scholarly journals Isn’t There an App for That? The Role of Smartphone and Tablet Applications for Asthma Education and Self-Management in Adolescents

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 786
Author(s):  
Antonia O’Connor ◽  
Andrew Tai ◽  
Kristin Carson-Chahhoud

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide, with a substantial proportion of the asthma population being children and adolescents. Self-management is recognized as a key component to asthma management, with multiple international guidelines emphasizing the need for adequate self-management skills for good asthma control. Unfortunately, the uptake amongst young people and adolescents is low, with often suboptimal engagement to self-management education and skills contributing to poor adherence to medication as well as poor perception of asthma symptoms. Innovative solutions to deliver education and self-management to adolescents are clearly needed. mHealth is the use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet devices to improve healthcare and has been used in multiple chronic diseases. This review articles explores the current use of mHealth in asthma, specifically smartphone and tablet applications as a generation-appropriate, accessible delivery modality for provision of asthma education and self-management interventions in adolescents. Current evidence gaps are also highlighted, which should be addressed in future research.

2020 ◽  
pp. 97-107
Author(s):  
Clarissa Chen ◽  
Meng-wong Taing ◽  
Lucy Burr ◽  
Helen Barrett ◽  
Vicki Clifton

Asthma is a highly prevalent comorbidity during pregnancy, which can worsen as gestation progresses and is associated with several adverse perinatal outcomes. The adverse outcomes associated with maternal asthma are preventable with appropriate asthma management in pregnancy. However, the prevalence of adverse outcomes has not changed significantly over the last 20 years, even though knowledge and treatments for managing the disease in pregnancy has improved significantly. This is of concern now in the current climate with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its potential impact on pregnant individuals with asthma. This article will discuss the treatments available for the management of asthma in pregnancy, the barriers for the translation of current knowledge into obstetric practice, and the importance of asthma education and self-management skills.


2021 ◽  
pp. 136749352110136
Author(s):  
Logan J Camp-Spivey ◽  
Ayaba Logan ◽  
Michelle Nichols

The primary aim of this integrative review was to critically evaluate and synthesize published, peer-reviewed research to better understand self-management strategies of children and adolescents with chronic diseases. This review was guided by Whittemore and Knafl’s methodological framework. The Pediatric Self-management Model provided the theoretical framework for understanding how self-management behaviors operate within the domains of individual, family, community, and healthcare systems. In June 2019, the electronic databases of EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Scopus, along with reference lists of applicable studies, were searched for appropriate publications. The initial searches yielded 920 citations. Of these, 11 studies met inclusion criteria. A key finding was that involving children and adolescents in the design and delivery phases of interventions was most effective in improving self-management when the interventions did not outweigh cognitive ability or maturity level. In addition, incorporating self-efficacy promotion into self-management interventions may lead to greater sense of responsibility and improved health outcomes. In terms of intervention delivery of self-management strategies, the use of technological platforms and devices was revealed as a promising avenue for youth. A final implication was the importance of family members, peers, and healthcare providers in supporting children and adolescents in adopting self-management behaviors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-57
Author(s):  
Iitáa Dáakuash ◽  
Alma McCormick ◽  
Shannen Keene ◽  
John Hallett ◽  
Suzanne Held

Chronic illness self-management best practices include goal-setting as an important tool for developing better self-management habits and are often included as elements of chronic disease self-management interventions. However, the goal theory that many of these tools employ relies on individualistic principles of self-efficacy that are not culturally consonant within many Indigenous communities. During the creation of the [blinded] program, a chronic illness management intervention, we developed a goal-setting tool specific to the [blinded] Nation. Emerging from an Indigenous paradigm and methodology, Counting Coup serves as a goal-setting tool that promotes the [blinded] culture, connects individuals with their ancestors, and focuses on achievement of goals within relationships. Future research and practice should be grounded in the historical and cultural contexts of their communities when designing and implementing goal-setting tools. Limitations to Counting Coup as a goal-setting tool include the need for program facilitators to have a relationship with participants due to Counting Coup’s foundation in relational accountability and that the environmental context may pose difficulties for participants in moving towards behavior change.


