Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Short-Form Adolescent Health Promotion scale: Methodological study.

Background and Aim: Assessing health promotion among adolescents is vital to identify healthy and unhealthy behaviors and to evaluate health promotion interventions. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Short-Form Adolescent Health Promotion scale. Methods: Three hundred and twenty-seven adolescents were recruited through a multistage sampling method in this methodological study. The original version of the Adolescent Health Promotion scale was translated from English to Persian using the Backward-Forward translation protocol. Then, the scale's validity and reliability, including the face, content, construct validity, and reliability indices, were evaluated. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 24. Results: The mean CVI and CVR were 0.99. The exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors covering 42.57% of the total variance. The factor loading order of the items did not exactly correspond to the order obtained in the English version of the scale's validity and reliability analysis. The obtained factors called included: life appreciation, stress management, nutrition, and health responsibility. In the current study, both Cronbach's ɑ and the intraclass correlation coefficient were calculated at 0.84 and 0.99. Conclusion: The Persian version of the Adolescent Health Promotion scale developed in the present study is acceptable for the validity of the content, face, and reliability. However, the construct validity of this scale should be checked in other samples.

A Smartphone App for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome (MoTER-ACS): User-Centered Design Approach.

BACKGROUND: Postdischarge interventions are limited for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to few scheduled visits to outpatient clinics and the need to travel from remote areas. Smartphones have become viable lifestyle technology to deliver home-based educational and health interventions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a smartphone-based intervention for providing postdischarge support to patients with ACS. METHODS: The content of Mobile Technology-Enabled Rehabilitation for Patients with ACS (MoTER-ACS) was derived from a series of small studies, termed prestudy surveys, conducted in 2017. The prestudy surveys were conducted in Prince Charles Hospital, Queensland, Australia, and consisted of questionnaires among a convenience sample of patients with ACS (n=30), a focus group discussion with health care professionals (n=10), and an online survey among cardiologists (n=15). Responses from the patient survey identified educational topics of MoTER-ACS. The focus group with health care professionals assisted with identifying educational materials, health monitoring, and self-management interventions. Based on the results of the cardiologists' survey, monitoring of symptoms related to heart failure exacerbation was considered as a weekly diary. RESULTS: The MoTER-ACS app covers multimedia educational materials to adopt a healthy lifestyle and includes user-friendly tools to monitor physiological and health parameters such as blood pressure, weight, and pain, assisting patients in self-managing their condition. A web portal that is linked to the data from the smartphone app is available to clinicians to regularly access patients' data and provide support. CONCLUSIONS: The MoTER-ACS platform extends the capabilities of previous mobile health platforms by providing a home-based educational and self-management intervention for patients with ACS following discharge from the hospital. The MoTER-ACS intervention narrows the gap between existing hospital-based programs and home-based interventions by complementing the postdischarge program for patients with ACS.

Digital health interventions for chronic diseases: a scoping review of evaluation frameworks.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring and evaluations of digital health (DH) solutions for the management of chronic diseases are quite heterogeneous and evidences around evaluating frameworks are inconsistent. An evidenced-based framework is needed to inform the evaluation process and rationale of such interventions. We aimed to explore the nature, extent and components of existing DH frameworks for chronic diseases. METHODS: This review was conducted based on the five steps of Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology. Out of 172 studies identified from, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, 11 met our inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies developed DH frameworks for chronic diseases and published between 2010 and 2018. RESULTS: According to WHO guidelines for monitoring and evaluation of DH interventions, we identified seven Conceptual frameworks, two Results frameworks, one Logical framework and one Theory of change. The frameworks developed for providing interventions such as self-management, achieving personal goals and reducing relapse for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and severe mental health. A few studies reported evaluation of the frameworks using randomised clinical trials (n=3) and feasibility testing via Likert scale survey (n=2). A wide range of outcomes were reported including access to care, cost-effectiveness, behavioural outcomes, patient-provider communications, technology acceptance and user experience. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of evidence on the application of consistent DH frameworks. Future research should address the use of evidence-based frameworks into the research design, monitoring and evaluation process. This review explores the nature of DH frameworks for the management of chronic diseases and provides examples to guide monitoring and evaluation of interventions.

Digital health for COPD care: the current state of play.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) imposes a huge burden to our healthcare systems and societies. To alleviate the burden, digital health-"the use of digital technologies for health"-has been recognized as a potential solution for improving COPD care at scale. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of digital health interventions in COPD care. We accordingly reviewed recent and emerging evidence on digital transformation approaches for COPD care focusing on (I) self-management, (II) in-hospital care, (III) post-discharge care, (IV) hospital-at-home, (V) ambient environment, and (VI) public health surveillance. The emerging approaches included digital-technology-enabled homecare programs, electronic records, big data analytics, and environment-monitoring applications. The digital health approaches of telemonitoring, telehealth and mHealth support the self-management, post-discharge care, and hospital-at-home strategy, with prospective effects on reducing acute COPD exacerbations and hospitalizations. Electronic records and classification tools have been implemented; and their effectiveness needs to be further evaluated in future studies. Air pollution concentrations in the ambient environment are associated with declined lung functions and increased risks for hospitalization and mortality. In all the digital transformation approaches, clinical evidence on reducing mortality, the ultimate goal of digital health intervention, is often inconsistent or insufficient. Digital health transformation provides great opportunities for clinical innovations and discovery of new intervention strategies. Further research remains needed for achieving reliable improvements in clinical outcomes and cost-benefits in future studies.

