BackgroundMobile health apps (mHealth apps) are increasing in popularity and utility for the management of many chronic diseases. Although the current reimbursement structure for mHealth apps is lagging behind the rapidly improving functionality, more clinicians will begin to recommend these apps as they prove their clinical worth. Payors such as the government or private insurance companies will start to reimburse for the use of these technologies, especially if they add value to patients by providing timely support, a more streamlined patient experience, and greater patient convenience. Payors are likely to see benefits for providers, as these apps could help increase productivity between in-office encounters without having to resort to expensive in-person visits when patients are having trouble managing their disease.Key findingsTo guide and perhaps speed up adoption of mHealth apps by patients and providers, analysis and evaluation of existing apps needs to be carried out and more feedback must be provided to app developers. In this paper, an evaluation of 35 mHealth apps claiming to provide cognitive behavioural therapy was conducted to assess the quality of the patient-provider relationship and evidence-based practices embedded in these apps. The mean score across the apps was 4.9 out of 20 functional criteria all of which were identified as important to the patient-provider relationship. The median score was 5 out of these 20 functional criteria.ConclusionOverall, the apps reviewed were mostly stand-alone apps that do not enhance the patient-provider relationship, improve patient accountability or help providers support patients more effectively between visits. Large improvements in patient experience and provider productivity can be made through enhanced integration of mHealth apps into the healthcare system.
Overall, this Lactobacillus multi-species preparation seemed to suppress OVA-sensitized airway hyperreactivity, thus serving as a possible candidate for therapeutic uses for allergic airway symptoms.
ABSTRACT:The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation of a probiotic preparation PROBIO-C containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, L. rhamnosus, and Streptococcus thermophilus on the intestinal microflora of healthy volunteers and the effects on biochemical and haematological measurements. In vitro analyses, which included acid and bile salts tolerance and adhesion tests, were performed first. Probiotic bacteria in PROBIO-C demonstrated adhesion to human intestinal Caco-2 cells. An intervention study was conducted in a single-blind, random, and placebo-controlled trial. Twenty-four healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups, one provided with the placebo powder excluding the probiotic, one with 3 g of PROBIO-C with a targeted dose of 1.5 × 10 11 CFU of probiotic bacteria, and one with 6 g of PROBIO-C with a targeted dose of 3 × 10 11 CFU of probiotic bacteria. The experiment comprised three phases: the control period (week 1) during which no supplementation was given; the test period (weeks 2-4) during which volunteers were given either the placebo sample or PROBIO-C each day; the post-test period (week 5) during which no supplementation was given. The faecal samples were collected once every week throughout the study. The abundances of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species increased significantly during the test period in both PROBIO-C supplemented groups. In addition, the probiotic supplementation did not result in any significant change in clinical chemistry and haematological parameters. The results from this pilot study indicated that PROBIO-C is well-tolerated and safe.
Background Mobile health apps (mHealth apps) are increasing in popularity and utility for the management of many chronic diseases. Although the current reimbursement structure for mHealth apps is lagging behind the rapidly improving functionality, more clinicians will begin to recommend these apps as they prove their clinical worth. Payors such as the government or private insurance companies will start to reimburse for the use of these technologies, especially if they add value to patients by providing timely support, a more streamlined patient experience, and greater patient convenience. Payors are likely to see benefits for providers, as these apps could help increase productivity between in-office encounters without having to resort to expensive in-person visits when patients are having trouble managing their disease. Key findings To guide and perhaps speed up adoption of mHealth apps by patients and providers, analysis and evaluation of existing apps needs to be carried out and more feedback must be provided to app developers. In this paper, an evaluation of 35 mHealth apps claiming to provide cognitive behavioural therapy was conducted to assess the quality of the patient-provider relationship and evidence-based practices embedded in these apps. The mean score across the apps was 4.9 out of 20 functional criteria all of which were identified as important to the patient-provider relationship. The median score was 5 out of these 20 functional criteria. Conclusion Overall, the apps reviewed were mostly stand-alone apps that do not enhance the patient-provider relationship, improve patient accountability or help providers support patients more effectively between visits. Large improvements in patient experience and provider productivity can be made through enhanced integration of mHealth apps into the healthcare system.
Background Mobile health apps (mHealth apps) are increasing in popularity and utility for the management of many chronic diseases. Although the current reimbursement structure for mHealth apps is lagging behind the rapidly improving functionality, more clinicians will begin to recommend these apps as they prove their clinical worth. Payors such as the government or private insurance companies will start to reimburse for the use of these technologies, especially if they add value to patients by providing timely support, a more streamlined patient experience, and greater patient convenience. Payors are likely to see benefits for providers, as these apps could help increase productivity between in-office encounters without having to resort to expensive in-person visits when patients are having trouble managing their disease. Key findings To guide and perhaps speed up adoption of mHealth apps by patients and providers, analysis and evaluation of existing apps needs to be carried out and more feedback must be provided to app developers. In this paper, an evaluation of 35 mHealth apps claiming to provide cognitive behavioural therapy was conducted to assess the quality of the patient-provider relationship and evidence-based practices embedded in these apps. The mean score across the apps was 4.9 out of 20 functional criteria all of which were identified as important to the patient-provider relationship. The median score was 5 out of these 20 functional criteria. Conclusion Overall, the apps reviewed were mostly stand-alone apps that do not enhance the patient-provider relationship, improve patient accountability or help providers support patients more effectively between visits. Large improvements in patient experience and provider productivity can be made through enhanced integration of mHealth apps into the healthcare system.
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