scholarly journals Digital Health Services through Patient Empowerment: Classification, Current State and Preliminary Impact Assessment by Health Pod Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 359
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Andreoni ◽  
Enrico Gianluca Caiani ◽  
Nicola Castaldini
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Preventive Medicine ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Patient Empowerment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Stress Index ◽  
Good Picture ◽  
Prevention Campaign

Health pods are new systems such as small spaces equipped with medical devices where users can measure several biomedical parameters related to their health status and receive other medical services. Their impact on health over a life course could be relevant in defining healthy aging strategies and/or management of chronic diseases and the early detection of possible symptoms related to some common pathologies. The generated data have not only a personal value but even at a community/society level. Health pods also support educational and empowerment actions to enable the 5P medicine approach, and specifically prevention, health promotion, and public health policymaking. This paper aims at defining their taxonomy, conducting a market and typologies survey, and discussing their potential impact in preventive medicine, presenting data of a pilot test carried out placing two health pods in a superstore environment to validate the demand and the participation of people in a prevention campaign. A 57-day period was observed at two sites: the number of free accesses and administered tests was impressive for size and completeness. The test revealed a good picture of the general health status of the population, with satisfying AGE values in the cardiovascular check and stress index through an HRV analysis. The body composition test revealed a small number of overweight subjects, more in males than in females. This pilot confirmed the huge demand for personalized services for improving well-being, health status, and quality of life and the relevance of these solutions for their individual and societal impact in preventive medicine.

scholarly journals Assessment of the health of medical students

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 132-138
Author(s):  
Anastasiya A. Khablova ◽  
Galina N. Bondar’ ◽  
Pavel F. Kiku ◽  
Natal’ya S. Tumanova ◽  
Valentina N. Rasskazova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Component Composition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Academic Workload ◽  
The Individual

Human health, in addition to social and spiritual well-being, is determined by its physical condition, which reflects the functional capabilities of the body, features of physical development and ensures working capacity in any activity, including academic workload, which is extremely important for students in higher educational institutions. The purpose of the study is to assess the health status of students at the School of Biomedicine of the Far Eastern Federal University. Material and methods. The health status of 184 medical students (147 young women and 37 young men) was assessed using a sociological survey (questionnaire) and a study of the component composition of the body using bioimpedancemetry. Results. The low physical activity, detected in 68% of students and bad habits (smoking tobacco) have been established to negatively affect students’ health. Among smokers, 75% of students live in dormitories on the university campus. According to the results of bioimpedancemetry, significant deviations from the age norm were noted in terms of body mass index (BMI) (50% of cases) and fat mass (FM) (71% of cases). Significant gender differences in the individual components of the body were not identified. Discussion. The most aggressive factors that significantly affect the health of students are unbalanced nutrition, lack of compliance with the regime of study and rest, lack of sleep and stay in the fresh air, lack of physical activity, lack of motivation for a healthy lifestyle. Significant deviations in BMI and FM, identified by bioimpedancemetry, indicate the risks of developing arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and nutritional status disorders. Medical students need to give recommendations for increasing motor activity and changing diet. Conclusion. The results of the study can be used in the future to determine the functional state of students and develop preventive measures to preserve the health of medical students.

scholarly journals Nutrition and Healthy Aging: Prevention and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4337
Author(s):  
Neri Maria Cristina ◽  
d’Alba Lucia
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
The Body ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Effective Prevention

Nutritional well-being is a fundamental aspect for the health, autonomy and, therefore, the quality of life of all people, but especially of the elderly. It is estimated that at least half of non-institutionalized elderly people need nutritional intervention to improve their health and that 85% have one or more chronic diseases that could improve with correct nutrition. Although prevalence estimates are highly variable, depending on the population considered and the tool used for its assessment, malnutrition in the elderly has been reported up to 50%. Older patients are particularly at risk of malnutrition, due to multiple etiopathogenetic factors which can lead to a reduction or utilization in the intake of nutrients, a progressive loss of functional autonomy with dependence on food, and psychological problems related to economic or social isolation, e.g., linked to poverty or loneliness. Changes in the aging gut involve the mechanical disintegration of food, gastrointestinal motor function, food transit, intestinal wall function, and chemical digestion of food. These alterations progressively lead to the reduced ability to supply the body with adequate levels of nutrients, with the consequent development of malnutrition. Furthermore, studies have shown that the quality of life is impaired both in gastrointestinal diseases, but especially in malnutrition. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of malnutrition in elderly people is necessary to promote the knowledge of age-related changes in appetite, food intake, homeostasis, and body composition in order to better develop effective prevention and intervention strategies to achieve healthy aging.