A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Utilizing Telemedicine for Improving Heart Failure Readmission: Can a Realist Approach Bridge the Translational Divide?

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine and digital health technologies hold great promise for improving clinical care of heart failure. However, inconsistent and contradictory findings from randomized controlled trials have so far discouraged widespread adoption of digital health in routine clinical practice. We undertook this review study to summarize the study outcomes of the use of exploring the evidence for telemedicine in the clinical care of patients with heart failure and readmissions. METHODS: We inspected the references of guidelines and searched PubMed for randomized controlled trials published over the past 10 years on the use of telemedicine for reducing readmission in heart failure. We utilized a modified realist review approach to identify the underlying contextual mechanisms for the intervention(s) in each randomized controlled trial, evaluating outcomes of the intervention and understanding how and under what conditions they worked. To provide uniformity, all extracted data were synthesized using adapted domains from the taxonomy for disease management created by the Disease Management Taxonomy Writing Group. RESULTS: A total of 12 papers were eligible, 6 of them supporting and 6 others undermining the use of telemedicine for improving heart failure readmission. In general terms, those studies not supporting the use of telemedicine were multicentre, publicly funded, with large amount of participants, and long duration. The patients had also better rates of treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blocker and beta-blockers, and telemonitoring and automatic transmission of vital signs were less utilized, in comparison with the studies in which telemedicine use was supported. The analysis of the environment, intensity, content of interventions, method of communication, quality of the underlying model of care and the ability, capability, and interest from health workers can help us to envisage probabilities of success of telemedicine use. CONCLUSIONS: A realist lens may aid to understand whom and in which circumstances the use of telemedicine can add any substantial value to traditional models of care. Wider outcome criteria beyond major adverse cardiovascular events, for example, cost efficacy, should also be considered as appropriate for effecting guidelines on care delivery when robust prognostic therapeutics already exist.

Evaluating the Effect of Monitoring through Telephone (Tele-Monitoring) on Self-Care Behaviors and Readmission of Patients with Heart Failure after Discharge.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is one of the serious cardiovascular diseases, which poses a global pandemic and places a heavy burden on health care systems worldwide. The incidence of this disease in Iran is higher than in other Asian countries. To reduce patients' complications, readmission rates, and health care expenditures, it is necessary to design interventions, which are culturally appropriate and based on community needs. METHODS: In 2016, a randomized clinical trial (IRCT2017010731804N1) was initiated to compare tailored tele-monitoring intervention with usual care. In total, 80 patients completed the study after a follow-up period of 8 weeks. The primary end point was heart failure self-care, which was measured using the Iranian version of the European Heart Failure self-care questionnaire. Secondary end points were heart failure related readmission rates. RESULTS: The mean scores for self-care behaviors of the two groups showed significant difference at the baseline (p = 0.045). The results of the analysis of covariance that was used to control the differences in the pretest scores of self-care behaviors showed that the difference between both groups after the intervention was still significant (p < 0.001). The percentage of patients' readmissions in the intervention group (20%) was less than that in the control group (42.2%); however, the results were not statistically significant (p = 0/066). CONCLUSION: This study showed that tele-monitoring improved self-care behaviors in Iranian patients with heart failure but did not reduce their readmission rates.

Self-Management Education Through mHealth: Review of Strategies and Structures.

BACKGROUND: Despite the plethora of evidence on mHealth interventions for patient education, there is a lack of information regarding their structures and delivery strategies. OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to investigate the structures and strategies of patient education programs delivered through smartphone apps for people with diverse conditions and illnesses. We also examined the aim of educational interventions in terms of health promotion, disease prevention, and illness management. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, and PsycINFO for peer-reviewed papers that reported patient educational interventions using mobile apps and published from 2006 to 2016. We explored various determinants of educational interventions, including the content, mode of delivery, interactivity with health care providers, theoretical basis, duration, and follow-up. The reporting quality of studies was evaluated according to the mHealth evidence and reporting assessment criteria. RESULTS: In this study, 15 papers met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The studies mainly focused on the use of mHealth educational interventions for chronic disease management, and the main format for delivering interventions was text. Of the 15 studies, 6 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which have shown statistically significant effects on patients' health outcomes, including patients' engagement level, hemoglobin A1c, weight loss, and depression. Although the results of RCTs were mostly positive, we were unable to identify any specific effective structure and strategy for mHealth educational interventions owing to the poor reporting quality and heterogeneity of the interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence on mHealth interventions for patient education published in peer-reviewed journals demonstrates that current reporting on essential mHealth criteria is insufficient for assessing, understanding, and replicating mHealth interventions. There is a lack of theory or conceptual framework for the development of mHealth interventions for patient education. Therefore, further research is required to determine the optimal structure, strategies, and delivery methods of mHealth educational interventions.

