Recent Articles
Good preconception health reduces the incidence of preventable morbidity and mortality for women, their babies and future generations. In Australia there is a need to increase health literacy and awareness about the importance of good preconception health. Digital health tools are a possible enabler to increase this awareness at a population level. The Healthy Conception Tool (HCT) is an existing online, preconception health self-assessment tool, that has been developed by academics and clinicians.
Dementia management presents a significant challenge for individuals affected by it, including their families, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Digital applications may support those living with dementia, however only few dementia-friendly applications exist. This paper emphasizes the necessity of considering multiple perspectives to ensure the high-quality development of supportive healthcare apps. The findings underscore the importance of incorporating input from stakeholders, and the needs of affected families into app development. A qualitative approach was chosen, consisting of three interviews and an expert workshop. The interviews and the workshop were recorded, transcribed and qualitative content analysis was carried out according to the methodology described by Kuckartz with the support of MAXQDA. During the development phases of the app, team meetings and discussions took place. General practitioners and family caregivers play pivotal roles in the treatment and care of Persons with Dementia, often expressing specific preferences and suggestions regarding supportive assistive technologies. Moreover, successful development of a useful tablet application requires robust scientific, multidisciplinary discussions, and teamwork within the healthcare community. Furthermore, adopting a spiral development approach inclusive of feedback loops is imperative for iterative refinement and enhancement of the application.
Homework is implemented with variable effectiveness in real-world therapy settings, indicating a need for innovative solutions to homework challenges. We developed Adhere.ly, a user-friendly, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant web-based platform to help therapists implement homework with youth clients and their caregivers. The initial version had limited functionality, was designed for youth clients and their caregivers, and required expanding available features and exercises to suit adult clients.
Emergency nurses actively manage the flow of patients through emergency departments. Patient flow management is complex, cognitively demanding work that shapes the timeliness, efficiency, and safety of patient care. Research exploring nursing patient flow management is limited. A comprehensive analysis of emergency nursing work systems is needed to improve patient flow work processes.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is more common among pregnant patients who have unmet social needs, such as financial stress or food insecurity, compared to those who do not. Mothers and Babies (MB) is a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based program that prevents up to 50% of de novo PPD when provided in-person to low-income Spanish- and English-speaking pregnant people without depression. MB’s reach has been limited by the need for trained personnel to support the program. Transforming MB into a smartphone application (app) may mitigate this key barrier to scaling MB.
Pain and its adequate treatment are an issue in hospitals and emergency departments (ED). A virtual reality (VR) tool to manage pain could act as a valuable complement to common pharmaceutical analgesics. While efficacy could be shown in previous studies, this does not assure clinical adoption in emergency departments.
General Medical Practitioners (GPs) and other staff at primary care medical practices have an important role in facilitating patient access to online services in the National Health Service (NHS) in England. These services range from online ordering of repeat prescriptions to conducting online consultations with healthcare professionals. We have defined ‘digital facilitation’ as that range of processes, procedures and personnel which seeks to support patients in their uptake and use of online services
When older adults (OAs) can no longer live independently at home, they have the option to choose from various types of geriatric care institutions, such as residential facilities or nursing homes. For several years now, thanks to the development of interactive television (iTV), social link functions have been accessible directly on televisions, tools that are already integrated into residents’ rooms. The acceptance of technologies specifically targeting older users, as well as iTV, has been widely documented in the literature, incorporating factors from the innovation resistance model.
Wearable devices (WDs) have evolved beyond simple fitness trackers to sophisticated health monitors capable of measuring vital signs, such as heart rate and blood oxygen levels. Their application in healthcare, particularly medication management, is an emerging field poised to significantly enhance patient adherence to treatment regimens. Despite their widespread use and increasing incorporation into clinical trials, a comprehensive review of WDs in terms of medication adherence has not been conducted.
