The long-term user experience of an m-Health application / A experiência do usuário a longo prazo de um aplicativo m-Health / La experiencia a largo plazo del usuario de una aplicación m-Health

Low user engagement in m-Health applications has been driving the use of retention techniques that aim to ensure a satisfactory long-term user experience. The aim was to understand the experience of hypertensive patients interacting with a mobile health application for 12 months. A qualitative/exploratory study was conducted after 12 months, with the same experimental group of participants as the non-randomized con-trolled clinical trial conducted in 2019. The mean age of the 16 participants was 57 years (SD=8), of which11 were female. All had low socioeconomic and educational levels. Content analysis showed no engagement with the m-health app over time. The main factors contributing to the lack of engagement were; inability of the user to use the app, lack of support and technical problems. When designing m-Health interventions, it is important to understand users' behavioral characteristics, motivations for treatment, level of involve-ment in health care, and ability to use technology

O baixo envolvimento dos usuários em aplicativos m-Health vem impulsionando o uso de técnicas de retenção que visam garantir uma experiência do usuário (UX) satisfatória a longo prazo. Objetivou-se compreender a experiência de pacientes hipertensos interagindo com um aplicativo de saúde móvel (m-Health) durante 12 meses. Realizou-se estudo qualitativo/exploratório após 12 meses, com o mesmo grupo experimental de participantes do ensaio-clínico controlado e não-randomizado realizado em 2019. A idade média dos 16 participantes foi de 57 anos (DP=8); 11 eram do sexo feminino, com baixos níveis socioeconômicos e educacionais. A análise de conteúdo não mostrou nenhum envolvimento ao longo do tempo usando o aplicativo m-Health. Os principais fatores que contribuíram para a falta de envolvimento foram: incapacidade do usuário de usar o aplicativo, falta de suporte e problemas técnicos. Ao propor intervenções que utilizem m-Health, é essencial conhecer características comportamentais dos usuários, motivações para o tratamento, nível de envolvimento nos cuidados com a saúde e sua capacidade de usar tecnologias

La baja participación de los usuarios en las aplicaciones de m-Health ha impulsado el uso de técnicas de retención que tienen como objetivo garantizar una experiencia de usuario satisfactoria a largo plazo. Se pretendió comprender la experiencia de pacientes hipertensos interactuando con una aplicación de salud móvil durante 12 meses. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo/exploratorio después de 12 meses, utilizando los participantes del ensayo clínico controlado no aleatorizado que se llevó a cabo en 2019. La edad media de los 16 participantes fue 57 años (SD=8); 11 mujeres, con niveles socioeconómicos y educativos bajos. El análisis de contenido no mostró compromiso a lo largo del tiempo utilizando la aplicación m-Health. Los principales factores contribuyentes fueron: incapacidad del usuario para utilizar la aplicación, falta de apoyo y problemas técnicos. Cuando se proponen intervenciones con m-Health, es esencial conocer las características de comportamiento de los usuarios, sus motivaciones para el tratamiento, nivel de implicación en el cuidado de la salud y capacidad para utilizar tecnologías

Exergame and/or conventional training-induced neuroplasticity and cognitive improvement by engaging epigenetic and inflammatory modulation in elderly women: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acute and long-term impact of exergaming (EXE) and conventional therapy (CON) in the peripheral levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), inflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-1b, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]) and epigenetic mechanisms (global histone H3 and H4 acetylation levels in mononuclear cells) of healthy elderly women. We also evaluated the effect of intervention on cognitive performance in these individuals. METHODS: Twenty-two elderly women were randomly assigned into two groups: EXE (n = 12) and CON (n = 10). Both interventions were performed twice a week for 6 weeks (12 sessions). Blood samples were obtained before intervention, after the first session, and 1 hour after the last session. Cognitive performance was evaluated before and after intervention. RESULTS: Both EXE and CON interventions ameliorated cognitive performance, improved inflammatory profile, enhanced BDNF levels, and induced histone H4 and H3 hyperacetylation status in elderly women. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the proposed interventions can be considered important strategies capable of promoting cognitive improvement in healthy elderly women. The acetylation status of histones and inflammatory cytokines are possible molecular mechanisms that mediate this beneficial response, being distinctly modulated by acute and long-term exposure.

Artificial intelligence as a tool for diagnosis in digital pathology whole slide images: A systematic review.

