scholarly journals Thalime: A mobile app designed just for patients and their families

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatley Forrest McMicking
Keyword(s):  
One Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Blood Transfusions ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Virtual Coaching ◽  
Health Tracking ◽  
Peer Community ◽  
Visual Health

Introducing the first mobile app designed specifically for the Thalassemia community; Thalime, your personalized private community. Thalime is a free app that connects patients and caregivers of Thalassemia to others who know what you’re going through. Learn about your condition from a trusted source. Improve your well-being with health-tracking tools. Get support from others just like you. With personalized disease management tools designed to make life easier every day, Thalime is your all-in-one health resource that empowers you to be in control of your health. Build your private peer community to learn, share and receive support. Follow programs and set goals with our personalized recommendations and virtual coaching. Track your progress with our visual health tracker for blood transfusions and medication tracker. Additional health tracker tools allow you to monitor and share your mood, energy, pain and more.

Improving the Perception of Patient-Centered Wellness in a Virtual Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. JDNP-D-20-00078
Author(s):  
Sybilla Myers ◽  
Christopher Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Shared Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
The Social

BackgroundPerceived health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is fundamental to well-being and is a meaningful way to measure physical and mental health.Local ProblemNo standard method exists for measuring perceived HRQOL during the COVID-19 pandemic in participants as they attempt to improve their self-determined wellness goals. An implementation plan that considers the social distancing limitations imposed can be used to predict an individual’s likelihood of long-term success.MethodsDuring the four, 2-week plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles, the Social Cognitive Theory model informed the implementation of the four core interventions. To guide iterative changes, the data was analyzed through Excel and run charts.InterventionsThe four core interventions were the shared decision-making tool (SDMT), health mobile app tool (HMAT), wellness tracker tool (WTT), and the team engagement plan.ResultsAmong 28 participants, perceived quality of life increased by 70%, engagement in shared decision-making increased to 82%, app use and confidence increased to 85%, and goal attainment reached 81%.ConclusionsThe SDMT, health app, and wellness tracker created a methodical plan of accountability for increasing participant wellness. The contextual barrier of the COVID-19 pandemic added a negative wellness burden which was mitigated by creating a patient-centered culture of wellness.

Characteristics of behavior of students of medical pre-university in relation to their own health

2020 ◽  
pp. 45-51
Author(s):  
O. V. Tikashkina ◽  
A. Yu. Makarova
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Special Period ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
School Students ◽  
Personal Time ◽  
Resource Center ◽  
University Admission ◽  
Vegetables And Fruits

High school students are in a special period of their life, associated with increased preparation for University admission, which affects the lifestyle and well-being, which are risk factors for the health of students. The purpose of the study was to study the behavior of students in relation to their own health Resource center «Medical Sechenov Preuniversary» by means of a questionnaire. 152 surveyed students aged 15–17 years were found to have a violation of the multiplicity and regularity of nutrition, a deficit in the consumption of protein, vegetables and fruits in the diet. A significant part of them showed a lack of motor activity. At the same time, students have complaints of a vegetative nature: they experience anxiety, cephalgia and frequent irritability, and frequent back pain is noted. The lack of personal time was diagnosed in one fourth of the student.

P–478 Quality of life assessment in women undergoing assisted reproduction. A study of FertiQol and HADS

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N Figueras-Puigderrajols ◽  
A Ballesteros ◽  
D Guerra
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Life Assessment ◽  
Fertility Treatment ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Gamete Donation

