Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.4
Journals
IJERPH
Special Issues
Applied Digital Health Approaches for the Management of Chronic Conditions
ijerph-logo
Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Applied Digital Health Approaches for the Management of Chronic Conditions

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Communication and Informatics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 4277

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Seán R. O'Connor

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Public Health, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK
Interests: digital health; chronic conditions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, the number of people living with chronic illness is increasing. These conditions, including heart disease, other cardiovascular disorders, musculoskeletal pain, cancers, and their associated treatment-related side-effects, can have a major impact on an individual’s overall functioning and well-being.

Digital or mobile (mHealth)-based approaches may represent an accessible and cost-effective method for the delivery of various interventions in people with chronic illness. However, views about the acceptability of these methods are unclear, and it is uncertain how to most effectively implement these approaches in different populations. There is also little data on the core components associated with longer-term engagement and usage of digital interventions. High-quality evidence is therefore required to address these important matters.

This Special Issue aims to publish contributions related to the development or evaluation of digital health approaches. This may include studies related to the use of devices including mobile phones, tablet computers, or “passive” patient monitoring devices to detect and monitor changes in patient’s health and illness status, or to support self-management of symptoms, and promote behavioural changes aimed at improving patient impotent outcomes, including overall quality of life. The issue also has a particular focus on evidence synthesis and studies examining the acceptability of digital technologies; on interventions that incorporate goal setting, incentive and reward systems, and the use of self-entered data; or on the use of tailored reminders or prompts, motivational messages and responsive content.

Dr. Seán R. O'Connor
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital health
  • mobile health (mHealth)
  • chronic illness
  • self-management
  • technology acceptance
  • remote monitoring

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 968 KiB  
Article
Co-Design of an eHealth Intervention to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Male Taxi Drivers: ManGuard
by James McMahon, David R. Thompson, Kevin Brazil and Chantal F. Ski
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15278; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215278 - 18 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1738
Abstract
Taxi driving, a male-dominated occupation, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The increased risk is linked to a high prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors including overweight/obesity, poor nutrition, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Behaviour change interventions [...] Read more.
Taxi driving, a male-dominated occupation, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The increased risk is linked to a high prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors including overweight/obesity, poor nutrition, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Behaviour change interventions may prove advantageous, yet little research has been conducted to reduce CVD risk in this population. The purpose of this study was to co-design an eHealth intervention, ‘ManGuard’, to reduce CVD risk in male taxi drivers. The IDEAS framework was utilised to guide the development of the eHealth intervention, with the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) incorporated throughout to ensure the intervention was underpinned by behaviour change theory. Development and refinement of ManGuard was guided by current literature, input from a multidisciplinary team, an online survey, a systematic review and meta-analysis, and focus groups (n = 3) with male taxi drivers. Physical inactivity was identified as the prime behavior to change in order to reduce CVD risk in male taxi drivers. Male taxi drivers indicated a preference for an eHealth intervention to be delivered using smartphone technology, with a simple design, providing concise, straightforward, and relatable content, and with the ability to track and monitor progress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Digital Health Approaches for the Management of Chronic Conditions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 523 KiB  
Article
Patient Acceptability of Home Monitoring for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Reactivation: A Qualitative Study
by Seán R. O’Connor, Charlene Treanor, Elizabeth Ward, Robin A. Wickens, Abby O’Connell, Lucy A. Culliford, Chris A. Rogers, Eleanor A. Gidman, Tunde Peto, Paul C. Knox, Benjamin J. L. Burton, Andrew J. Lotery, Sobha Sivaprasad, Barnaby C. Reeves, Ruth E. Hogg, Michael Donnelly and MONARCH Study Group
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13714; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013714 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1756
Abstract
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a chronic, progressive condition and the commonest cause of visual disability in older adults. This study formed part of a diagnostic test accuracy study to quantify the ability of three index home monitoring (HM) tests (one paper-based [...] Read more.
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a chronic, progressive condition and the commonest cause of visual disability in older adults. This study formed part of a diagnostic test accuracy study to quantify the ability of three index home monitoring (HM) tests (one paper-based and two digital tests) to identify reactivation in nAMD. The aim of this qualitative research was to investigate patients’ or participants’ views about acceptability and explore adherence to weekly HM. Semi-structured interviews were held with 78/297 participants (26%), with close family members (n = 11) and with healthcare professionals involved in training participants in HM procedures (n = 9) (n = 98 in total). A directed thematic analytical approach was applied to the data using a deductive and inductive coding framework informed by theories of technology acceptance. Five themes emerged related to: 1. The role of HM; 2. Suitability of procedures and instruments; 3. Experience of HM; 4. Feasibility of HM in usual practice; and 5. Impediments to patient acceptability of HM. Various factors influenced acceptability including a patient’s understanding about the purpose of monitoring. While initial training and ongoing support were regarded as essential for overcoming unfamiliarity with use of digital technology, patients viewed HM as relatively straightforward and non-burdensome. There is a need for further research about how use of performance feedback, level of support and nature of tailoring might facilitate further the implementation of routinely conducted HM. Home monitoring was acceptable to patients and they recognised its potential to reduce clinic visits during non-active treatment phases. Findings have implications for implementation of digital HM in the care of older people with nAMD and other long-term conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Digital Health Approaches for the Management of Chronic Conditions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop