Mobile health: new technologies, new modes and new era

A Systematic Review of the Scope of Study of mHealth Interventions for Wellness and Related Challenges in Pediatric and Young Adult Populations

Background

Despite the purported advantages and potential efficacy of mHealth interventions to promote wellness in children, adolescents, and young adults, it is not clear what areas have been explored and the challenges reported in the biomedical literature.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review of publications between 2015 and 2019.

Results

We identified 54 papers that met our inclusion criteria. Studies were conducted in 21 countries and ranged in size from six to 9851 participants (median: 184). A total of 41% of studies enrolled adolescents only (n = 19). Of the seven types of mHealth interventions identified, apps were the most common intervention (59%; n = 32) evaluated and 44% of the studies evaluated two or more interventions. The most common topic of the studies reviewed was sexual and reproductive health (24%; n = 13).

Conclusion

Most pediatric mHealth intervention studies are conducted in adolescents in large part, and sexual and reproductive health is the most commonly studied topic. With the easy and widespread accessibility to smartphone technology, the use of mobile apps for wellness interventions will likely continue to expand to other wellness topics.

Assessment of willingness to Tele-monitoring interventions in patients with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension in the public primary healthcare setting

Background

Tele-monitoring (TM) is remote monitoring of individuals via info-communication technology, enabling them and their relatives or care-providers to recognize their health status conveniently. TM will be successful only if the individuals, often patients with medical conditions, are willing to accept and adopt it in their daily lives. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of willingness of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and/or hypertension towards the use of TM, and the factors influencing their uptake.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at two public primary care clinics (polyclinics) in north-eastern Singapore, where TM had not been implemented. After the patients with T2DM and/or hypertension consented after fulfilling the eligibility criteria, they were first introduced to the concept of TM using pictogram and explanation by the investigators. Data on their demography, clinical parameters, technological literacy and acceptance of TM based on the Health Information Technology Acceptance Model (HITAM) were subsequently collected, computed, analyzed, followed by regression analyses to identify the factors associated with their willingness to use TM.

Results

Among 1125 eligible multi-ethnic Asian patients approached, 899 of them completed the assisted questionnaire survey, yielding a response rate of 79.9%. Their mean age was 58 ± 8 years, females 51.3% and Chinese 69.3%. Overall, 53.0% of the patients were willing to use TM. Personal beliefs on technology (OR = 3.54, 95%CI = 2.50–4.50, p < 0.001), prior technology utility (OR = 3.18, 95%CI = 1.57–6.42, p = 0.001), Patient’s requirements to be accompanied (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.054–2.082, P = 0.03) Cost considerations (OR = 2.96, 95% CI = 2.257–3.388, P < 0.01) and technological literacy (OR = 2.77, 95%CI = 2.05–3.38, p < 0.001) were associated with willingness to use TM.

Conclusion

Slightly over half of the patients were willing to use TM. Factors such as age, ethnicity, technological literacy, beliefs and previous utility of technology of the patients have to be addressed before implementing TM in primary care.