Multidisciplinary Smartphone-Based Interventions to Empower Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: Qualitative Study on Health Care Providers' Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Postdischarge interventions are limited in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to few scheduled visits to outpatient clinics and travel from remote areas. Smartphones have become a viable lifestyle technology to deliver educational and health interventions following discharge from hospital. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the requirements for the delivery of a mobile health intervention for the postdischarge management of patients with ACS via a multidisciplinary focus group. METHODS: We conducted a focus group among health care professionals (n=10) from a large metropolitan hospital in May 2017. These participants from a multidisciplinary team contributed to a 1-hour discussion by responding to 8 questions relating to the applicability of smartphone-based educational and health interventions. Descriptive statistics of the focus group data were analyzed using SPSS. The qualitative data were analyzed according to relevant themes extracted from the focus group transcription, using a qualitative description software program (NVivo 11) and an ontology-based concept mapping approach. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 47 (SD 8) years: 3 cardiologists; 2 nurse practitioners; 2 clinical nurses; 2 research scientists; and 1 physiotherapist. Of these participants, 70% (7/10) had experience using electronic health intervention during their professional practice. A total of 7 major themes and their subthemes emerged from the qualitative analysis. Health care providers indicated that comprehensive education on diet, particularly providing daily meal plans, is critical for patients with ACS. In terms of ACS symptoms, a strong recommendation was to focus on educating patients instead of daily monitoring of chest pain and shortness of breathing due to subjectivity and insufficient information for clinicians. Participants pointed that monitoring health measures such as blood pressure and body weight may result in increased awareness of patient physical health, yet may not be sufficient to support patients with ACS via the smartphone-based intervention. Therefore, monitoring pain and emotional status along with other health measures was recommended. Real-time support via FaceTime or video conferencing was indicated as motivational and supportive for patient engagement and self-monitoring. The general demographics of patients with ACS being older, having a low educational level, and a lack of computer skills were identified as potential barriers for engagement with the smartphone-based intervention. CONCLUSIONS: A smartphone-based program that incorporates the identified educational materials and health interventions would motivate patients with ACS to engage in the multidisciplinary intervention and improve their health outcomes following discharge from hospital.

Remote Monitoring of Patients With Heart Failure: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.

BACKGROUND: Many systematic reviews exist on the use of remote patient monitoring (RPM) interventions to improve clinical outcomes and psychological well-being of patients with heart failure. However, research is broadly distributed from simple telephone-based to complex technology-based interventions. The scope and focus of such evidence also vary widely, creating challenges for clinicians who seek information on the effect of RPM interventions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of RPM interventions on the health outcomes of patients with heart failure by synthesizing review-level evidence. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and the Cochrane Library from 2005 to 2015. We screened reviews based on relevance to RPM interventions using criteria developed for this overview. Independent authors screened, selected, and extracted information from systematic reviews. AMSTAR (Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews) was used to assess the methodological quality of individual reviews. We used standardized language to summarize results across reviews and to provide final statements about intervention effectiveness. RESULTS: A total of 19 systematic reviews met our inclusion criteria. Reviews consisted of RPM with diverse interventions such as telemonitoring, home telehealth, mobile phone-based monitoring, and videoconferencing. All-cause mortality and heart failure mortality were the most frequently reported outcomes, but others such as quality of life, rehospitalization, emergency department visits, and length of stay were also reported. Self-care and knowledge were less commonly identified. CONCLUSIONS: Telemonitoring and home telehealth appear generally effective in reducing heart failure rehospitalization and mortality. Other interventions, including the use of mobile phone-based monitoring and videoconferencing, require further investigation.

Evaluating a Web-Based Self-Management Intervention in Heart Failure Patients: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Web-based interventions may have the potential to support self-care in patients with chronic disease, yet little is known about the feasibility of Web-based interventions in patients with heart failure (HF). OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to develop and pilot a Web-based self-care intervention for patients with HF. METHODS: Following development and pretesting, we pilot tested a Web-based self-care intervention using a randomized controlled design. A total of 28 participants completed validated measures of HF knowledge, self-care, and self-efficacy at baseline and 1-month follow-up. RESULTS: Change scores and effect size estimates showed that the mean differences in HF knowledge (d=0.06), self-care (d=0.32), and self-efficacy (d=0.37) were small. Despite email reminders, 7 of 14 participants (50%) of the sample accessed the site daily and 4 of 14 (28%) had no record of access. CONCLUSIONS: Larger randomized controlled trials are needed that attend to all sources of self-efficacy and include more comprehensive educational tools to improve patient outcomes.