The Use of eHealth Applications in Hong Kong: Results of a Random-Digit Dialing Survey.

eHealth has become popular worldwide, and it is transforming health care. However, studies examining  the use of eHealth applications in the Chinese population are scarce. The study reports on the characteristics of eHealth applications in Hong Kong information and communication technology (ICT) users, their attitudes towards eHealth, and their reasons for not using eHealth applications. A cross-sectional random-digit dialing survey targeting adults using ICT was conducted in Hong Kong to elicit information on respondents' use of and attitudes towards eHealth. A total of 495 ICT users completed the survey, of whom 353 (71.3%) were eHealth users. A smartphone was the most frequent way of performing eHealth activities (71.7%). The most prevalent eHealth activity was reading about health/illness (86.4%), with 93.5% indicating that eHealth applications improved their understanding of health care issues. People with less education were less likely to use eHealth applications. Non-eHealth users indicated that the main reasons for not using eHealth applications were lack of interest in health information (49.3%) and lack of confidence in the reliability of online information (45.1%). Quality monitoring of health information available on ICTs and tailoring the design and readability are recommended to meet the needs of those seeking health resources and to promote eHealth. Evidence from the study demonstrates the potential of eHealth to improve the dissemination of health information in Hong Kong, and it provides a basis for improving eHealth integration.

Usability Testing of a Smartphone Application for Delivering Qigong Training.

A Qigong App was designed to promote a more flexible mode of delivering qigong training than face-to-face, with which individuals can access to this mind-body aerobic exercise more readily. The objective of the study was to examine the usability and acceptance of the App. Target participants were Cantonese- or Putonghua-speaking adults and owned a smartphone. First we conducted a pilot trial with 14 participants to examine the navigation feature of the App, followed by a main test. In the main test, another 100 participants reviewed the Qigong App and filled in a questionnaire on usability (System Usability Scale) and user acceptance (i.e., attitude, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, and satisfaction), of which 89 completed the same questionnaire in a two-week interval. Qualitative feedback yielded from the pilot trial was summarized, and descriptive statistics, t-tests, and linear regressions were used in quantitative data analysis of the main test. The mean composite usability score in the main test was satisfactory (77.62 out of 100). Descriptive analyses showed that the majority of users found the Qigong App pleasant, user friendly, and useful for learning qigong. Participants indicated positive ratings for the items assessing usability and acceptance of the App. Regression results showed that certain characteristics predicted the ratings for some items, e.g., age as a predictor of scores of usability and perceived ease of use. The study provided researchers and practitioners with evidence of the usability and acceptance of an alternative qigong training mode that can enhance participants' access and motivation to practice qigong.

Self-administered acupressure for symptom management among Chinese family caregivers with caregiver stress: a randomized, wait-list controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Caregiving can be stressful, potentially creating physical and psychological strain. Substantial evidence has shown that family caregivers suffer from significant health problems arising from the demands of caregiving. Although there are programs supporting caregivers, there is little evidence regarding their effectiveness. Acupressure is an ancient Chinese healing method designed to restore the flow of Qi (vital energy) by applying external pressure to acupoints. A randomized, wait-list controlled trial was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-administered acupressure intervention on caregiver stress (primary objective) and stress-related symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, depression, and health-related quality of life (secondary objectives) in Chinese caregivers of older family members. METHODS: Two hundred Chinese participants, aged ≥ 21 years, who are the primary caregivers of an older family member and screen positive for caregiver stress and symptoms of fatigue/insomnia/depression will be recruited from a community setting in Hong Kong. Subjects will be randomized to receive either an immediate treatment condition (self-administered acupressure intervention) or a wait-list control condition. The self-administered acupressure intervention will include (i) an individual learning and practice session twice a week for 2 weeks, (ii) a home follow-up visit once a week for 2 weeks, and (iii) 15-min self-practice twice a day for 6 weeks. The wait-list control group will receive the same acupressure training after the intervention group has completed the intervention. We hypothesize that Chinese family caregivers in the intervention group will have lower levels of caregiver stress, fatigue, insomnia, depression, and higher health-related quality of life after completion of the intervention than participants in the wait-list control group. DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence for the effectiveness of self-administered acupressure in reducing stress and improving symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, depression, and health-related quality of life in Chinese family caregivers. The findings will inform the design of interventions to relieve negative health effects of caregiving. Furthermore, the results can raise community awareness and serve as a basis for policymaking, planning, and allocation of resources regarding empowerment of family caregivers for self-care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials NCT02526446 . Registered August 10, 2015.