Digital pathology had a recent growth, stimulated by the implementation of digital whole slide images (WSIs) in clinical practice, and the pathology field faces shortage of pathologists in the last few years. This scenario created fronts of research applying artificial intelligence (AI) to help pathologists. One of them is the automated diagnosis, helping in the clinical decision support, increasing efficiency and quality of diagnosis. However, the complexity nature of the WSIs requires special treatments to create a reliable AI model for diagnosis. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the literature to analyze and discuss all the methods and results in AI in digital pathology performed in WSIs on H&E stain, investigating the capacity of AI as a diagnostic support tool for the pathologist in the routine real-world scenario. This review analyzes 26 studies, reporting in detail all the best methods to apply AI as a diagnostic tool, as well as the main limitations, and suggests new ideas to improve the AI field in digital pathology as a whole. We hope that this study could lead to a better use of AI as a diagnostic tool in pathology, helping future researchers in the development of new studies and projects.

Cantinas Survey: proposição e avaliação de um aplicativo para análise do risco sanitário e dos alimentos comercializados em cantinas escolares / Cantinas Survey: proposition and evaluation of an application for the analysis of health risk and of food sold in school canteen / Cantinas Survey: propuesta y evaluación de una aplicación para el análisis del riesgo para la salud y de los alimentos comercializados en cantinas escolares

Este artigo revela um estudo que tem por objetivo apresentar a versão inicial do desenvolvimento tecnológico e a avaliação de um aplicativo móvel que auxilia a coleta de dados, análise, avaliação e o monitoramento das cantinas escolares saudáveis. O desenvolvimento do aplicativo aconteceu em etapas, com a definição dos eixos de investigação, avaliação por especialistas, adaptação, aplicação prática em 27 cantinas escolares e avaliação da usabilidade, percepção e aceitação pelos usuários finais. O aplicativo, desenvolvido para o sistema operacional Android, é dividido em três partes: caracterização do perfil da cantina escolar; avaliação do risco sanitário; e características dos alimentos comercializados. Ele apresentou uma usabilidade satisfatória no que diz respeito aos critérios de efetividade, eficiência e satisfação do usuário. Entre os principais benefícios, destacam-se a maior agilidade de coleta, processamento e análise de dados, a facilidade de uso, a padronização dos procedimentos e vantagens econômicas de contribuir para a sustentabilidade ambiental. Trabalhos futuros envolverão melhoria de suas funcionalidades e disponibilização de uma versão pública

This article reveals a study presenting the initial version of the technological development and the evaluation of an app for mobile devices that assists in making the data collection, analysis, evaluation and monitoring of healthy school cafeterias. The app was developed in stages, including definition of the research aims, evaluation by specialists, adaptation, practical application in 27 school cafeterias and evaluation of usability, perception and acceptance by users. The app is available for the Android operating system and it is divided into three parts: characterization of the profile of the school cafeteria; health risk consideration; and characteristics of foods offered. The evaluation revealed a satisfactory usability regarding the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction. Among the main benefits of using the app, are the greater agility of data collection, processing and analysis, it is easy to use, the standardization of procedures and its economic advantage concerning the environmental sustainability. Future work will involve improving its functionality and making a public version available

Este artículo revela un estudio que tiene como objetivo presentar la versión inicial del desarrollo tecnológico y evaluación de una app móvil que ayuda la recopilación de datos, el análisis, la la evaluación y seguimiento de cantinas escolares saludables. El desarrollo de la aplicación se realizó por etapas, con la definición de los ejes de investigación, evaluación por parte de especialistas, adecuación, aplicación práctica en 27 cantinas escolares y evaluación de usabilidad, percepción y aceptación por parte de los usuarios finales. La aplicación, desarrollada para ser ejecutada en el sistema operativo Android, se divide en tres partes: caracterización del perfil de la cantina escolar; evaluación de riesgos para la salud; y características de los alimentos comercializados. La aplicación tuvo usabilidad satisfactoria conforme a los criterios de efectividad, eficiencia y satisfacción del usuario. Entre los principales beneficios, se destacan la mayor agilidad de recopilación, procesamiento y análisis de datos, facilidad de uso, estandarización de procedimientos y la ventaja económica de contribuir para la sustentabilidad ambiental. El trabajo futuro implicará mejorar las funcionalidades suyas y hacer que una versión pública sea disponible

