Research Investigations
Under Development
Web and mobile-based platforms to enhance life quality of women in rural communities
Objective
To enhance the quality of life of older women in rural communities using supportive self-care management mobile and web-based technology.
Partners
Benten Technologies, Manassas VA
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
Grays Harbor Community Hospital, Aberdeen, WA
Kaiser Permanente, Seattle, WA
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA
Current Status
Preliminary data collected, analyzed and published. Data presented formative information on preventive care behaviors and technology use among a sample of female employees at a healthcare facility in Grays Harbor County, Washington. Large scale data collection planned.
Timeline
2019 – Present
Completed Projects
Informing mHealth Delivery in Healthcare Settings
Objective
Exploratory research to evaluate digital healthcare practices of safety-net patients and the perceptions of their healthcare providers about strategies needed to support digitally-engaged patients.
Partners
Casa Ruby Center, Washington DC
HealthPoint Community Health Centers, Washington
The Women’s Collective Community Health and Human Service Center, Washington DC
Trinity Washington University, Department of Psychology
Study Description
This five-year bicoastal exploratory study evaluated safety-net patients’ engagement in digital healthcare management via investigator-administered surveys to respondents accessing services at community health centers in Washington state and DC. The surveys queried patients about their current use of mobile devices for self-care management, barriers to engagement, and assessment of care received at current healthcare facilities.
The second phase of the study utilized focus group methodology to query healthcare providers about perceived barriers to integrating remote patient data into clinical practices and their insights about the type of clinical decision supports needed to work with safety-net patients using mHealth technology for care management outside clinic settings.
Highlights
76% of safety-net patients use smartphones for healthcare support
48% use health-based mobile apps for self-care management
Among the safety-net sample, females (79%), younger adults 18 – 29 years (84%), and individuals with high school education or higher (77%) are more likely to use their mobile phones to acquire health information relative to their counterparts
Poorest of poor patients (<20k) are significantly less likely to use mobile technology for healthcare management
Ethnicity predicts use of health applications, with Hispanic communities most likely to use this technology
Patients who receive support during a clinical visit to engage in physical activity are almost three times more likely to use health-based mobile applications for care management
Access to specialized services makes a substantial positive impact on safety-net patients’ feelings of optimism about their health and well-being
Clinicians perceive some barriers to integrating remote digital-based data from their patients into existing work but are optimistic about the value of remote health status monitoring data to support patient care delivery
Clinicians report that an mHealth Clinical Practice Guide can be useful when working with digitally-engaged safety-net patients. The guide must (1) provide information about evidence-based mobile applications; (2) link to community services that support healthcare engagement and target Social Determinants of Health factors, and, (3) provide a profile of patients likely to engage in digital healthcare management
Timeline
2015 to 2019