Do Scholars Respond Faster Than Google Trends in Discussing COVID-19 Issues? An Approach to Textual Big Data.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed various difficulties for policymakers, such as the identification of health issues, establishment of policy priorities, formulation of regulations, and promotion of economic competitiveness. Evidence-based practices and data-driven decision-making have been recognized as valuable tools for improving the policymaking process. Nevertheless, due to the abundance of data, there is a need to develop sophisticated analytical techniques and tools to efficiently extract and analyze the data. Methods: Using Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, we categorize the policy responses into 6 different categories: (a) containment and closure, (b) health systems, (c) vaccines, (d) economic, (e) country, and (f) others. We proposed a novel research framework to compare the response times of the scholars and the general public. To achieve this, we analyzed more than 400,000 research abstracts published over the past 2.5 years, along with text information from Google Trends as a proxy for topics of public concern. We introduced an innovative text-mining method: coherent topic clustering to analyze the huge number of abstracts. Results: Our results show that the research abstracts not only discussed almost all of the COVID-19 issues earlier than Google Trends did, but they also provided more in-depth coverage. This should help policymakers identify core COVID-19 issues and act earlier. Besides, our clustering method can better reflect the main messages of the abstracts than a recent advanced deep learning-based topic modeling tool. Conclusion: Scholars generally have a faster response in discussing COVID-19 issues than Google Trends.

Fostering integration among students with different backgrounds using an orthotic community service program.

BACKGROUND: In this globalization era, institutions are developing strategies including international service-learning pedagogies to integrate global perspectives and dimensions into the learning and teaching processes to develop students' capacity in intercultural competence. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the students' intercultural learning outcome through provision of orthotic community service to the less-privileged children. METHODS: A Hong Kong-based university collaborated with 2 American universities to conduct an orthotic community service program for the children with cerebral palsy in mainland China. In the process of service delivery, the students with different backgrounds worked closely and students' professional knowledge, intercultural understanding, and communication skills were evaluated. A mixed-method approach was adopted to investigate on how this international program could facilitate meaningful interactions in clinical practices. Preprogram and postprogram surveys and focus group interviews were conducted. Statistical analyses were performed on the quantitative data, while interview data were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: A comparison of preprogram and postprogram surveys showed that the students perceived this community service program important for enhancement of their capabilities to communicate with people from other cultures (n = 39, p < 0.05). It also showed an increase in local students' willingness to work with people from other cultures. Some themes related to intercultural competences were identified from the interview: "intercultural awareness, understanding, and communication" as well as openness to work/socialize with people from other cultures." CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that an international community service program could initiate positive changes in students' intercultural communication capability and interest to work with culturally different people.

Self-Administered Acupressure for Caregivers of Older Family Members: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether self-administered acupressure reduces stress and stress-related symptoms in caregivers of older family members. DESIGN: In this randomized, assessor-blind, controlled trial, 207 participants were randomized (1:1) to an acupressure intervention or a wait-list control group. SETTING: Community centers in Hong Kong, China. PARTICIPANTS: Primary caregivers of an older family member who screened positive for caregiver stress with symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, or depression. INTERVENTION: The 8-week intervention comprised four training sessions on self-administered acupressure, two follow-up sessions for learning reinforcement, and daily self-practice of self-administered acupressure. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was caregiver stress (Caregiver Burden Inventory). Secondary outcomes included fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale), insomnia (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire), and health-related quality of life (QoL) (12-item Short-Form Health Survey version 2). An intention-to-treat analysis was adopted. RESULTS: Of 207 participants, 201 completed the study. Caregiver stress in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group after 8 weeks (difference = -8.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -13.20 to -3.04; P = .002) and at 12-week follow-up (difference = -8.52; 95% CI = -13.91 to -3.12; P = .002). The intervention group, relative to the control group, also had significantly improved secondary outcomes of fatigue (difference = -0.84; 95% CI = -1.59 to -0.08; P = .031), insomnia (difference = -1.34; 95% CI = -2.40 to -0.27; P = .014), depression (difference = -1.76; 95% CI = -3.30 to -0.23; P = .025), and physical health-related QoL (difference = 3.08; 95% CI = 0.28-5.88; P = .032) after 8 weeks. CONCLUSION: Self-administered acupressure intervention significantly relieves self-reported caregiver stress and co-occurring symptoms in those caring for older family members. Further studies are needed to measure the symptoms objectively and to examine the clinical importance of the observed improvement in caregiver stress. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1193-1201, 2020.