Mobile Health Applications and Medication Adherence of Patients With Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Current evidence has revealed the beneficial effects of mobile health applications on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, there is still no solid evidence of the underlying factors for these outcomes, and hypertension treatment is performed mainly by medication intake. This study aims to analyze the impacts of health applications on medication adherence of patients with hypertension and understand the underlying factors. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted considering controlled clinical trials published, without year filter, through July 2020. The searches were performed in the electronic databases of Scopus, MEDLINE, and BVSalud. Study characteristics were extracted for qualitative synthesis. The meta-analysis examined medication-taking behavior outcomes using the generic inverse-variance method to combine multiple variables. RESULTS: A total of 1,199 records were identified, of which 10 studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis, and 9 met the criteria for meta-analysis with 1,495 participants. The analysis of mean changes revealed significant improvements in medication adherence (standardized mean difference=0.41, 95% CI=0.02, 0.79, I2=82%, p=0.04) as well as the analysis of the values measured after follow-up (standardized mean difference=0.60, 95% CI=0.30, 0.90, I2=77%, p<0.0001). Ancillary improvements were also identified, such as patients' perceived confidence, treatment self-efficacy and self-monitoring, acceptance of technology, and knowledge about the condition and how to deal with health issues. DISCUSSION: There is evidence that mobile health applications can improve medication adherence in patients with hypertension, with broad heterogeneity between studies on the topic. The use of mobile health applications conceivably leads to ancillary improvements inherent to better medication adherence.

Kinesiotherapy With Exergaming as a Potential Modulator of Epigenetic Marks and Clinical Functional Variables of Older Women: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Kinesiotherapy is an option to mitigate worsening neuropsychomotor function due to human aging. Moreover, exergames are beneficial for the practice of physical therapy by older patients. Physical exercise interventions are known to alter the epigenome, but little is known about their association with exergames. OBJECTIVE: We aim to evaluate the effects of kinesiotherapy with exergaming on older women's epigenetic marks and cognitive ability, as well as on their clinical functional variables. Our hypothesis states that this kind of therapy can elicit equal or even better outcomes than conventional therapy. METHODS: We will develop a virtual clinic exergame with 8 types of kinesiotherapy exercises. Afterward, we will conduct a 1:1 randomized clinical trial to compare the practice of kinesiotherapy with exergames (intervention group) against conventional kinesiotherapy (control group). A total of 24 older women will be enrolled for 1-hour sessions performed twice a week, for 6 weeks, totaling 12 sessions. We will assess outcomes using epigenetic blood tests, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, the Timed Up and Go test, muscle strength grading in a hydraulic dynamometer, and the Game Experience Questionnaire at various stages. RESULTS: The project was funded in October 2019. Game development took place in 2020. Patient recruitment and a clinical trial are planned for 2021. CONCLUSIONS: Research on this topic is likely to significantly expand the understanding of kinesiotherapy and the impact of exergames. To the best of our knowledge, this may be one of the first studies exploring epigenetic outcomes of exergaming interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry/Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC) RBR-9tdrmw; https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-9tdrmw. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/32729.

Dietary Intake and Health Status of Elderly Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Cross-sectional Study Using a Mobile App in Primary Care.

BACKGROUND: Healthy dietary intake reduces the risk of complications of diabetes mellitus. Using assessment methods helps to understand these circumstances, and an electronic application may optimize this practice. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to (1) assess the dietary intake and health status of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in primary care, (2) use a mobile app as a tool for data collection and analysis in the context of primary care, and (3) verify the perceptions of multidisciplinary health professionals regarding app use. METHODS: First, we developed a mobile app comprised of the questions of the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN) of Brazil, which includes a food frequency questionnaire of food categories with a recall of the previous 7 days. Thereafter, we used the app to collect data on the health status and dietary intake of 154 participants, aged 60-96 years, diagnosed with T2DM, and under treatment in primary care centers in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We also collected participants' demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and lifestyle variables. The associations between dietary intake and other variables were tested using chi-square tests with a 5% significance level. Regarding the app, we assessed usability and acceptance with 20 health professionals. RESULTS: Between August 2018 and December 2018, participants had an intake in line with recommended guidelines for raw salads (57.1%), fruits (76.6%), milk products (68.2%), fried foods (72.7%), savory biscuits (60.4%), cookies or sweets (72.1%), and sugary drinks (92.9%) Meanwhile, the consumption of beans (59.7%), pulses and cooked vegetables (73.4%), and processed meat products (59.7%) was not in line with the guidelines. There were statistically significant differences in meeting the recommended guidelines among participants of different genders (P=.006 and P=.035 for the intake of fried foods and sugary drinks, respectively), place of residence (P=.034 for the intake of cookies and sweets), family history of diabetes (P<.001 for the intake of beans), physical activity engagement (P=.003 for the intake fresh fruits), history of smoking (P=.001 for the intake of raw salads), and presence of coronary disease (P=.050 for the intake of pulses and cooked vegetables). The assessment of usability resulted in a mean score of 71.75 points. Similarly, the assessment of the 15 acceptance questions revealed high scores, and the qualitative questions revealed positive perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: We identified that most participants complied with recommended intake guidelines for 7 of 10 categories in the SISVAN guidelines. However, most participants were overweight and had nutritional and clinical disorders, which justifies further investigations in this population. The app was well-rated by health professionals and considered a useful and promising tool for collecting and analyzing data in primary care settings.

