mission of the institute, the criteria of the NCATE and INTASC, and the standards of the Ohio State License. This study discusses the challenge of implementing a year-long portfolio assessment procedure, as well as investigating how the exit portfolio assessment plays a role in facilitating pre-service teachers’ professional growth in terms of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Results indicate that preservice teachers considered the capstone portfolio as a tool for reflection, which helped them improve critical thinking skills, self-assessment, and advancement. Also, the portfolio process helped teacher candidates develop a professional identity and promote teaching. Overall, there was growth and improvement in knowledge, skills, and dispositions toward teaching, the role of a teacher and learner, and using the web-based portfolio process.

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