A proof of concept of a mobile health application to support professionals in a portuguese nursing home

Over the past few years, the rapidly aging population has been posing several challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Consequently, in Portugal, nursing homes have been getting a higher demand, and health professionals working in these facilities are overloaded with work. Moreover, the lack of health information and communication technology (HICT) and the use of unsophisticated methods, such as paper, in nursing homes to clinically manage residents lead to more errors and are time-consuming. Thus, this article proposes a proof of concept of a mobile health (mHealth) application developed for the health professionals working in a Portuguese nursing home to support them at the point-of-care, namely to manage and have access to information and to help them schedule, perform, and digitally record their tasks. Additionally, clinical and performance business intelligence (BI) indicators to assist the decision-making process are also defined. Thereby, this solution aims to introduce technological improvements into the facility to improve healthcare delivery and, by taking advantage of the benefits provided by these improvements, lessen some of the workload experienced by health professionals, reduce time-waste and errors, and, ultimately, enhance elders’ quality of life and improve the quality of the services provided.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2019

A mobile health application to assist professionals: a case study in a portuguese nursing home

Dissertação de mestrado em Biomedical EngineeringOver the past few years, the world has been witnessing a huge demographic change: the aging population has been growing at an alarming rate. This problem has been a matter of concern for many countries since it has been posing several challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. In Portugal, which is one of the countries with the largest aging population, this demographic change has led to several issues. In fact, in Portugal, the nursing homes have been getting a higher demand, and health professionals are overloaded with work. Furthermore, the fact that nursing homes still use paper to record information and to clinically manage their residents is another tremendous problem since this method is more prone to errors and time-consuming. In this context, the present master’s dissertation emerged and consisted in the design and development of a mobile application for the health professionals, i.e. the nurses and doctors, working in a Portuguese nursing home, more specifically in one of the nursing homes of Santa Casa da Miseric´ordia de Vila Verde. This mobile application was developed to help the health professionals to clinically manage the residents and to assist them at the point-of-care, namely to schedule, perform, and record their daily tasks and to have access and manipulate information. Additionally, the present dissertation also included the definition of clinical and performance indicators to assist the decision-making process. It is important to mention that a mobile solution was chosen since a hand-held device, which can be used anywhere and any time, is able to give access and store all the needed information at the point-of-care. Thereby, this project was developed in order for the nursing home to shift from the paper-based to the computer-based management of data as well as to introduce technological improvements in the facility, more specifically, Health Information and Communication Technology. Thus, by taking advantage of the benefits provided by these improvements, the mobile application could help the health professionals to provide better care, namely by reducing time-waste and errors, and, consequently, enhance elders’ quality of life. Furthermore, the solution could relieve some of the workload of the health professionals and help them make more informed and evidence-based decisions and, hence, improve the decision-making process.Ao longo dos últimos anos, o mundo tem vindo a testemunhar uma enorme mudança demográfica: o envelhecimento da população tem crescido a uma taxa alarmante. Este problema tem sido um motivo de preocupação para muitos países, uma vez que tem vindo a provocar inúmeros problemas para os sistemas de saúde através o mundo. Em Portugal, que corresponde a um dos países com maior população envelhecida, esta mudança demográfica tem originado vários problemas. De facto, em Portugal, os lares de idosos têm estado sobrelotados e os profissionais de saúde estão sobrecarregados com trabalho. Além disso, o facto dos lares de idosos ainda usarem papel para registar informação e efetuar a gestão dos utentes é um enorme problema, visto que este método é mais demorado e propenso a erros. Neste contexto, a presente dissertação de mestrado surgiu e consistiu na projeção e no desenvolvimento de uma aplicação móvel para os profissionais de saúde, isto é, para os enfermeiros e os médicos, que trabalham num lar de idosos português, nomeadamente num dos lares da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Vila Verde. Esta aplicação móvel foi desenvolvida de modo a ajudar os profissionais de saúde a efetuar a gestão dos utentes e auxiliá-los no local de prestação de cuidados, nomeadamente para agendar, realizar e registar as suas tarefas diárias e para ter acesso e manipular informação. Adicionalmente, a presente dissertação também incluiu a definição de indicadores clínicos e de desempenho, de forma a auxiliar o processo de tomada de decisão. Importa mencionar que uma aplicação móvel foi escolhida visto que um dispositivo portátil, que pode ser usado a qualquer momento e em qualquer lugar, é capaz de dar acesso e armazenar toda a informação necessária no local de prestação de cuidados. Assim sendo, este projeto foi desenvolvido de modo a permitir o lar de idosos a passar da gestão de dados em papel para a gestão de dados em computador, assim como para introduzir avanços tecnológicos no estabelecimento, mais especificamente, Tecnologia de Informação e Comunicação na Saúde. Assim, tomando vantagem dos benefícios proporcionados por estes avanços, a aplicação móvel poderia ajudar os profissionais de saúde a fornecer melhores cuidados de saúde, nomeadamente a reduzir a ocorrência de erros e desperdícios de tempo, e, consequentemente, melhorar a qualidade de vida dos idosos. Para além disso, a solução poderia ajudar a reduzir a carga de trabalho dos profissionais de saúde e ajudá-los a tomar decisões mais informadas e baseadas em evidências e, assim, melhorar o processo de tomada de decisão