Using a mobile health app to improve patients' adherence to hypertension treatment: a non-randomized clinical trial.

Poor adherence to hypertension treatment increases complications of the disease and is characterized by a lack of awareness and acceptance of ongoing treatment. Mobile health (mHealth) apps can optimize processes and facilitate access to health information by combining treatment methods with attractive solutions. In this study, we aimed at verifying the influence of using an mHealth app on patients' adherence to hypertension treatment, also examining how user experience toward the app influenced the outcomes. A total of 49 participants completed the study, men and women, diagnosed with hypertension and ongoing medical treatment. For 12 weeks, the control group continued with conventional monitoring, while the experimental group used an mHealth app. From the experimental group, at baseline, 8% were non-adherent, 64% were partial adherents and 28% were adherent to the treatment. Baseline in the control group indicated 4.2% non-adherents, 58.3% partial adherents, and 37.5% adherents. After follow-up, the experimental group had an increase to 92% adherent, 8% partially adherent, and 0% non-adherent (P < 0.001). In the control group, adherence after follow-up remained virtually the same (P ≥ 0.999). Results of user experience were substantially positive and indicate that the participants in the experimental group had a satisfactory perception of the app. In conclusion, this study suggests that using an mHealth app can empower patients to manage their own health and increase adherence to hypertension treatment, especially when the app provides a positive user experience.

A Bowling Exergame to Improve Functional Capacity in Older Adults: Co-Design, Development, and Testing to Compare the Progress of Playing Alone Versus Playing With Peers.

BACKGROUND: Older people often do not meet the recommended levels of exercise required to reduce functional decline. Social interaction is mentioned by this cohort as a reason for joining group-based exercises, which does not occur when exercising alone. This perspective shows that exergames can be used as motivational resources. However, most available exergames are generic, obtained from commercial sources, and usually not specifically designed or adapted for older people. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to co-design and develop a new exergame alongside older participants to (1) tailor the game mechanics and optimize participants' adherence to and enjoyment of exercise; (2) test the participants' functional capacity, motivation, and adherence to the exergaming program; and (3) compare these scores between those who played alone and those who played with peers. METHODS: We conducted a co-design process to develop a new exergame adapted to older people. For user testing, 23 participants were divided into 2 groups to play individually (alone group) or to compete in pairs (with peers group). They played the game twice a week, resulting in 21 exergaming sessions. We assessed the participants' General Physical Fitness Index (GPFI) before and after the user testing. We also administered questionnaires about the gaming experience and exercise adherence with its motivators and barriers. RESULTS: We introduced a new bowling exergame for Xbox with a Kinect motion sensor that can be played in single or multiplayer mode. For the GPFI measurements, the sample was homogeneous in the pretest (with peers group: mean 40.5 [SD 9.6], alone group: mean 33.9 [SD 7.8]; P=.11). After the exergame testing sessions, both groups had significant gains (with peers group: mean 57.5 [SD 8.7], P=.005; alone group: mean 44.7 [SD 10.6]; P=.02). Comparing the posttest between groups, it was found that the group in which participants played with peers had better outcomes than the group in which participants played alone (P=.02). Regarding the gaming experience and exercise adherence, both groups recognized the benefits and expressed enthusiasm toward the exergame. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the developed exergame helps in improving the functional capacity and adherence to physical exercise among older people, with even better results for those who played with peers. In addition to leading to more appropriate products, a co-design approach may positively influence the motivation and adherence of participants.

