To BYOD or not: Are device latencies important for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) smartphone cognitive testing?

Studies using remote cognitive testing must make a critical decision: whether to allow participants to use their own devices or to provide participants with a study-specific device. Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) studies have several advantages including increased accessibility, potential for larger sample sizes, and reduced participant burden. However, BYOD studies offer little control over device performance characteristics that could potentially influence results. In particular, response times measured by each device not only include the participant's true response time, but also latencies of the device itself. The present study investigated two prominent sources of device latencies that pose significant risks to data quality: device display output latency and touchscreen input latency. We comprehensively tested 26 popular smartphones ranging in price from < $100 to $1000+ running either Android or iOS to determine if hardware and operating system differences led to appreciable device latency variability. To accomplish this, a custom-built device called the Latency and Timing Assessment Robot (LaTARbot) measured device display output and capacitive touchscreen input latencies. We found considerable variability across smartphones in display and touch latencies which, if unaccounted for, could be misattributed as individual or group differences in response times. Specifically, total device (sum of display and touch) latencies ranged from 35 to 140 ms. We offer recommendations to researchers to increase the precision of data collection and analysis in the context of remote BYOD studies.

The effect of hybrid SCMC (BYOD) on foreign language anxiety and learning experience in comparison to pure SCMC and FTF communication

This study aims to investigate the impact of using synchronized computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in a face-to-face (FTF) classroom on reducing foreign language anxiety (FLA) and enhancing the learning experience. Fifty Chinese college students participated in a learning activity under three modes: normal FTF classroom (the blank sample), pure SCMC, and hybrid SCMC (BYOD). Smartphones, PCs, open internet, and the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) concept were used for SCMC applications. After completing the learning activity, the students completed Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaires. The students were also asked to complete perceptual questionnaires to assess their interaction, anxiety, distraction from the internet, and class atmosphere in the three modes. The results showed that the hybrid SCMC (BYOD) resulted in better interaction than the normal FTF classroom mode (the blank sample), while pure SCMC showed no significant improvement. Both SCMC modes reduced FLA compared to the normal FTF classroom mode (the blank sample), but pure SCMC caused a noticeable increase in distraction from the internet and weakened the classroom atmosphere. In contrast, the hybrid SCMC (BYOD) mode slightly increased distraction and improved the classroom atmosphere.

Usability evaluation of mobile phone technologies for capturing cancer patient-reported outcomes and physical functions

Background

By eliminating the requirement for participants to make frequent visits to research sites, mobile phone applications ("apps") may help to decentralize clinical trials. Apps may also be an effective mechanism for capturing patient-reported outcomes and other endpoints, helping to optimize patient care during and outside of clinical trials.

Objectives

We report on the usability of Digital BioMarkers for Clinical Impact (DigiBioMarC™ (DBM)), a novel smartphone-based app used by cancer patients in conjunction with a wearable device (Apple Watch®). DBM is designed to collect patient-reported outcomes and record physical functions.

Methods

In a fully decentralized "bring-your-own-device" smartphone study, we enrolled 54 cancer patient and caregiver dyads from Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) from October 2020 through March 2021. Patients used the app for at least 28 days, completed weekly questionnaires about their symptoms, physical functions, and mood, and performed timed physical tasks. Usability was determined through a subset of the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), the full System Usability Scale (SUS), the Net Promoter Score (NPS), and semi-structured interviews.

Results

We obtained usability survey data from 50 of 54 patients. Median responses to the selected MARS questions and the mean SUS scores indicated above average usability. The NPS from the semi-structured interviews at the end of the study was 24, indicating a favorable score.

Conclusions

Cancer patients reported above average usability for the DBM app. Qualitative analyses indicated that the app was easy to use and helpful. Future work will emphasize implementing further patient recommendations and evaluating the app's clinical efficacy in multiple settings.

Evaluation of Self-care Activities and Quality of Life in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Metformin Using the 2D Matrix Code of Outer Drug Packages as Patient Identifier: the DePRO Proof-of-Concept Observational Study

Background

The use of digital technology to assess patients remotely can reduce clinical study costs. In the European Union, the 2D matrix code on prescription drug packaging serves as a unique identifier of a given package of medication, and thus, also of the patient receiving that medication. Scanning of the 2D matrix code may therefore allow remote patient authentication in clinical studies.

Objective

The aim of the DePRO study was to assess the feasibility of a fully digital data-capture workflow, the authentication of participants via drug packaging 2D matrix codes, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who use metformin. The primary objective was to describe the self-care activities of these patients. Secondary objectives were to evaluate (1) the self-reported health status of these patients, (2) the association of self-care activities with demographics and disease characteristics, and (3) the usability of the my ePRO app.

Methods

DePRO was an observational, multicenter, cross-sectional, digital, and patient-driven study conducted in Germany from June to December 2020. Adult patients prescribed metformin were invited to participate via their pharmacist or a medication tracker app. Participants downloaded the my ePRO app onto their own mobile device, scanned the 2D matrix code on their metformin package for registration and authentication, and provided informed consent via an electronic form. They were then able to complete a study-specific questionnaire on demographics and clinical characteristics, the German version of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities measure (SDSCA-G), the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ), and the EQ-5D-5L. The patients conducted the study without support from a health care professional. Statistical analyses were exploratory and descriptive.