Abstract Study question The present study aims to explore infertility-related psychosocial outcomes, including fertility quality of life (QoL), as well as anxiety and depression levels, in women diagnosed with infertility. Summary answer Differences on fertility-related QoL appeared when comparing treatment types (gamete donation vs own gamete). Furthermore, statistically significant associations were found between QoL and anxious-depressive symptomatology. What is known already Those who wish to have children and do not achieve their objective just like other peers can see their goals and expectations with pessimism, generating concern and a series of negative emotions. Several psychological implications of infertility have been described, such as increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, decreased self-esteem, mood and hope, or poor relationship adjustment. The emotional impact of infertility in people’s life cycle can be so strong that reducing it only to biological aspects would lead to a dangerous situation of neglect. For this reason, QoL assessment in ART becomes an important need. Study design, size, duration FertiQol stands as the most widely used tool to assess infertility-related QoL, overcoming the limitations of other instruments that only target specific medical conditions. The present is a multi-site cross-sectional study over patients with infertility (n = 104), aiming to explore their fertility-QoL, as well as their anxiety and depression levels, which are symptoms that have been previously associated.Questionnaire administration, and sociodemographic and medical data gathering took place between January 2019 and December 2020. Participants/materials, setting, methods Participants were 104 female patients (M.age= 39.8) undergoing or expecting a fertility treatment. The FertiQol Spanish version was administered through mobile app, and its paper version distributed at medical/psychological appointments. QoL was self-reported through FertiQol, assessing the influence of infertility problems in various areas (e.g. impact on self-esteem, emotions, general health, family, partners, social relationships, work, life projects...). Additionally, HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) was provided as a measurement of anxiety and depression levels. Main results and the role of chance Regarding treatments, 50.6% of participants were currently undergoing gamete donation while 44.3% were undergoing treatments that involved using their own gametes. After comparing QoL between these treatment types, results showed that patients who underwent egg donation, compared to those who used their own eggs, reported statistically significantly lower scores of QoL in the Social Subscale (p = .03), but not in the other psychological outcomes. Also, statistically significant negative correlations were found between HADS and all core FertiQol subscales (p< .05). Results are consistent with previous studies showing similar associations between fertility QoL and anxiety and depression, as well as with increased psychological negative implications of gamete donation. The majority of participants reported non-pathological scores of anxiety and depression when considering the cut off value of 8 for HADS, thus suggesting the presence of a relatively healthy sample. The number of treatments that patients had previously taken and the years of infertility were not associated with any of the psychological variables. Limitations, reasons for caution Some limitations to consider are presence of co-morbid diagnosis, differences in medication, or patient’s cultural backgrounds.Also, conclusions should be interpreted cautiously since the design doesn’t allow causal inferences. Further investigations should consider a continuous assessment to explore changes in psychological well-being at different points of intervention, specially with gamete donation. Wider implications of the findings: The great advantage we’ve seen so far when using FertiQol is the possibility to identify more accurately the true impact on other aspects of patient’s well-being besides the emotional area.ART professionals, including psychologists and counselors,will have more information within a small amount of time about QoL when using this tool. Trial registration number 1503-BCN–019-DG

scholarly journals A socio-economic approach to One Health policy research in southern Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim A. Kayunze ◽  
Angwara D. Kiwara ◽  
Eligius Lyamuya ◽  
Dominic M. Kambarage ◽  
Jonathan Rushton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
One Health ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Emerging Zoonoses

One-health approaches have started being applied to health systems in some countries in controlling infectious diseases in order to reduce the burden of disease in humans, livestock and wild animals collaboratively. However, one wonders whether the problem of lingering and emerging zoonoses is more affected by health policies, low application of one-health approaches, or other factors. As part of efforts to answer this question, the Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS) smart partnership of human health, animal health and socio-economic experts published, in April 2011, a conceptual framework to support One Health research for policy on emerging zoonoses. The main objective of this paper was to identify which factors really affect the burden of disease and how the burden could affect socio-economic well-being. Amongst other issues, the review of literature shows that the occurrence of infectious diseases in humans and animals is driven by many factors, the most important ones being the causative agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc.) and the mediator conditions (social, cultural, economic or climatic) which facilitate the infection to occur and hold. Literature also shows that in many countries there is little collaboration between medical and veterinary services despite the shared underlying science and the increasing infectious disease threat. In view of these findings, a research to inform health policy must walk on two legs: a natural sciences leg and a social sciences one.

scholarly journals One Health, Fermented Foods, and Gut Microbiota

Foods ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Bell ◽  
Jorge Ferrão ◽  
Lígia Pimentel ◽  
Manuela Pintado ◽  
Tito Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
One Health ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Fermented Foods ◽  
Being There ◽  
The Impact