Zulliger R-Optimized Application in Children Victims of Sexual Violence and Cancer / Zulliger Aplicação R-Otimizada em Crianças Vítimas de Violência Sexual e com Câncer / Aplicación R-Optimizada de Zulliger en Niños Víctimas de Violencia Sexual y Cáncer

Abstract Child sexual violence can cause serious damage to the psychosocial development of its victims. Assessments in this context require the use of several psychological tests with proven validity for this purpose. This study aimed to assess children victims of sexual violence using the Zulliger R-Optimized application. The sample consisted of 37 children of both sexes, aged from seven to 13 years old (M = 10.92), distributed in three groups: Sexual Violence Victims (SVV), Cancer Patients (CP) and the Non-Victim Group (NVG). The statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whiney and one-way ANOVA tests. The Zulliger variables concerning the clusters Interpersonal Relationship (GHR, PHR, GHR:PHR, p), Self-Image (MOR) and Processing (W:M) showed statistical differences when the SVV group was compared to the other groups. The Zulliger R-Optimized application shows promising results in assessing SVV children, indicating its usefulness for assessments in this context.

Resumo A violência sexual infantil pode gerar graves prejuízos para o desenvolvimento psicossocial de suas vítimas. As avaliações nesse contexto requerem o uso de vários testes psicológicos que possuem evidências de validade para este fim. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar crianças vítimas de violência sexual com o Zulliger aplicação R-Otimizada. A amostra consistiu em 37 crianças com idade entre 7 e 13 anos (M = 10,92), de ambos os sexos, distribuídas em três grupos: Vítimas de Violência Sexual (VVS), Pacientes com Câncer (PC) e Grupo de Não-Vítimas (GNV). Realizou-se tratamento estatístico por meio dos testes Mann-Whiney e Anova de uma via. Variáveis do Zulliger concernentes aos agrupamentos de Relacionamento Interpessoal (GHR, PHR, GHR:PHR, p), Autoimagem (MOR) e Processamento (W:M) apresentaram diferenças estatísticas quando o grupo VVS foi comparado aos outros grupos. O Zulliger aplicação R-Otimizada apresenta resultados promissores na avaliação de crianças VVS, indicando sua utilidade em avaliações desse contexto.

Resumen La violencia sexual infantil puede causar daños al desarrollo psicosocial de las víctimas. Evaluaciones en este contexto requieren uso de exámenes psicológicos que tienen evidencia de validez para este propósito. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar niños víctimas de violencia sexual con lo Zulliger aplicación R-Optimizada. La muestra consistió en 37 niños de 7 a 13 años (M = 10.92), ambos sexos, distribuidos en tres grupos: Víctimas de Violencia Sexual (VVS), Pacientes con Cáncer (PC) y Grupo de No-Víctimas (GNV). El tratamiento estadístico se realizó utilizando las pruebas de Mann-Whiney y Anova de una vía. Variables de Zulliger para las agrupaciones de Relaciones Interpersonales (GHR, PHR, GHR:PHR, p), Autoimagen (MOR) y Procesamiento (W:M) mostraron diferencias estadísticas cuando el grupo VVS se comparó con los otros grupos. Zulliger aplicación R-Optimizada muestra resultados prometedores en la evaluación de niños VVS que indican su usabilidad en las evaluaciones en este contexto.

"Hey assistant, how can I become a donor?" The case of a conversational agent designed to engage people in blood donation.

BACKGROUND: People have insufficient knowledge and many misconceptions about the blood donation process, which hampers donors recruitment. Therefore, novel strategies and resources are needed to provide information and improve these circumstances. OBJECTIVE: We aimed at an interactive conversational agent to explain about blood donation. METHODS: We used the Dialogflow framework to develop a conversational agent and deployed it publicly. Afterward, we conducted an assessment of user experience (UX) with 50 participants who interacted with the agent. We analyzed participants' opinions, the different UX scales, and their association with participants' demographic variables. RESULTS: The conversational agent is available on the Google Assistant platform in Brazil. It is capable of responding to utterances related to 30 common questions and concerns about donating blood. The user can interact and explore freely and in any order by typing, speaking and selecting interface elements. The agent responds by speaking and displaying visual information, some multimedia content, and suggestions for continuing the dialogue. It enables a conversational sequence in which knowledge is imparted to the user in stages as the dialogue evolves. The overall UX assessed was very satisfactory, and people with specific demographic characteristics were more likely to have better UX. All participants had positive opinions and attitudes towards the conversational agent. CONCLUSIONS: A conversational agent is a creative and captivating strategy of imparting knowledge and engage people regarding blood donation. The findings reaffirm the potential of using this technology for information outreach, especially for socially relevant purposes.

