17,079 research outputs found
Health Figures: An Open Source JavaScript Library for Health Data Visualization
The way we look at data has a great impact on how we can understand it,
particularly when the data is related to health and wellness. Due to the
increased use of self-tracking devices and the ongoing shift towards preventive
medicine, better understanding of our health data is an important part of
improving the general welfare of the citizens. Electronic Health Records,
self-tracking devices and mobile applications provide a rich variety of data
but it often becomes difficult to understand. We implemented the hFigures
library inspired on the hGraph visualization with additional improvements. The
purpose of the library is to provide a visual representation of the evolution
of health measurements in a complete and useful manner. We researched the
usefulness and usability of the library by building an application for health
data visualization in a health coaching program. We performed a user evaluation
with Heuristic Evaluation, Controlled User Testing and Usability
Questionnaires. In the Heuristics Evaluation the average response was 6.3 out
of 7 points and the Cognitive Walkthrough done by usability experts indicated
no design or mismatch errors. In the CSUQ usability test the system obtained an
average score of 6.13 out of 7, and in the ASQ usability test the overall
satisfaction score was 6.64 out of 7. We developed hFigures, an open source
library for visualizing a complete, accurate and normalized graphical
representation of health data. The idea is based on the concept of the hGraph
but it provides additional key features, including a comparison of multiple
health measurements over time. We conducted a usability evaluation of the
library as a key component of an application for health and wellness
monitoring. The results indicate that the data visualization library was
helpful in assisting users in understanding health data and its evolution over
time.Comment: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 16.1 (2016
M-health review: joining up healthcare in a wireless world
In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver health and social care. This trend is bound to continue as providers (whether public or private) strive to deliver better care to more people under conditions of severe budgetary constraint
User interface design for mobile-based sexual health interventions for young people: Design recommendations from a qualitative study on an online Chlamydia clinical care pathway
Background: The increasing pervasiveness of mobile technologies has given potential to transform healthcare by facilitating clinical management using software applications. These technologies may provide valuable tools in sexual health care and potentially overcome existing practical and cultural barriers to routine testing for sexually transmitted infections. In order to inform the design of a mobile health application for STIs that supports self-testing and self-management by linking diagnosis with online care pathways, we aimed to identify the dimensions and range of preferences for user interface design features among young people. Methods: Nine focus group discussions were conducted (n=49) with two age-stratified samples (16 to 18 and 19 to 24 year olds) of young people from Further Education colleges and Higher Education establishments. Discussions explored young people's views with regard to: the software interface; the presentation of information; and the ordering of interaction steps. Discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four over-arching themes emerged: privacy and security; credibility; user journey support; and the task-technology-context fit. From these themes, 20 user interface design recommendations for mobile health applications are proposed. For participants, although privacy was a major concern, security was not perceived as a major potential barrier as participants were generally unaware of potential security threats and inherently trusted new technology. Customisation also emerged as a key design preference to increase attractiveness and acceptability. Conclusions: Considerable effort should be focused on designing healthcare applications from the patient's perspective to maximise acceptability. The design recommendations proposed in this paper provide a valuable point of reference for the health design community to inform development of mobile-based health interventions for the diagnosis and treatment of a number of other conditions for this target group, while stimulating conversation across multidisciplinary communities
Toward an mHealth Intervention for Smoking Cessation
The prevalence of tobacco dependence in the United States (US) remains alarming. Invariably, smoke-related health problems are the leading preventable causes of death in the US. Research has shown that a culturally tailored cessation counseling program can help reduce smoking and other tobacco usage. In this paper, we present a mobile health (mHealth) solution that leverages the Short Message Service (SMS) or text messaging feature of mobile devices to motivate behavior change among tobacco users. Our approach implements the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and a phase-based framework. We make contributions to improving previous mHealth intervention approaches by delivering personalized and evidence-based motivational SMS messages to participants. Our proposed solution implements machine learning algorithms that take the participant\u27s demographic profile and previous smoking behavior into account. We discuss our preliminary evaluation of the system against a couple of pseudo-scenarios and our observation of the system\u27s performance
The Value of User-Visible Internet Cryptography
Cryptographic mechanisms are used in a wide range of applications, including
email clients, web browsers, document and asset management systems, where
typical users are not cryptography experts. A number of empirical studies have
demonstrated that explicit, user-visible cryptographic mechanisms are not
widely used by non-expert users, and as a result arguments have been made that
cryptographic mechanisms need to be better hidden or embedded in end-user
processes and tools. Other mechanisms, such as HTTPS, have cryptography
built-in and only become visible to the user when a dialogue appears due to a
(potential) problem. This paper surveys deployed and potential technologies in
use, examines the social and legal context of broad classes of users, and from
there, assesses the value and issues for those users
Designing a Multimedia Intervention for Illiterate and Semi-Illiterate Pregnant Women in Developing Countries: A Case of Uganda
Die hohe Müttersterblichkeit in Entwicklungsländern ist zum Teil auf indirekte Faktoren wie Analphabetismus und eingeschränkten Zugang zu Gesundheitsinformationen für Mütter zurückzuführen. Während gebildete Frauen auf Gesundheitsinformationen über Online-Plattformen und mHealth-Apps zugreifen können, müssen Analphabetinnen diese in Gesundheitseinrichtungen abrufen, was aufgrund der Transportkosten oft nicht möglich ist.
