Get moving: the practice nurse is watching you!

Background The system informs the nurse about levels of physical activity in the daily living of patients who are using the It’s LiFe! tool. The tool consists of an accelerometer that transfers data to a smartphone, which is subsequently connected to a server. Nurses can monitor patients’ physical activity via a secured website. Physical activity levels are measured in minutes per day compared with pre-set activity goals, which are set in dialogue with the patient.Objective To examine user requirements and to evaluate the usability of the secured website, in order to increase the probability of effective use by nurses.Method The needs and preferences of nurses towards the system were determined through qualitative research. The usability of the system was evaluated in a laboratory situation and during a three-month pilot study.Results A monitoring and feedback system to support patients in their intention to be more active was developed in a systematic way. Automatically generated feedback messages were defined based on the requirements of nurses. The results from the usability tests gave insights into how to improve the structure and quality of the information provided. Nurses were positive about the features and ease of use of the system, but made critical remarks about the time that its use entails.Conclusion The system supports nurses when performing physical activity counselling in a structured and profound way. The opportunity to support self-management of patients in between regular consultations needs further investigation, and adaptation into the clinical workflow of the nurses

User-centred development of a monitoring and feedback tool to stimulate physical activity

INTRODUCTION: Although physical activity has many positive effects on the quality of life and prognosis, it is very difficult for people with COPD or diabetes type 2 (DM2) to be sufficiently active. Unfortunately, the long-term adherence to several care interventions that try to enhance the physical activity level of these people is generally low. Self-monitoring and feedback integrated in technology might help promoting and sustaining an active lifestyle, especially when it is part of health care services. As a prerequisite, for useful technology and a successful intervention that meets the requirements and preferences of the end users, it is important to involve the end users in the design process at an early stage. AIM: In this contribution we report how users were involved in the design of an innovative monitoring and feedback tool to support self-management of an active lifestyle for COPD and DM2 patients. This tool will be implemented in primary care in a Self-management Support Program (SSP). Users were involved in particular to elicit: 1. Which feedback they need to optimally support them in their self-management. 2. How this feedback should be presented. 3. How the tool could be designed in order to be attractive, easy to use and suitable to wear on a daily basis. METHODS: An iterative user-centred approach was used to design both the tool and the SSP. Patients, care professionals and technicians were actively involved in the development process. Two patient representatives were added to the research team to help outlining the research strategy. A multidisciplinary team of technicians and computer engineers was established to help deciding on the development of the tool. Sixteen care professionals, 7 COPD and 8 DM2 patients were involved in interviews and focus groups to elicit the functional requirements of the tool. RESULTS: The conceptual idea of the tool is adapted to the requirements and preferences of the end users. The user-centred design process resulted in a self-management tool that consists of three parts: an accelerometer that monitors physical activity, a smartphone that shows feedback based on this activity and tailored to personal goals, and a server that stores the data and sends the feedback messages to the patients. This server also provides a summary to practice nurses, to prepare them for consultations, telephone calls or email conversations with patients. CONCLUSIONS: The involvement of end users in the development of the tool has led to new insights that increase its acceptability and usability. The tool will soon be validated and tested in pilot studies. The effects of the Self-management Support Program with the tool, embedded in primary care, will be measured in an RCT

Geleerde lessen uit e-health onderzoek

Er is een toename van het aanbod van e-health-toepassingen in Nederland, dat blijkt onder meer uit de e-health monitor 2016 (www.e-health-monitor.nl). Eén van de aanbevelingen uit deze monitor is dat meer onderzoek moet plaatsvinden naar veilige en effectieve e-health-toepassingen. In dit artikel bundelen onderzoekers van verschillende kenniscentra hun ervaringen. Zij beschrijven de door hen geleerde lessen

Geleerde lessen uit e-health onderzoek

Er is een toename van het aanbod van e-health-toepassingen in Nederland, dat blijkt onder meer uit de e-health monitor 2016 (www.e-health-monitor.nl). Eén van de aanbevelingen uit deze monitor is dat meer onderzoek moet plaatsvinden naar veilige en effectieve e-health-toepassingen. In dit artikel bundelen onderzoekers van verschillende kenniscentra hun ervaringen en beschrijven de door hen geleerde lessen die zijn gebaseerd op diverse onderzoeksprojecten