scholarly journals Lessons Learned from Development of a Mobile App for Cardiovascular Health Awareness

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5985
Author(s):  
Bryan Weichelt ◽  
Jeffrey VanWormer ◽  
Yin Xu ◽  
Chris Kadolph ◽  
Simon Lin

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health concern in the United States. In response to the federally sponsored Million Hearts Risk Check Challenge, a team of programmers, software developers, health-information technologists, and clinicians in an integrated healthcare system in Wisconsin collaborated to develop Heart Health MobileTM (HHM), designed to improve awareness of cardiovascular disease risk and promote risk factor control among users. This paper outlines the development processes and highlights key lessons learned for mobile health applications. An agile project management methodology was used to dedicate adequate resources and employ adaptive planning and iterative development processes with a self-organized, cross-functional team. The initial HHM iOS app was developed and tested, and after additional modifications, gamified and HTML 5 versions of the app were released. The development of an iOS app is low in cost and sustainable by a healthcare system. Future app modifications to enhance data security and link self-reported cardiovascular risk assessment data to patient medical records may improve performance, patient relevance, and clinician acceptance of HHM in the primary-care setting. Legal and institutional barriers regarding the capture and analyses of protected health information must be mitigated to fully capture, analyze, and report patient health outcomes for future studies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kufre Joseph Okop ◽  
Kathy Murphy ◽  
Estelle Victoria Lambert ◽  
Kiya Kedir ◽  
Hailemichael Getachew ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which experiences a disproportionately high cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, population-based screening and prevention measures are hampered by low levels of knowledge about CVD and associated risk factors, and inaccurate perceptions of severity of risk. Methods This protocol describes the planned processes for implementing community-driven participatory research, using a citizen science method to explore CVD risk perceptions and to develop community-specific advocacy and prevention strategies in the rural and urban SSA settings. Multi-disciplinary research teams in four selected African countries will engage with and train community members living in rural and urban communities as citizen scientists to facilitate conceptualization, co-designing of research, data gathering, and co-creation of knowledge that can lead to a shared agenda to support collaborative participation in community-engaged science. The emphasis is on robust community engagement, using mobile technology to support data gathering, participatory learning, and co-creation of knowledge and disease prevention advocacy. Discussion Contextual processes applied and lessons learned in specific settings will support redefining or disassembling boundaries in participatory science to foster effective implementation of sustainable prevention intervention programmes in Low- and Middle-income countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 320 (1) ◽  
pp. H29-H35
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Cherubini ◽  
Jem L. Cheng ◽  
Jennifer S. Williams ◽  
Maureen J. MacDonald

Sleep is critical for the maintenance of physiological homeostasis and, as such, inadequate sleep beckons a myriad of pathologies. Sleep deprivation is a growing health concern in contemporary society since short sleep durations are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk and atherosclerotic plaque development. Vascular endothelial dysfunction is an antecedent to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Herein, we review seminal literature indicating that short sleep durations attenuate endothelial function and explore more recent evidence indicating that sleep deprivation perturbs autonomic balance and the circadian rhythmicity of peripheral vascular clock components. We further examine literature that indicates a mechanistic link between short sleep duration and endothelial dysfunction and subsequent morbidity. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate endothelial function in the context of sleep deprivation facilitates the development and optimization of interventions, such as exercise, that mitigate the ramifications of inadequate sleep on vascular function and cardiovascular health. Listen to this article’s corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/sleep-deprivation-and-endothelial-function/


2020 ◽  
Vol 130 ◽  
pp. 105893
Author(s):  
Cheryl D. Fryar ◽  
Tala H. Fakhouri ◽  
Margaret D. Carroll ◽  
Steven M. Frenk ◽  
Cynthia L. Ogden

2004 ◽  
Vol 164 (2) ◽  
pp. 181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt J. Greenlund ◽  
Zhi Jie Zheng ◽  
Nora L. Keenan ◽  
Wayne H. Giles ◽  
Michele L. Casper ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document