Changes in present-day society such as diets with more sugar, salt, and saturated fat, bad habits and unhealthy lifestyles contribute to the likelihood of the involvement of the microbiota in inflammatory diseases, which contribute to global epidemics of obesity, depression, and mental health concerns. The microbiota is presently one of the hottest areas of scientific and medical research, and exerts a marked influence on the host during homeostasis and disease. Fermented foods and beverages are generally defined as products made by microbial organisms and enzymatic conversions of major and minor food components. Further to the commonly-recognized effects of nutrition on the digestive health (e.g., dysbiosis) and well-being, there is now strong evidence for the impact of fermented foods and beverages (e.g., yoghurt, pickles, bread, kefir, beers, wines, mead), produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms, on general health, namely their significance on the gut microbiota balance and brain functionality. Fermented products require microorganisms, i.e., Saccharomyces yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, yielding alcohol and lactic acid. Ingestion of vibrant probiotics, especially those contained in fermented foods, is found to cause significant positive improvements in balancing intestinal permeability and barrier function. Our guts control and deal with every aspect of our health. How we digest our food and even the food sensitivities we have is linked with our mood, behavior, energy, weight, food cravings, hormone balance, immunity, and overall wellness. We highlight some impacts in this domain and debate calls for the convergence of interdisciplinary research fields from the United Nations’ initiative. Worldwide human and animal medicine are practiced separately; veterinary science and animal health are generally neither considered nor inserted within national or international Health discussions. The absence of a clear definition and subsequent vision for the future of One Health may act as a barrier to transdisciplinary collaboration. The point of this mini review is to highlight the role of fermented foods and beverages on gut microbiota and debate if the need for confluence of transdisciplinary fields of One Health is feasible and achievable, since they are managed by separate sectors with limited communication.

scholarly journals One Health, emerging infectious diseases and wildlife: two decades of progress?

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1725) ◽  
pp. 20160167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew A. Cunningham ◽  
Peter Daszak ◽  
James L. N. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
One Health ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Wide Scale ◽  
Multiple Species

Infectious diseases affect people, domestic animals and wildlife alike, with many pathogens being able to infect multiple species. Fifty years ago, following the wide-scale manufacture and use of antibiotics and vaccines, it seemed that the battle against infections was being won for the human population. Since then, however, and in addition to increasing antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens, there has been an increase in the emergence of, mostly viral, zoonotic diseases from wildlife, sometimes causing fatal outbreaks of epidemic proportions. Concurrently, infectious disease has been identified as an increasing threat to wildlife conservation. A synthesis published in 2000 showed common anthropogenic drivers of disease threats to biodiversity and human health, including encroachment and destruction of wildlife habitat and the human-assisted spread of pathogens. Almost two decades later, the situation has not changed and, despite improved knowledge of the underlying causes, little has been done at the policy level to address these threats. For the sake of public health and wellbeing, human-kind needs to work better to conserve nature and preserve the ecosystem services, including disease regulation, that biodiversity provides while also understanding and mitigating activities which lead to disease emergence. We consider that holistic, One Health approaches to the management and mitigation of the risks of emerging infectious diseases have the greatest chance of success. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.

scholarly journals A Novel Narrative E-Writing Intervention for Parents of Children With Chronic Life-Threatening Illnesses: Protocol for a Pilot, Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Hau Yan Ho ◽  
Oindrila Dutta ◽  
Geraldine Tan-Ho ◽  
Toh Hsiang Benny Tan ◽  
Casuarine Xinyi Low ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Pediatric Palliative Care ◽  
Writing Intervention ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Life Threatening