scholarly journals Can Vitamin D Positively Impact COVID-19 Risk and Severity Among Older Adults: A Review of the Evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Ray Marks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Health Status ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
Vitamin D Levels

Background The coronavirus Covid-19 strain that emerged in December 2019, continues to produce a widespread and seemingly intractable negative impact on health and longevity in all parts of the world, especially, among older adults, and those with chronic health conditions. Aim The first aim of this review article was to examine, summarize, synthesize, and report on the research base concerning the possible use of vitamin-D supplementation for reducing both Covid-19 risk and severity, especially among older adults at high risk for Covid-19 infections. A second was to provide directives for researchers or professionals who work or are likely to work in this realm in the future. Methods All English language relevant publications detailing the possible efficacy of vitamin D as an intervention strategy for minimizing Covid-19 infection risk published in 2020 were systematically sought. Key words used were: Vitamin D, Covid-19, and Coronavirus. Databases used were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. All relevant articles were carefully examined and those meeting the review criteria were carefully read, and described in narrative form. Results Collectively, these data reveal vitamin D is a powerful steroid like compound that is required by the body to help many life affirming physiological functions, including immune processes, but its deficiency may seriously impact the health status and well being of the older adult and others. Since vitamin D is not manufactured by the body directly, ensuring those who are deficient in vitamin D may prove a helpful overall preventive measure as well as a helpful treatment measure among older adults at high risk for severe Covid-19 disease outcomes. Conclusions Older individuals with chronic health conditions, as well as healthy older adults at risk for vitamin D deficiency are likely to benefit physically as well as mentally, from efforts to foster adequate vitamin D levels. Geriatric clinicians can expect this form of intervention to reduce infection severity in the presence of Covid-19 infection, regardless of health status, and subject to careful study, researchers can make a highly notable impact in this regard.

scholarly journals Digital Health Coaching Programs Among Older Employees in Transition to Retirement: Systematic Literature Review

10.2196/17809 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e17809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Stara ◽  
Sara Santini ◽  
Johannes Kropf ◽  
Barbara D'Amen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Coaching ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
User Centered

Background The rapid increase of the aging population is pushing many national governments to reshape retirement legislation in order to extend older adults’ working life. Once retired, older adults can be invaluable resources for the community as family carers, as volunteers, or by returning to work. Healthy aging is one of the main conditions for being able to work longer and being active after retirement. The latter, indeed, represents a very sensitive life transition, which can entail psychological and social difficulties. Interventions for promoting older workers’ health and well-being and supporting the transition to retirement are on the top of the policy agenda of most European countries. Recently, computer-based and digital health interventions have been seen as promising means to reach this purpose. Objective This systematic literature review aimed to explore studies on digital health coaching programs for older workers that followed a user-centered design approach and evaluated their effectiveness in providing older adults with guidance for adopting a healthy lifestyle and being active in the community. Methods The search identified 1931 papers, and 2 relevant articles were selected by applying specific eligibility criteria. Results To our knowledge, only few digital health coaching programs have targeted the population of older workers to date; there is an insufficient number of studies on the efficacy of such programs. The results show the difficulties of assessing the efficacy of digital coaching itself and with respect to older employees. The 2 studies suggest that digital health programs for workplaces can improve various aspects of older employees’ well-being; however, they considered health mainly from a physical perspective and neglected contextual, social, psychological, and cultural factors that can influence older workers’ health and general well-being. Future digital health coaching programs should adopt the healthy aging paradigm as a multidimensional lens for interpreting the impact of eHealth technology on aging and retirement. The literature around this issue remains at an embryonic state, and this gap needs to be filled by further investigations that apply a user-centered approach for designing the technology, test innovative research methodologies, and adopt new technical solutions for high-quality interaction design. Conclusions Further digital health coaching programs aimed at supporting healthy and active living for older workers and retirees are necessary. The user-centered design approach is recommended in order to fully address the users’ health needs and the technological requirements throughout development. Moreover, the healthy aging perspective allows inclusion of physical, social, and psychological factors influencing the transition from work to retirement, as well as the experiences and interactions of individuals with the technology.