Effects of using a mobile health application on the health conditions of patients with arterial hypertension: A pilot trial in the context of Brazil's Family Health Strategy.

Brazil's Family Health Strategy (FHS) leads public health policies and actions regarding community health, addressing arterial hypertension (AH) in primary care settings. In this scenario, the use of communication technologies becomes appropriate for the monitoring of patients with AH. To preliminary verify the intervention approach and the effects of using an m-Health application on the health conditions of patients with AH for a future study, we conducted a non-randomized, controlled, non-blind trial (N = 39), comparing the use of a mobile health app (m-Health) with conventional AH monitoring over 3 months. During the study, we promoted health information workshops to engage patients from both intervention and control groups. Pre and post-intervention, we compared measurements of systolic and diastolic blood pressure; food frequency questionnaire; Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale; blood tests of hemogram, creatinine, uric acid, sodium, potassium, lipid profile, and glycemia. Improvements were identified in both groups due to the workshops, including the reduction in total and non-HDL cholesterol, healthier consumption of salads and sugary drinks, and increased self-care scores. Exclusively in the intervention group, which used the m-Health app, there was a change in systolic and diastolic pressure towards more adequate levels. In addition, the intervention group had improved levels of glucose and HDL cholesterol and reduced consumption of ultra-processed foods. In conclusion, the use of an m-Health app had positive effects on the health conditions of patients with AH under treatment within FHS, especially when combined with health information. On the context of FHS, the use of technology is encouraging supporting better health conditions.

An Electronic Health Platform for Monitoring Health Conditions of Patients With Hypertension in the Brazilian Public Health System: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic noncommunicable diseases such as arterial hypertension have a high impact in the context of public health. Previous studies have shown improvements in blood pressure due to simple lifestyle changes, which were supported by electronic health (eHealth) solutions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to develop an eHealth platform and assess the effects of its use on the health conditions of patients with hypertension, with assistance from health professionals in the public health system of a Brazilian city. METHODS: The platform will include a server that centralizes all the data and business rules, a website dashboard for health professionals, and a mobile app for patients. We will analyze the effects of its use through a controlled, nonrandomized, nonblind, prospective, monocentric clinical trial. We will enroll 68 participants diagnosed with arterial hypertension and under medical follow-up and categorize them into two groups. The participants of the intervention group will use the platform as a monitoring method, whereas the participants of the control group will use conventional methods. In both groups, we will assess and compare the evolution of blood pressure and treatment adherence before, during, and after the intervention. RESULTS: The project was funded at the end of 2018. We have been developing the software since 2019 with plans to complete it in 2020, and we will enroll patients between 2020 and 2021. We expect to submit the first results for publication in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: For the primary outcome, we expect a reduction and stabilization of blood pressure. For the secondary outcomes, we hope to see improvements in treatment adherence, physical activities and dietary practices, and acceptance of the eHealth platform. In public health, the technology that favors disease control also helps reduce complications and, consequently, treatment costs. The platform might encourage the adaptation of medical assistance to incorporate this technology into patient monitoring. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/15299.

Development and Assessment of a Mobile Health Application for Monitoring the Linkage Among Treatment Factors of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: In the daily routine of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), the patients deal with many data and consider many variables to perform actions, decisions, and regimen adjustments. There is a need to apply filtering techniques to extract relevant information and provide appropriate data visualization methods to assist in clinical tasks and decision making. Objective: To present Soins DM, a mobile health tool, for monitoring the linkage among treatment factors of T1DM with an interactive data visualization approach. Methods: First, we performed a literature review, a commercial search, and ideation. Next, we created a prototype and an online survey for its feedback, with participation of 76 individuals. Afterward, the mobile app and its website version were built. Eventually, we conducted a pilot experiment with 4 patients, an online experiment for satisfaction assessment with 97 patients, and an online assessment by 9 health professionals. Results: Prototyping and feedback facilitated the design refinement. Soins DM enables the recording of data from routines of glycemia, insulin applications, meals, and physical exercises. From these logs, the app builds two different ways of interactive data visualization, a timeline and an integrated chart, providing personalized feedback on bad glycemia with its possible causes. The assessments revealed overall satisfaction with the app's characteristics. Conclusions: Soins DM is a novel application with interactive visualization and personalized feedback for easy identification of the linkage among treatment factors of T1DM. The test scenario with patients and health professionals indicates Soins DM as a useful and reliable tool.

