Enhancing mHealth data collection applications with sensing capabilities

Abstract

Smart mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets have become an important factor for collecting data in complex health scenarios (e.g., psychological studies, medical trials), and are more and more replacing traditional pen-and-paper instruments. However, simply digitizing such instruments does not yet realize the full potential of mobile devices: most modern smartphones have a variety of di erent sensor technologies (e.g., microphone, GPS data, camera, ...) that can also provide valuable data and potentially valuable insights for the medical purpose or the researcher. In this context, a significant development e ort is required to integrate sensing capabilities into (existing) data collection applications. Developers may have to deal with platform-specific peculiarities (e.g., Android vs. iOS) or proprietary sensor data formats, resulting in unnecessary development e ort to support researchers with such digital solutions. Therefore, a cross-platform mobile data collection framework has been developed to extend existing data collection applications with sensor capabilities and address the aforementioned challenges in the process. This framework will enable researchers to collect additional information from participants and environment, increasing the amount of data collected and drawing new insights from existing data.

Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics of Participants in the Health@NUS mHealth Augmented Cohort Study Examining Student-to-Work Life Transition: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study

“…To our knowledge, Health@NUS is a novel prospective cohort study that augments information collected from traditional questionnaires and on-site health screening, with mHealth technologies to capture intensive longitudinal data on individual characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, health, and well-being among young adults during their transition from university to working life in real life [ 34 , 35 ]. Health behaviors shaped in early adulthood often persist into adulthood [ 11 , 23 ] and can have negative implications for health and well-being.…”

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Harnessing the Power of Mobile Phone Technology: Screening and Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder With Smartphone Apps

“…This data can be transmitted securely to healthcare providers, enabling them to make more informed decisions and interventions. Real-time data collection and remote monitoring are precious for chronic disease management and early detection of health issues [ 27 ].…”

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“…However, the effectiveness of integrating mobile apps with online nutrition learning has not yet been fully explored [15]. Numerous studies indicate that mobile apps can effectively enhance nutrition education and boost nutrition knowledge.…”