Results

In total, 3219 patients were invited to participate. The proportion of patients giving consent was greater among those invited by pharmacists (19/217, 8.8%) than among those invited via the medication tracker app (13/3002, 0.4%). Of the 29 patients eligible for analysis, 28 (97%) completed all study questionnaires. Most of the patients (23/29, 79%) were aged <60 years, and 59% (17/29) were male. The patients spent a mean total of 3.5 (SD 1.3) days out of 7 days on self-care activities (SDSCA-G). Most patients (24/29, 83%) were satisfied to extremely satisfied with their current treatment (DTSQ). Events of perceived hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia were reported by 20 of 29 (69%) patients. The best possible health status (EQ-5D-5L) was reported by 18 of 28 (64%) patients. Age was positively correlated with time spent on general and specific diet (Spearman coefficient 0.390 and 0.434, respectively).

Conclusions

The DePRO study demonstrates the feasibility of fully digital authentication (via 2D matrix codes on drug packaging) and data capture in patients with T2DM. Personal invitations yielded higher recruitment rates than remote invitations via the medication tracker app. A high questionnaire completion rate was realized, based on completion by 28 out of 29 patients.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04383041; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04383041

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/21727

Does scrolling affect measurement equivalence of electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROM)? Results of a quantitative equivalence study

BACKGROUND

Scrolling is a perceived barrier in the use of bring your own device (BYOD) to capture electronic patient reported outcomes (ePROs). This study explored the impact of scrolling on the measurement equivalence of electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) in the presence and absence of scrolling.

METHODS

Adult participants with a chronic condition involving daily pain completed ePROMs on four devices with different scrolling properties: a large provisioned device not requiring scrolling; two provisioned devices requiring scrolling - one with a "smart-scrolling" feature that disabled the "next" button until all information was viewed, and a second without this feature; and BYOD with smart-scrolling. The ePROMs included were the SF-12, EQ-5D-5L, and three pain measures: a visual analogue scale, a numeric response scale and a Likert scale. Participants completed English or Spanish versions according to their first language. Associations between ePROM scores were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), with lower bound of 95% confidence interval (CI) > 0.7 indicating comparability.

RESULTS

One hundred fifteen English- or Spanish-speaking participants (21-75y) completed all four administrations. High associations between scrolling and non-scrolling were observed (ICCs: 0.71-0.96). The equivalence threshold was met for all but one SF-12 domain score (bodily pain; lower 95% CI: 0.65) and two EQ-5D-5L item scores (pain/discomfort, usual activities; lower 95% CI: 0.64/0.67). Age, language, and device size produced insignificant differences in scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The measurement properties of PROMs are preserved even in the presence of scrolling on a handheld device. Further studies that assess scrolling impact over long-term, repeated use are recommended.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) as reversed IT adoption: Insights into managers' coping strategies

The adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), initiated by employees, refers to the provision and use of personal mobile devices and applications for both private and business purposes. This bottom-up phenomenon, not initiated by managers, corresponds to a reversed IT adoption logic that simultaneously entails business opportunities and threats. Managers are thus confronted with this unchosen BYOD usage by employees and consequently adopt different coping strategies. This research aims to investigate the adaptation strategies embraced by managers to cope with the BYOD phenomenon. To this end, we operationalized the coping model of user adaptation (CMUA) in the organizational decision-making context to conduct a survey addressing 337 top managers. Our main results indicate that the impact of the CMUA constructs varies according to the period (pre- or post-implementation). The coping strategies differ between those who have already implemented measures to regulate BYOD usage and those who have not. We contribute to theory by integrating the perception of BYOD-related opportunities and threats and by shedding light on the decisional processes in the adoption of coping strategies. The managerial contributions of this research correspond to the improved protection of corporate information and the maximization of BYOD-related benefits.

Hospital Bring-Your-Own-Device Security Challenges and Solutions: Systematic Review of Gray Literature

Background

As familiarity with and convenience of using personal devices in hospitals help improve the productivity, efficiency, and workflow of hospital staff, the health care bring-your-own-device (BYOD) market is growing consistently. However, security concerns owing to the lack of control over the personal mobile devices of staff, which may contain sensitive data such as personal health information of patients, make it one of the biggest health care information technology (IT) challenges for hospital administrations.

Objective

Given that the hospital BYOD security has not been adequately addressed in peer-reviewed literature, the aim of this paper was to identify key security challenges associated with hospital BYOD usage as well as relevant solutions that can cater to the identified issues by reviewing gray literature. Therefore, this research will provide additional practical insights from current BYOD practices.

Methods

A comprehensive gray literature review was conducted, which followed the stepwise guidelines and quality assessment criteria set out by Garousi et al. The searched literature included tier 1 sources such as health care cybersecurity market reports, white papers, guidelines, policies, and frameworks as well as tier 2 sources such as credible and reputed health IT magazines, databases, and news articles. Moreover, a deductive thematic analysis was conducted to organize the findings based on Schlarman’s People Policy Technology model, promoting a holistic understanding of hospitals’ BYOD security issues and solutions.