Mobile health applications for chronic diseases: A systematic review of features for lifestyle improvement.

AIMS: To identify mobile health applications with features for improving the lifestyle of patients with chronic diseases. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review between November 2017 and May 2018 on the Virtual Health Library's interface. A total of 816 records were identified. In the selection process, 24 studies met inclusion criteria for analysis. Study characteristics were extracted and synthesized. RESULTS: We identified applications with similar functionalities, such as the use of reminders and medical monitoring. Most of them addressed the treatment of conditions related to an already diagnosed chronic disease, including Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Cardiovascular Diseases, Asthma, Neoplasms, and chronic conditions in general. The main lifestyle changes were the reduction of body weight, promotion of healthy eating, and adherence to the regular practice of physical exercises. CONCLUSIONS: Technology can facilitate health care with simple messages and alerts that aid in adherence to treatment. Changes in lifestyle with the use of applications are remarkable. Benefits may be even greater if more applications address the importance of prevention and not just treatment.

Accordance and reproducibility of the electronic version of the WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-OLD questionnaires.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence of the validity of instruments for assessing health-related quality of life (QOL) are fundamental to grant interpretations and direct actions at the level of promotion and health care. PURPOSE: To verify the agreement and reproducibility of the QOL assessment instruments WHOQOL-Bref and WHOQOL-Old, in paper (PV) and electronic version (EV), called WHOQOL-Bref web and WHOQOL-Old web, respectively. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was performed with 98 elderly people, separated into two groups, from Tapejara-RS, Brazil, during 2016 and 2017. The WHOQOL-bref and WHOQOL-old instruments applied in the PV and EV were answered individually. RESULTS: The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) observed in the accordance and reproducibility of the overall WHOQOL-Bref and WHOQOL-Old scores were higher than 0.90, respectively. The ICC was higher than 0.80 for most of the WHOQOL-Bref and WHOQOL domains, except for the domains Physical (WHOQOL-Bref: ICC = 0.67) and Autonomy (WHOQOL-Old: ICC = 0.78). CONCLUSION: The web versions of the WHOQOL-bref and WHOQOL-old questionnaires presented good evidence of accordance and reproducibility.

Food consumption and glycemic testing of adults and elderly diabetic patients from Public Health: A systematic review of assessment methods.

AIMS: To map and discuss the different methods used to assess food consumption and glycemic testing of adults and elderly diabetic patients from Public Health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 710 records were identified by searching databases integrated by the Virtual Health Library website, between September and October 2017. The Newcastle Ottawa scale was used for study quality assessment. A total of 8 studies met inclusion criteria for analysis. Study characteristics were extracted and synthesized to generate comparisons. RESULTS: Food consumption was evaluated by Food Frequency Questionnaire, 24-hour Dietary Recall, Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Questionnaire On Eating and Weight Patterns (QEWP-R), and questioning the salt intake. Glucose testing methods included Postprandial Glucose, Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1C), fasting glucose, and self-reported diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Most methods that access food consumption use single questionnaires, which are easy to administer and yield easily interpreted results. For glycemic testing, the majority used are conventional methods.

Diabetes Mellitus m-Health Applications: A Systematic Review of Features and Fundamentals.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of diabetes mellitus (DM) m-health applications (apps) reveals a panorama of different approaches to the subject, demonstrating dynamism and heterogeneity. Available applications have various functions, capabilities, and data collection techniques. OBJECTIVE: We systematically reviewed the literature to identify and analyze studies regarding the diversity of applications aimed at DM monitoring and treatment. We aimed to investigate app functionalities, the basis for their design, and how they were tested. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review in Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), ScienceDirect, Springer, and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) databases. The search considered studies published until April 2017, without language restrictions. RESULTS: After removal of duplicates, 679 studies were screened and assessed for eligibility, when 39 studies met the inclusion criteria. We present tables summarizing the functionalities, features, fundamental techniques, and methods. CONCLUSIONS: There is a variety of approaches used in the DM apps, with comprehensive, customizable, and adjusted functionalities for different purposes. Most apps are digital logbooks for collecting data on various daily tasks from DM treatment. The researchers are interested in guidelines of medical organizations, evaluations from health professionals and patients, and other methods to verify accuracy and reliability.