2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. E. Murphy ◽  
P. G. Gibson ◽  
P. I. Talbot ◽  
C. G. Kessell ◽  
V. L. Clifton

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghada Alhussein ◽  
Leontios Hadjileontiadis

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is the fourth most common chronic disease in the world. Adopting preventative measures and effective self-management interventions help in improving bone health. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies can play a key role in osteoporosis patient care and self- management. OBJECTIVE This study presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the currently available mHealth applications targeting osteoporosis self-management, aiming to determine the current status, gaps and challenges the future research could address, proposing appropriate recommendations. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, and IEEExplore databases between Jan 1, 2010 and May 31, 2021, for all English publications that describe apps dedicated to or being useful for osteoporosis, targeting self-management, nutrition, physical activity, risk assessment, delivered on smartphone devices for young and older adults. In addition, a survey of all osteoporosis-related apps available in iOS and Android app stores as of May 31, 2021 was also conducted. Primary outcomes of interest were the prevention or reduction of unhealthy behaviours or improvement in healthy behaviours of the six behaviours. Outcomes were summarised in a narrative synthesis and combined using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS In total, 3906 unique articles were identified. Of these, 32 articles met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed in depth. The 32 studies were comprising 14 235 participants, of whom on average 69.5% were female, with a mean age of 49.8 years (SD 17.8). The app search identified 23 relevant apps for osteoporosis self-management. The meta-analysis revealed that mHealth supported interventions resulted in a significant reduction in pain (Hedge’s g -1.09, 95%CI -1.68 to -0.45) and disability (Hedge’s g -0.77, 95%CI -1.59 to 0.05). The post-treatment effect of the digital intervention was significant for physical function (Hedge’s g 2.54, 95%CI -4.08 to 4.08); yet nonsignificant for wellbeing (Hedge’s g 0.17, 95% CI -1.84 to 2.17), physical activity (Hedges’ g 0.09, 95%CI -0.59 to 0.50), anxiety (Hedge’s g -0.29, 95%CI -6.11 to 5.53), fatigue (Hedge’s g -0.34, 95%CI -5.84 to 5.16), calcium (Hedge’s g -0.05, 95%CI -0.59 to 0.50) and vitamin D (Hedge’s g 0.10, 95% CI -4.05 to 4.26) intake, and trabecular score (Hedge’s g 0.06, 95%CI -1.00 to 1.12). CONCLUSIONS Osteoporosis apps have the potential to support and improve the management of the disease and its symptoms; they also appear to be a valuable tool for patients and health professionals. However, the majority of the apps that are currently available lack clinically validated evidence of their efficacy and they most focus on a limited number of symptoms. A more holistic and personalized approach, within a co-creation design ecosystem, is needed.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e028344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie-Pier Gobeil-Lavoie ◽  
Maud-Christine Chouinard ◽  
Alya Danish ◽  
Catherine Hudon

ObjectiveThere is a gap of knowledge among healthcare providers on characteristics of self-management among patients with chronic diseases and complex healthcare needs. Consequently, the objective of this paper was to identify characteristics of self-management among patients with chronic diseases and complex healthcare needs.DesignThematic analysis review of the literature.MethodsWe developed search strategies for the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases, covering the January 2000–October 2018 period. All articles in English or French addressing self-management among an adult clientele (18 years and older) with complex healthcare needs (multimorbidity, vulnerability, complexity and frequent use of health services) were included. Studies that addressed self-management of a single disease or that did not have any notion of complexity or vulnerability were excluded. A mixed thematic analysis, deductive and inductive, was performed by three evaluators as described by Mileset al.ResultsTwenty-one articles were included. Patients with complex healthcare needs present specific features related to self-management that can be exacerbated by deprived socioeconomic conditions. These patients must often prioritise care based on one dominant condition. They are at risk for depression, psychological distress and low self-efficacy, as well as for receiving contradictory information from healthcare providers. However, the knowledge and experiences acquired in the past in relation to their condition may help them improve their self-management skills.ConclusionsThis review identifies challenges to self-management for patients with complex healthcare needs, which are exacerbated in contexts of socioeconomic insecurity and proposes strategies to help healthcare providers better adapt their self-management support interventions to meet the specific needs of this vulnerable clientele.


