JMIR mHealth and uHealth
-
JMIR mHealth and uHealth · Jan 2019
Factors for Supporting Primary Care Physician Engagement With Patient Apps for Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management That Link to Primary Care: Interview Study.
The health burden of type 2 diabetes can be mitigated by engaging patients in two key aspects of diabetes care: self-management and regular contact with health professionals. There is a clear benefit to integrating these aspects of care into a single clinical tool, and as mobile phone ownership increases, apps become a more feasible platform. However, the effectiveness of online health interventions is contingent on uptake by health care providers, which is typically low. There has been little research that focuses specifically on barriers and facilitators to health care provider uptake for interventions that link self-management apps to the user's primary care physician (PCP). ⋯ This study provided insight into PCP perspectives on a diabetes app integrated with primary care services. This was observed as more than a technological change; PCPs were concerned about changes in workload, their role in self-management, and the nature of consultations. Our research highlighted potential facilitators and barriers to engaging PCPs in the implementation process.
-
JMIR mHealth and uHealth · Jan 2019
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyMobile App for Improved Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes: Multicenter Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial.
As the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus has put pressure on health systems to appropriately manage these patients, there have been a growing number of mobile apps designed to improve the self-management of diabetes. One such app, BlueStar, has been shown to significantly reduce hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in small studies and is the first app in the United States to receive Food and Drug Administration approval as a mobile prescription therapy. However, the impact of the app across real-world population among different clinical sites and health systems remains unclear. ⋯ The results showed no difference between intervention and control arms for the primary clinical outcome of glycemic control measured by HbA1c levels. Although there was low usage of the app among participants, results indicate contextual factors, particularly site, had a significant impact on overall usage. Future research into the patient and site-specific factors that increase app utilization are needed.
-
JMIR mHealth and uHealth · Jan 2019
Investigating the Adoption of Mobile Health Services by Elderly Users: Trust Transfer Model and Survey Study.
Although elderly users comprise a major user group in the field of mobile health (mHealth) services, their adoption rate of such services is relatively low compared with their use of traditional health services. Increasing the adoption rate of mHealth services among elderly users is beneficial to the aging process. ⋯ We conclude that the trust transfer theory is useful in explaining the development of initial trust in mHealth services. In addition, declining physiological conditions and support from hospitals are important factors for investigating the adoption of mHealth services among elderly users.
-
JMIR mHealth and uHealth · Dec 2018
Mobile Apps to Support Healthy Family Food Provision: Systematic Assessment of Popular, Commercially Available Apps.
Modern families are facing conflicting demands on their time and resources, which may be at the detriment of child and family diet quality. Innovative nutrition interventions providing parents with behavioral support for the provision of healthy food could alleviate this issue. Mobile apps have the potential to deliver such interventions by providing practical behavioral support remotely, interactively, and in context. ⋯ Recipe and recipe manager apps, meal planning apps, and family organizers with integrated meal planning and shopping lists scored well for functionality and incorporated behavioral support features that could be used to address barriers to healthy food provision, although features were focused on planning behaviors. Future apps should combine a range of features such as meal planners, shopping lists, simple recipes, reminders and prompts, and food ordering to reduce the burden of the food provision pathway and incorporate a range of BCTs to maximize behavior change potential. Researchers and developers should consider features and content that improve the engagement quality of such apps.
-
JMIR mHealth and uHealth · Dec 2018
A Mobile App to Provide Evidence-Based Information About Crystal Methamphetamine (Ice) to the Community (Cracks in the Ice): Co-Design and Beta Testing.
Despite evidence of increasing harms and community concern related to the drug crystal methamphetamine ("ice"), there is a lack of easily accessible, evidence-based information for community members affected by its use, and to date, no evidence-based mobile apps have specifically focused on crystal methamphetamine. ⋯ The Cracks in the Ice mobile app provides evidence-based information about the drug crystal methamphetamine for the general community. The app is regularly updated, available via the Web and offline, and was developed in collaboration with experts and end users. Initial results indicate that it is easy to use and acceptable to the target group.