Motion Rehab AVE 3D: A VR-based exergame for post-stroke rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent researches about games for post-stroke rehabilitation have been increasing, focusing in upper limb, lower limb and balance situations, and showing good experiences and results. With this in mind, this paper presents Motion Rehab AVE 3D, a serious game for post-stroke rehabilitation of patients with mild stroke. The aim is offer a new technology in order to assist the traditional therapy and motivate the patient to execute his/her rehabilitation program, under health professional supervision. METHODS: The game was developed with Unity game engine, supporting Kinect motion sensing input device and display devices like Smart TV 3D and Oculus Rift. It contemplates six activities considering exercises in a tridimensional space: flexion, abduction, shoulder adduction, horizontal shoulder adduction and abduction, elbow extension, wrist extension, knee flexion, and hip flexion and abduction. Motion Rehab AVE 3D also report about hits and errors to the physiotherapist evaluate the patient's progress. RESULTS: A pilot study with 10 healthy participants (61-75 years old) tested one of the game levels. They experienced the 3D user interface in third-person. Our initial goal was to map a basic and comfortable setup of equipment in order to adopt later. All the participants (100%) classified the interaction process as interesting and amazing for the age, presenting a good acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: Our evaluation showed that the game could be used as a useful tool to motivate the patients during rehabilitation sessions. Next step is to evaluate its effectiveness for stroke patients, in order to verify if the interface and game exercises contribute into the motor rehabilitation treatment progress.

Aplicações móveis com interação médico-paciente para um estilo devida saudável: uma revisão sistemática / Mobile application providing doctor-patient interaction for healthylifestyle: a systematic review / Aplicaciones móviles conteniendo la interacción médico-paciente para un estilo de vida saludable: una revisión sistemática

A medicina do estilo de vida tem como meta principal ajudar os indivíduos na prevenção e no tratamento de doenças que restringem um modo de vida saudável. Para auxiliar esse processo, muitas soluções digitais estão sendo pesquisadas e desenvolvidas. O objetivo do trabalho em que se baseia este artigo é identificar quais são as aplicações móveis com interação médico-paciente que visam contribuir para um estilo de vida saudável. Para isso, realizamos uma revisão sistemática de literatura nas bases de dados eletrônicas ScienceDirect, IEEE, Springer e ACM durante o mês de maio de 2015. Foram incluídos estudos que descrevem o uso de tecnologias móveis e que possuem mecanismo de intervenção entre paciente e profissional, com vistas a contribuir efetivamente para um estilo de vida saudável. Dos artigos encontrados, 541 no total, cinco atenderam aos critérios de elegibilidade e foram analisados nesse estudo de revisão.

Lifestyle medicine has as main goal to help individuals to prevent and treat diseases that restrict a healthy life. To assist this process, many digital solutions are being researched and developed. The objective of the study on which this article bases is to identify which mobile technology applications providing doctor-patient interaction aim to contribute to the improvement of healthy lifestyle. Thus, we performed a systematic review of literature in electronic databases Science Direct, IEEE, Springer and ACM, in May 2015. Weincluded studies that describe the use of mobile technologies and have intervention mechanism between patient and professional, in order to effectively contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Five from 541 articles found satisfy the eligibility criteria and were analyzed in the review.

La medicina del estilo de vida tiene como principal objetivo ayudar a las personas la prevención y tratamiento de enfermedades que restringen una vida saludable. Para ayudaren en este proceso, muchas soluciones digitales están siendo investigadas y desarrolladas. El objetivo del estudio en lo cual este artículo es basado es identificar cuales aplicaciones de tecnología móvil conteniendo la interacción médico-paciente pretenden contribuir para la mejora del estilo de vida saludable. Para tanto, hemos realizado una revisión sistemática de la literatura en bases de datos electrónicas Science Direct, IEEE, ACM y Springer, en mayode 2015. Fueron incluidos los estudios que describen el uso de las tecnologías móviles y tienen mecanismo de intervención entre el paciente y el profesional, con el fin de contribuir de manera eficaz a un estilo devida saludable. De los 541 artículos encontrados, cinco satisficieron los criterios de elegibilidad y fueron analizados en la revisión.