BACKGROUND A novel evidence-based Narrative e-Writing Intervention (NeW-I) has been developed and tested in Singapore to advance psychosociospiritual support for parents of children with chronic life-threatening illnesses. NeW-I is informed by an international systematic review and a Singapore-based qualitative inquiry on the lived experience of parental bereavement and supported by literature on anticipatory grief interventions for improving the holistic well-being of parent caregivers of seriously ill children. OBJECTIVE This study's aim was to provide an accessible platform, NeW-I—which is a strengths- and meaning-focused and therapist-facilitated mobile app and web-based counseling platform—that aims to enhance quality of life, spiritual well-being, hope, and perceived social support and reduce depressive symptoms, caregiver burden, and risk of complicated grief among parents of children with chronic life-threatening illnesses. METHODS The NeW-I therapist-facilitated web-based platform comprises a mobile app and a website (both of which have the same content and functionality). NeW-I has been implemented in Singapore as a pilot open-label randomized controlled trial comprising intervention and control groups. Both primary and secondary outcomes will be self-reported by participants through questionnaires. In collaboration with leading pediatric palliative care providers in Singapore, the trial aims to enroll 36 participants in each group (N=72), so that when allowing for 30% attrition at follow-up, the sample size will be adequate to detect a small effect size of 0.2 in the primary outcome measure, with 90% power and two-sided significance level of at least .05. The potential effectiveness of NeW-I and the accessibility and feasibility of implementing and delivering the intervention will be assessed. RESULTS Funding support and institutional review board approval for this study have been secured. Data collection started in January 2019 and is ongoing. CONCLUSIONS NeW-I aspires to enhance holistic pediatric palliative care services through a structured web-based counseling platform that is sensitive to the unique cultural needs of Asian family caregivers who are uncomfortable with expressing emotion even during times of loss and separation. The findings of this pilot study will inform the development of a full-scale NeW-I protocol and further research to evaluate the efficacy of NeW-I in Singapore and in other Asian communities around the world. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03684382; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03684382 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/17561

scholarly journals A Mobile App for Thyroid Cancer Patients Aiming to Enhance Their Quality of Life: Protocol for a Quasiexperimental Interventional Pilot Study

10.2196/13409 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e13409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evanthia Giannoula ◽  
Ioannis Iakovou ◽  
Ioannis Katsikavelas ◽  
Panagiotis Antoniou ◽  
Vasilios Raftopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Prognosis ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Information Platform ◽  
Therapeutic Procedures ◽  
Eortc Qlq

Background Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the fastest growing cancers all over the world. Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most frequent subtype of TC. When appropriate treatment is given, the prognosis for the patient is generally excellent. Despite the generally good prognosis of thyroid carcinomas, the symptoms may range from emotional to physical discomfort, depending on the thyroid hormone status, which can severely affect the patient. Moreover, the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that DTC patients have to undergo, such as thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy, significantly affect their mental and physical well-being. Often, the physician only addresses the favorable prognosis of DTC compared with other cancer types and neglects to assess issues related to the quality of life (QoL) of the patient; this was the reason we decided to design a mobile app for DTC patients and their caregivers. Objective The aim of this study is to research the feasibility and applicability of an mHealth app tailored to DTC patients, as reflected in their QoL. The main features of the developed app offer access to useful information about thyroid cancer, diagnostic tests, and the appropriate therapy administered to DTC patients. Methods Based on the existing literature, we created an up-to-date information platform regarding TC and especially DTC. In order to develop an effective app that can be implemented in current health care, we designed a section where the patient and physician can keep a medical record in an effort to enable access to such information at any time. Finally, we designed a user-friendly notification program, including pill prescription, follow-up tests, and doctor visit reminders in order to equally facilitate the lives of the patient and physician. Results Having developed this mobile app, we aim to conduct a pilot quasiexperimental interventional trial. Our intention is to enroll at least 30 TC patients and assign them to intervention or control groups. Both groups will receive standard care for treating and monitoring TC, and the intervention group will also receive and use the DTC app. TC patients’ QoL will be assessed for both control and intervention groups in order to examine the effectiveness of the DTC app. QoL will be assessed through the QoL core questionnaire European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-THY34 in combination with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire through quantitative statistical analysis. Conclusions The use of mHealth apps can play a significant role in patient education, disease self-management, remote monitoring of patients, and QoL improvement. However, the main limitation of the majority of existing studies has been the lack of assessing their usefulness as well as the absence of specific instruments to carry out this assessment. In light of those considerations, we developed a mobile app tailored to the needs of DTC patients. Furthermore, we evaluated its contribution to the QoL of the patients by using the EORTC QLQ-THY34 questionnaire, an accurate and safe instrument for the evaluation of the QoL in TC patients, while supporting future planned endeavors in the field. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/13409