scholarly journals Digital Health Coaching Programs Among Older Employees in Transition to Retirement: Systematic Literature Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Stara ◽  
Sara Santini ◽  
Johannes Kropf ◽  
Barbara D'Amen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Coaching ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND The rapid increase of the aging population is pushing many national governments to reshape retirement legislation in order to extend older adults’ working life. Once retired, older adults can be invaluable resources for the community as family carers, as volunteers, or by returning to work. Healthy aging is one of the main conditions for being able to work longer and being active after retirement. The latter, indeed, represents a very sensitive life transition, which can entail psychological and social difficulties. Interventions for promoting older workers’ health and well-being and supporting the transition to retirement are on the top of the policy agenda of most European countries. Recently, computer-based and digital health interventions have been seen as promising means to reach this purpose. OBJECTIVE This systematic literature review aimed to explore studies on digital health coaching programs for older workers that followed a user-centered design approach and evaluated their effectiveness in providing older adults with guidance for adopting a healthy lifestyle and being active in the community. METHODS The search identified 1931 papers, and 2 relevant articles were selected by applying specific eligibility criteria. RESULTS To our knowledge, only few digital health coaching programs have targeted the population of older workers to date; there is an insufficient number of studies on the efficacy of such programs. The results show the difficulties of assessing the efficacy of digital coaching itself and with respect to older employees. The 2 studies suggest that digital health programs for workplaces can improve various aspects of older employees’ well-being; however, they considered health mainly from a physical perspective and neglected contextual, social, psychological, and cultural factors that can influence older workers’ health and general well-being. Future digital health coaching programs should adopt the healthy aging paradigm as a multidimensional lens for interpreting the impact of eHealth technology on aging and retirement. The literature around this issue remains at an embryonic state, and this gap needs to be filled by further investigations that apply a user-centered approach for designing the technology, test innovative research methodologies, and adopt new technical solutions for high-quality interaction design. CONCLUSIONS Further digital health coaching programs aimed at supporting healthy and active living for older workers and retirees are necessary. The user-centered design approach is recommended in order to fully address the users’ health needs and the technological requirements throughout development. Moreover, the healthy aging perspective allows inclusion of physical, social, and psychological factors influencing the transition from work to retirement, as well as the experiences and interactions of individuals with the technology.

scholarly journals ORAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE, ORAL HEALTH STATUS IN ELDERLY AND ITS IMPACT ON GENERAL WELL-BEING

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (01) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Munifah Abdat ◽  
Tanti Jernita
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Oral Health Status ◽  
The Body ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Cross Sectional

 Elderly is a natural process where changes in body tissue function include changes in oral tissues such as dry mouth, pale mucosa, mucosal thinning, attrition, and tooth loss. Maintaining the health of the oral cavity is one way to maintain body condition for the elderly. This study aims to determine the knowledge and behavior of oral health and oral health status in the elderly and its implications for general health. This study is an analytical study with a cross sectional approach, taking research subjects by purposive sampling and obtained 40 elderly people. The results showed that the average oral health status with poor criteria (DMF-T = 11,725; OHIS> 3.1 = 57.5%) and the elderly complained of impaired speech function, chewing and swallowing food. There is a significant relationship between knowledge and oral health behavior with DMFT (p = 0.85) and OHIS (p = 0.828). It was concluded that poor oral health status in the elderly could have implications for health problems both locally in the oral cavity and the body in general.Keywords: oral health status, elderly, health implications

scholarly journals Correction: Digital Health Coaching Programs Among Older Employees in Transition to Retirement: Systematic Literature Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Stara ◽  
Sara Santini ◽  
Johannes Kropf ◽  
Barbara D'Amen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Coaching ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
User Centered