SIMULATION ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (9) ◽  
pp. 781-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Montagna ◽  
Andrea Omicini

The impact of mobile technologies on healthcare is particularly evident in the case of self-management of chronic diseases, where they can decrease spending and improve life quality of patients. We propose the adoption of agent-based modeling and simulation techniques as built-in tools to dynamically monitor the state of patient health and provide recommendations for self-management. To demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal we focus on Type 1 diabetes mellitus as our case study, and provide simulation results where the dynamic evolution of signal parameters is shown in the case of healthy and Type 1 diabetes mellitus patients, focussing in particular on the beneficial effects that self-management interventions have on plasma glucose values.


10.2196/12384 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. e12384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongxia Shen ◽  
Rianne M J J van der Kleij ◽  
Paul J M van der Boog ◽  
Xinwei Chang ◽  
Niels H Chavannes

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a major challenge to public health. In CKD patients, adequate disease self-management has been shown to improve both proximal and distal outcomes. Currently, electronic health (eHealth) interventions are increasingly used to optimize patients’ self-management skills. Objective This study aimed to systematically review the existing evidence regarding the implementation and effectiveness of eHealth self-management interventions for patients with CKD. Methods Following a search in 8 databases (up to November 2017), quantitative and qualitative data on process and effect outcomes were extracted from relevant studies. Quality was appraised using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool; narrative synthesis was performed to analyze the data extracted. Results Of the 3307 articles retrieved, 24 (comprising 23 studies) were included in this review; of these, almost half were appraised to be of low to moderate quality. There was considerable heterogeneity in the types of interventions used and the outcomes measured. A total of 10 effect and 9 process outcome indicators were identified. The most frequently reported effect outcome indicators were specific laboratory tests and blood pressure (BP), whereas satisfaction was the most frequently reported process outcome indicator. Positive effects were found for proximal outcomes (eg, BP control and medication adherence), and mixed effects were found for more distal outcomes (eg, quality of life). High feasibility, usability, and acceptability of and satisfaction with eHealth self-management interventions were reported. The determinant ability of health care professionals to monitor and, if necessary, anticipate on patient measurements online was mostly cited to influence patients’ adherence to interventions. Conclusions eHealth self-management interventions have the potential to improve disease management and health outcomes. To broaden the evidence base and facilitate intervention upscaling, more detailed descriptions and thorough analysis of the intervention components used are required. In addition, our review reveals that outcomes closely related to the scope and duration of the intervention implemented are most likely to be impacted. For instance, if a 4-week Web-based training to optimize disease management skills is implemented, the outcome perceived control would more likely be affected than kidney function. Although this seems obvious, most studies evaluate only distal outcomes and thereby fail to capture intervention effects that might contribute to long-term health improvement. We advise future researchers to carefully consider their choice of outcomes based on their sensitivity for change. In this way, we ensure that relevant effects are captured and legitimate conclusions are drawn.


2020 ◽  
pp. 016264342093357
Author(s):  
Kinga Balint-Langel ◽  
Chengan Yuan ◽  
Youjia Hua

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often have difficulties with self-management skills such as scheduling daily tasks for educational, vocational, and leisure purposes. In this study, we used a multiple probe across participant design to evaluate the effects of constant time delay in teaching young adults with IDD the necessary steps to schedule events and set reminders using the Calendar application (app). Three students with IDD in a postsecondary education setting participated in this study and acquired the steps required for programming events and their reminders in the Calendar app. In addition, two participants independently attended the scheduled events without additional reminders from adults. Limitations, future research, and practical implications are discussed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document