Mobilfunktechnologie hat in der Gesundheitsversorgung Chancen für ressourcenarme Gemeinschaften eröffnet, die sonst nicht von den digitalen Technologien profitiert hätten. Obwohl Mobilfunktechnologie in der Müttergesundheit eingesetzt wird, können die meisten Maßnahmen nicht von Analphabeten genutzt werden, verwenden Sicherheitsmodelle die nicht auf den Kontext von Entwicklungsländern zugeschnitten sind, und wurden nicht auf ihre Auswirkungen auf die Müttergesundheit hin evaluiert.
In dieser Arbeit wurden zwei (Web und Mobile) Apps entwickelt, die die Übermittlung von multimedialen Nachrichten zur Müttergesundheit, Terminerinnerungen und Anrufe/Chats erleichtern. Um die Anforderungen der Nutzer zu erfassen, wurde eine Feldstudie mit halbstrukturierten Interviews und Fokusgruppendiskussionen mit schwangeren Analphabetinnen, Gesundheitsexperten und Entwicklern durchgeführt. Es folgte die Entwicklung eines Sicherheitsmodells (T2RoL) zur Sicherung der Gesundheitsinformationen in den Apps, die dann nach einem nutzerzentrierten Designansatz entwickelt wurden.
Eine zweite Feldstudie in Form von halbstrukturierten Interviews und Umfragen wurde durchgeführt, um die mobile App in einer randomisierten kontrollierten Studie mit 80 schwangeren Analphabetinnen über 9 Monate zu evaluieren. Die Auswertung zeigte, dass die App akzeptiert wurde sowie einfach zu erlernen und zu benutzen war. Das Wissen über Müttergesundheit in der Interventionsgruppe verbesserte sich, was sich positiv auf gesundheitsbezogene Entscheidungen und Gesundheitsmaßnahmen auswirkte.Maternal mortality is high in developing countries partly due to indirect factors such as illiteracy and limited access to maternal health information. While literate women can access health information from online platforms, and mHealth apps, illiterate women must get it from health facilities which is often not possible due to lack of transport fees.
Mobile technology has opened opportunities in maternal health care for low resource communities that would otherwise not have benefited from digital technologies. Although used in maternal health, most interventions are not usable by the illiterate, use security models that are not tailored to the developing countries’ context, and have not been evaluated to assess their impact on maternal health care.
In this thesis, two (web and mobile) apps that facilitate delivery of multimedia-based maternal health messages, appointment reminders, and calls/ chats were developed. To gather user requirements, a field study in form of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions was conducted with illiterate pregnant women, health practitioners and developers. Development of a security model (T2RoL) to secure the health information in the apps followed. The apps were then developed following a user-centered design approach.
A second field study in form of semi-structured interviews and surveys was conducted to evaluate the mobile app through a randomized controlled trial with 80 illiterate pregnant women that were followed for 9 months. Overall, results show that the app was acceptable, easy to learn and use. There was improved maternal health knowledge among the intervention group which positively influenced health related decision making and health practices
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