UNSTRUCTURED The rapid increase of the aging population is pushing many national governments to reshape retirement legislation in order to extend older adults’ working life. Once retired, older adults can be invaluable resources for the community as family carers, as volunteers, or by returning to work. Healthy aging is one of the main conditions for being able to work longer and being active after retirement. The latter, indeed, represents a very sensitive life transition, which can entail psychological and social difficulties. Interventions for promoting older workers’ health and well-being and supporting the transition to retirement are on the top of the policy agenda of most European countries. Recently, computer-based and digital health interventions have been seen as promising means to reach this purpose. This systematic literature review aimed to explore studies on digital health coaching programs for older workers that followed a user-centered design approach and evaluated their effectiveness in providing older adults with guidance for adopting a healthy lifestyle and being active in the community. The search identified 1931 papers, and 2 relevant articles were selected by applying specific eligibility criteria. To our knowledge, only few digital health coaching programs have targeted the population of older workers to date; there is an insufficient number of studies on the efficacy of such programs. The results show the difficulties of assessing the efficacy of digital coaching itself and with respect to older employees. The 2 studies suggest that digital health programs for workplaces can improve various aspects of older employees’ well-being; however, they considered health mainly from a physical perspective and neglected contextual, social, psychological, and cultural factors that can influence older workers’ health and general well-being. Future digital health coaching programs should adopt the healthy aging paradigm as a multidimensional lens for interpreting the impact of eHealth technology on aging and retirement. The literature around this issue remains at an embryonic state, and this gap needs to be filled by further investigations that apply a user-centered approach for designing the technology, test innovative research methodologies, and adopt new technical solutions for high-quality interaction design. Further digital health coaching programs aimed at supporting healthy and active living for older workers and retirees are necessary. The user-centered design approach is recommended in order to fully address the users’ health needs and the technological requirements throughout development. Moreover, the healthy aging perspective allows inclusion of physical, social, and psychological factors influencing the transition from work to retirement, as well as the experiences and interactions of individuals with the technology. J Med Internet Res 2020;22(9):e17809

scholarly journals The Family Physician of the Future in Management of Chronic Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-122
Author(s):  
Elif Deniz Şafak
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Family Physician ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
The Body ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level

Since the existence of the first human, humankind has tried to find immortality. In line with these efforts, the field of medicine has developed and has received its share from the developing technology. Digital technologies aim to improve human health through data management and analysis, mobile technologies, social networks, wearable or high-level applications and tools, they can be placed on the body. These technologies and practices provide the physician or healthcare worker with simultaneous information about the individual's health status, thereby keeping the individual's health status under constant control. With these technologies, while monitoring the health status of the individual in terms of environmental, behavioral, psychological and physical aspects, a more controllable and effective health system can be pioneered. Telemedicine and virtual care, while keeping the physicians’ safe work during this period, where the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the world, has become an important tool in the care of patients. This review aims to determine the digital health technologies and applications, their advantages, disadvantages and the current situation in future chronic diseases used in future health services and healthcare user. Keywords: Family Physician, COVID-19, mobile health, pandemic, chronic disease

Prospective Memory Development Across the Lifespan

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sascha Zuber ◽  
Matthias Kliegel
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Present Model ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Integrative Framework

Abstract. Prospective Memory (PM; i.e., the ability to remember to perform planned tasks) represents a key proxy of healthy aging, as it relates to older adults’ everyday functioning, autonomy, and personal well-being. The current review illustrates how PM performance develops across the lifespan and how multiple cognitive and non-cognitive factors influence this trajectory. Further, a new, integrative framework is presented, detailing how those processes interplay in retrieving and executing delayed intentions. Specifically, while most previous models have focused on memory processes, the present model focuses on the role of executive functioning in PM and its development across the lifespan. Finally, a practical outlook is presented, suggesting how the current knowledge can be applied in geriatrics and geropsychology to promote healthy aging by maintaining prospective abilities in the elderly.

An Overview of Digital Health in the Transition of Pediatric to Adult Epilepsy Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 09 (04) ◽  
pp. 106-113
Author(s):  
Ysabeau Bernard-Willis ◽  
Emily De Oliveira ◽  
Shaheen E Lakhan
Keyword(s):  
Health Management ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pediatric Care ◽  
Medical Mistrust ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Adult Care ◽  
Care Systems

AbstractChildren with epilepsy often have impairments in cognitive and behavioral functioning which may hinder socio-occupational well-being as they reach adulthood. Adolescents with epilepsy have the added worry of health problems while starting the transition from family-centered pediatric care into largely autonomous adult care. If this transition is not appropriately planned and resourced, it may result in medical mistrust, nonadherence, and worsening biopsychosocial health as an adult. In recent years, there has been increased availability of digital health solutions that may be used during this stark change in care and treating teams. The digital health landscape includes a wide variety of technologies meant to address challenges faced by patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and health care systems. These technologies include mobile health products and wearable devices (e.g., seizure monitors and trackers, smartphone passive data collection), digital therapeutics (e.g., cognitive/behavioral health management; digital speech–language therapy), telehealth services (e.g., teleneurology visits), and health information technology (e.g., electronic medical records with patient portals). Such digital health solutions may empower patients in their journey toward optimal brain health during the vulnerable period of pediatric to adult care transition. Further research is needed to validate and measure their impact on clinical outcomes, health economics, and quality of life.

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