Promotion of self-management of chronic disease in children and teenagers: scoping review

Background: The scientific literature describes that self-management of chronic illness leads to improved health outcomes. Knowledge about interventions that promote self-management behaviors in children and teenagers has been poorly clarified. This study aims to map, in the scientific literature, the nature and extent of interventions that promote self-management of chronic disease, implemented and evaluated in contexts of health care provided to children and teenagers. Methods: The guidelines proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute were followed. The survey was conducted in June 2021, with access to international databases and gray literature, in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. Results: Interventions that promote self-management of children and teenagers can be developed through a local contact or through technological means of support for health care. The use of online supports, such as applications or communication platforms, should be parameterized with health professionals, according to the needs of users. Conclusions: The acquisition of self-management skills in pediatrics is a process supported by the family, health professionals and the community, in which the nurse, in partnership, can promote communication and health education through cognitive strategies, behavioral programs included in physical or online programs, adjusted to the patients’ needs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

eHealth Platforms to Promote Autonomous Life and Active Aging: A Scoping Review

New technologies, namely eHealth platforms, are being used more than ever before. These platforms enable older people to have a more independent lifestyle, enhance their participation, and improve their well-being. Information and communication technologies are expected to be linked to the triad of aging, social inclusion, and active participation, which is in line with the implementation of Smart Healthy and Age-Friendly Environments. This scoping review aimed to map eHealth platforms designed to promote autonomous life and active aging. The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA-ScR checklist were used. A search was conducted on MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL Complete (via EBSCOhost), Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (via EBSCOhost), SciELO, DART-Europe, CAPES, and MedNar databases. Fourteen studies were included. This scoping review synthesized information on eHealth platforms designed to promote active living, their domains of intervention, and the outcomes assessed in those studies that have implemented and evaluated these eHealth platforms

eHealth platforms to promote autonomous life and active aging: A scoping review

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).New technologies, namely eHealth platforms, are being used more than ever before. These platforms enable older people to have a more independent lifestyle, enhance their participation, and improve their well-being. Information and communication technologies are expected to be linked to the triad of aging, social inclusion, and active participation, which is in line with the implementation of Smart Healthy and Age-Friendly Environments. This scoping review aimed to map eHealth platforms designed to promote autonomous life and active aging. The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA-ScR checklist were used. A search was conducted on MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL Complete (via EBSCOhost), Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (via EBSCOhost), SciELO, DART-Europe, CAPES, and MedNar databases. Fourteen studies were included. This scoping review synthesized information on eHealth platforms designed to promote active living, their domains of intervention, and the outcomes assessed in those studies that have implemented and evaluated these eHealth platforms.publishedVersio

eHealth platforms to promote autonomous life and active aging: A scoping review

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).New technologies, namely eHealth platforms, are being used more than ever before. These platforms enable older people to have a more independent lifestyle, enhance their participation, and improve their well-being. Information and communication technologies are expected to be linked to the triad of aging, social inclusion, and active participation, which is in line with the implementation of Smart Healthy and Age-Friendly Environments. This scoping review aimed to map eHealth platforms designed to promote autonomous life and active aging. The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA-ScR checklist were used. A search was conducted on MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL Complete (via EBSCOhost), Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (via EBSCOhost), SciELO, DART-Europe, CAPES, and MedNar databases. Fourteen studies were included. This scoping review synthesized information on eHealth platforms designed to promote active living, their domains of intervention, and the outcomes assessed in those studies that have implemented and evaluated these eHealth platforms.publishedVersio

Migrant Working in West Norfolk

During 2002 and 2003 there has been a rise in the number of migrant workers in West Norfolk. A number of agencies, including King's Lynn Borough Council became concerned about the possible implications of the new migration for community cohesion and also about the risks facing migrant workers due to multiple occupancy housing, inadequate access to health services, and illegal and exploitative employment relations. As a result Norfolk County Council commissioned the University of East Anglia to carry out an initial one month study to draw together information held by key agencies and individuals in the borough as a first step towards further action. This report details the findings of the study. It is made up of seven main sections covering the scale of migrant working in Norfolk, undocumented migration and illegal employment practices, housing, health, translation and language, crime, racism and community tension. The last section suggests ways forward including current and future support for migrant workers