scholarly journals Understanding Implementation of a Digital Self-Monitoring Intervention for Relapse Prevention in Psychosis: Protocol for a Mixed Method Process Evaluation

10.2196/15634 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e15634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Allan ◽  
Hamish Mcleod ◽  
Simon Bradstreet ◽  
Sara Beedie ◽  
Bethany Moir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Relapse Prevention ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Negative Consequences

Background Relapse is common in people who experience psychosis and is associated with many negative consequences, both societal and personal. People who relapse often exhibit changes (early warning signs [EWS]) in the period before relapse. Successful identification of EWS offers an opportunity for relapse prevention. However, several known barriers impede the use of EWS monitoring approaches. Early signs Monitoring to Prevent relapse in psychosis and prOmote Well-being, Engagement, and Recovery (EMPOWER) is a complex digital intervention that uses a mobile app to enhance the detection and management of self-reported changes in well-being. This is currently being tested in a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial. As digital interventions have not been widely used in relapse prevention, little is known about their implementation. Process evaluation studies run in parallel to clinical trials can provide valuable data on intervention feasibility. Objective This study aims to transparently describe the protocol for the process evaluation element of the EMPOWER trial. We will focus on the development of a process evaluation framework sensitive to the worldview of service users, mental health staff, and carers; the aims of the process evaluation itself; the proposed studies to address these aims; and a plan for integration of results from separate process evaluation studies into one overall report. Methods The overall process evaluation will utilize mixed methods across 6 substudies. Among them, 4 will use qualitative methodologies, 1 will use a mixed methods approach, and 1 will use quantitative methodologies. Results The results of all studies will be triangulated into an overall analysis and interpretation of key implementation lessons. EMPOWER was funded in 2016, recruitment finished in January 2018. Data analysis is currently under way and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in December 2019. Conclusions The findings from this study will help identify implementation facilitators and barriers to EMPOWER. These insights will inform both upscaling decisions and optimization of a definitive trial. Trial Registration ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN99559262; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN99559262 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/15634

scholarly journals How Contextual Constraints Shape Midcareer High School Teachers' Stress Management and Use of Digital Support Tools: Qualitative Study

10.2196/15416 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e15416
Author(s):  
Julia B Manning ◽  
Ann Blandford ◽  
Julian Edbrooke-Childs ◽  
Paul Marshall
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Stress Management ◽  
High School Teachers ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Workplace Stress ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Health Technologies

Background Persistent psychosocial stress is endemic in the modern workplace, including among midcareer high school (secondary comprehensive) teachers in England. Understanding contextual influences on teachers' self-management of stress along with their use of digital health technologies could provide important insights into creating more usable and accessible stress support interventions. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the constraints on stress management and prevention among teachers in the school environment and how this shapes the use of digitally enabled stress management tools. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 teachers from southern England. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Teachers were unanimous in their recognition of workplace stress, describing physical (such as isolation and scheduling) and cultural (such as stigma and individualism) aspects in the workplace context, which influence their ability to manage stress. A total of 12 participants engaged with technology to self-manage their physical or psychological well-being, with more than half of the participants using consumer wearables, but Web-based or smartphone apps were rarely accessed in school. However, digital well-being interventions recommended by school leaders could potentially be trusted and adopted. Conclusions The findings from this study bring together both the important cultural and physical contextual constraints on the ability of midcareer high school teachers to manage workplace stress. This study highlights correlates of stress and offers initial insight into how digital health interventions are currently being used to help with stress, both within and outside high schools. The findings add another step toward designing tailored digital stress support for teachers.

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