Results

A total of 51 sources were found to match the designed eligibility criteria. From these studies, several sociotechnical issues were identified. The major challenges identified were the use of devices with insufficient security controls by hospital staff, lack of control or visibility for the management to maintain security requirements, lack of awareness among hospital staff, lack of direction or guidance for BYOD usage, poor user experience, maintenance of legal requirements, shortage of cybersecurity skills, and loss of devices. Although technologies such as mobile device management, unified endpoint management, containerization, and virtual private network allow better BYOD security management in hospitals, policies and people management measures such as strong security culture and staff awareness and training improve staff commitment in protecting hospital data.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that to optimize BYOD security management in hospitals, all 3 dimensions of the security process (people, policy, and technology) need to be given equal emphasis. As the nature of cybersecurity attacks is becoming more complex, all dimensions should work in close alignment with each other. This means that with the modernization of BYOD technology, BYOD strategy, governance, education, and relevant policies and procedures also need to adapt accordingly.

Influence of Organizational Issues on Nurse Administrators' Support to Staff Nurses' Use of Smartphones for Work Purposes in the Philippines: Focus Group Study

Background

Studies show that nurses use their own smartphones for work purposes, and there are several organizational issues related to this. However, it is unclear what these organizational issues are in the Philippines and the influence they have on nurse administrators’ (ie, superiors) support to staff nurses’ (ie, subordinates) use of smartphones for work purposes.

Objective

Drawing from the Organizational Support Theory (OST), this study aimed to identify organizational issues that influence nurse administrators’ support to staff nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes.

Methods

Between June and July 2017, 9 focus groups with 43 nurse administrators (ie, head nurses, nurse supervisors, and nurse managers) were conducted in 9 tertiary-level general hospitals in Metro Manila, the Philippines. Drawing from OST, issues were classified as those that encouraged or inhibited nurse administrators to support nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes.

Results

Nurse administrators were encouraged to support nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes when (1) personal smartphones are superior to workplace technologies, (2) personal smartphones resolve unit phone problems, and (3) policy is unrealistic to implement. Conversely, issues that inhibited nurse administrators to support nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes include (1) smartphone use for nonwork purposes and (2) misinterpretation by patients.

Conclusions

Nurse administrators in the Philippines faced several organizational issues that encouraged or inhibited support to staff nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes. Following OST, the extent of their support can influence staff nurses’ perceived organizational support on the use of smartphones for work purposes, Overall, the findings highlight the role and implication of organizational support in the context of smartphone consumerization in hospital settings, especially in developing countries.

A Mobile App Development Guideline for Hospital Settings: Maximizing the Use of and Minimizing the Security Risks of "Bring Your Own Devices" Policies

BACKGROUND

Hospitals today are introducing new mobile apps to improve patient care and workflow processes. Mobile device adoption by hospitals fits with present day technology behavior; however, requires a deeper look into hospital device policies and the impact on patients, staff, and technology development. Should hospitals spend thousands to millions of dollars to equip all personnel with a mobile device that is only used in a hospital environment? Allowing health care professionals to use personal mobile devices at work, known as bring-your-own-device (BYOD), has the potential to support both the hospital and its employees to deliver effective and efficient care.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this research were to create a mobile app development guideline for a BYOD hospital environment, apply the guideline to the development of an in-house mobile app called TaskList, pilot the TaskList app within Boston Children's Hospital (BCH), and refine the guideline based on the app pilot. TaskList is an Apple operating system (iOS)-based app designed for medical residents to monitor, create, capture, and share daily collaborative tasks associated with patients.

METHODS

To create the BYOD guidelines, we developed TaskList that required the use of mobile devices among medical resident. The TaskList app was designed in four phases: (1) mobile app guideline development, (2) requirements gathering and developing of TaskList fitting the guideline, (3) deployment of TaskList using BYOD with end-users, and (4) refinement of the guideline based on the TaskList pilot. Phase 1 included understanding the existing hospital BYOD policies and conducting Web searches to find best practices in software development for a BYOD environment. Phase 1 also included gathering subject matter input from the Information Services Department (ISD) at BCH. Phase 2 involved the collaboration between the Innovation Acceleration Program at BCH, the ISD Department and the TaskList Clinical team in understanding what features should be built into the app. Phase 3 involved deployment of TaskList on a clinical floor at BCH. Lastly, Phase 4 gathered the lessons learned from the pilot to refine the guideline.

RESULTS

Fourteen practical recommendations were identified to create the BCH Mobile Application Development Guideline to safeguard custom applications in hospital BYOD settings. The recommendations were grouped into four categories: (1) authentication and authorization, (2) data management, (3) safeguarding app environment, and (4) remote enforcement. Following the guideline, the TaskList app was developed and then was piloted with an inpatient ward team.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mobile Application Development guideline was created and used in the development of TaskList. The guideline is intended for use by developers when addressing integration with hospital information systems, deploying apps in BYOD health care settings, and meeting compliance standards, such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations.