Hospital-Owned Apps in Taiwan: Nationwide Survey

Liu, Hao Yen; Lee, Wui-Chiang; Sun, Ying Chou; Fen, Jun-Jeng; Chen, Tzeng Ji; Chou, Li Fang; Hwang, Shinn‐Jang

doi:10.2196/mhealth.8636

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Moreover, remote monitoring by health professionals is currently one of the least used functions, although it has the greatest potential for use [20-23], as 1 in 3 patients would like to have an app with this feature. Providing a new means of communication through ICTs could offer patients the opportunity to get involved in their disease and assume more responsibility with regard to monitoring their health, thus promoting patient empowerment [5,6,10,24,25]. That is why an easy-to-use app would prove to be a complete tool for this type of patient [3,5,6,13].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oncology Patient Interest in the Use of New Technologies to Manage Their Disease: Cross-Sectional Survey

Collado-Borrell¹,

Escudero‐Vilaplana²,

Calles³

et al. 2018

J Med Internet Res

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BackgroundInformation and communication technologies (ICTs) in oncology can revolutionize the medical care of cancer patients. ICTs can promote patients’ empowerment and real-time disease monitoring. There is limited information about the impact of ICTs in cancer patients or their level of interest in using these tools for greater management of their condition.ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the ICT usage profile in hematology-oncology patients to identify their needs and determine their level of interest in these technologies as a means of managing their disease.MethodsA 28-item questionnaire was drawn up by a multidisciplinary team including pharmacists and oncologists. The questions were organized into 3 blocks, which were as follows: block A—sociodemographic characteristics; block B—use of ICTs when searching for health-related information; and block C—usage preferences for health apps. Hematology-oncology patients receiving treatment between May and July 2017 were included. A paper copy of the questionnaire was handed over to patients in either the day hospital or the pharmaceutical care consultancy in pharmacy services.ResultsA total of 650 questionnaires were handed out, with a participation of 94.0% (611/650). Patient sociodemographic characteristics were as follows: mean age was 57.8 years (age range: 19-91). Of 611 participants, 40.7% (249/611) had a university education, and 45.1% (276/611) of participants reported their overall state of health to be good. Results from use of ICTs when searching for health-related information were as follows: 87.1% (532/611) of participants were interested in being informed about health-related matters. Of all participants, 75.5% (532/611) sought information from health professionals and 61.3% (375/611) on the internet. Before going to their doctor’s appointment, 21.8% (133/611) of patients looked up information about their disease or treatment on the internet. This access to the internet rose to 50.9% (311/611) after their first medical appointment with their oncologist. Usage preferences for health apps were as follows: 82.7% (505/611) had a smartphone, whereas 20.3% (124/611) had a health app installed. Overall, 81.5% (498/611) would use an app if their health professional recommended it to them, but 39.6% (242/611) were not willing to pay for it.ConclusionsThe hematology-oncology patients showed a great deal of interest in searching for health-related information by means of ICTs, especially using smartphones and apps. The issues that drew the most interest in terms of apps were appointment management, advice on disease management, and communication with health professionals. Free access to these features and the recommendation by a health professional are important factors when it comes to their use. Therefore, the health care provider is a key element in the recommendation of ICTs, providing their knowledge and experience concerning their correct usage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oncology Patient Interest in the Use of New Technologies to Manage Their Disease: Cross-Sectional Survey

Collado-Borrell¹,

Escudero‐Vilaplana²,

Calles³

et al. 2018

J Med Internet Res

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show abstract

“…To our knowledge, no app is available in Taiwan that is culturally tailored for Chinese-speaking users and which provides a patient-centered approach for personal health self-management. The current mHealth Apps in Taiwan are mainly used for operational purposes, such as appointment scheduling, medication refill notification, patient queue monitoring, and mobile payment [ 27 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel mHealth Approach for a Patient-Centered Medication and Health Management System in Taiwan: Pilot Study

Hsieh

Su²,

Han

et al. 2018

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) apps have recently demonstrated the potential to engage and empower people to improve their own health. Although the availability of health-related apps is increasing, their adoption rate in Taiwan is exceptionally low mainly due to the preponderance of Western culture-based app designs that are challenging for non-English-speaking individuals. To our knowledge, no mHealth app is available in Taiwan that is culturally tailored for Chinese-speaking users and that applies a patient-centered approach to self-manage medication and health.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to design and deploy a culturally tailored mHealth system that could be easily integrated into current clinical practice and to evaluate how this mHealth system could support the continuity of patient care in Taiwan.MethodsAn mHealth information system and a mobile app were designed. To promote the best patient experience, a Quick Response (QR) code system was developed to enable efficient registration of personal medication information through the mobile app. The app also supported notifications for drug utilization, refills, and symptom checks. Patients were encouraged to record medication use, symptoms, and self-assessments in the app during their treatment period. Evaluation of the novel mHealth system was conducted from August 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016 at MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Population data and app usage statistics were analyzed.ResultsDuring the 5-month implementation period, a total of 25,909 users downloaded the app with an overall 7-day retention rate of 15.4% (SD 3.9). Young male adults (range 25-44 years) were the predominant user population. Patients’ feedback on app usability and design, QR code system as drug input method, medication reminders, and linking family or friends into care networks was generally positive. Physicians showed great interest in utilizing patient-generated data in their care process, and the positive medication adherence rate was the most highly valued component of this system.ConclusionsThis pilot study demonstrated the value of a novel mHealth approach for individualized medication and health management in Taiwan. The mHealth system shows the potential to optimize personalized care into existing clinical services and may help hospitals and health authorities perform continuous quality improvement and policy development.

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“…Moreover, remote monitoring by health professionals is currently one of the least used functions, although it has the greatest potential for use [18][19][20][21] as one in three patients would like to have an app with this feature. Providing a new means of communication through ICTs could offer patients the opportunity to get involved in their disease and assume more responsibility with regards to monitoring their health, thus promoting patient empowerment [5,6,9,22,23]. That is why an easy to use app would prove to be a complete tool for this type of patient.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The questions were organized into three blocks. Block A: patient socio-demographic characteristics (questions 1-9); block B: use of ICTs when searching for health-related information (questions 10-21); and block C: usage preferences for health apps (questions [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. The design of the questionnaire considered the model form created by ONTSI [4] and incorporated advice from a management consultancy firm specializing in process design, implementation, and improvement.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oncology Patient Interest in the Use of New Technologies to Manage Their Disease: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

Collado-Borrell¹,

Escudero‐Vilaplana²,

Calles³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Background: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in oncology can revolutionize the medical care of cancer patients. ICTs can promote patient's empowerment and real-time disease monitoring. There is limited information about the impact of ICTs in cancer patients of ICTs in this patient group or indeed their level of interest in using these tools for greater management of their condition.Objective: We aimed to understand the ICT usage profile in hematology-oncology patients, to identify their needs, and to determine their level of interest in these technologies as a means of managing their disease. Methods:A 28-item questionnaire was drawn up by a multidisciplinary team including pharmacists and oncologists. The questions were organized into three blocks. A: socio-demographic characteristics; B: use of ICTs when searching for health-related information; and C: usage preferences for health apps. Hematology-oncology patients receiving treatment between May and July 2017 were included. A paper copy of the questionnaire was handed to patients in the Day Hospital or the Pharmaceutical Care Consultancy in Pharmacy Services.Results: A total of 650 questionnaires were handed out, with a participation of 94% (611/650).Patient socio-demographic characteristics: Mean age was 57.8 years-old . Of participants, 61.9% (378/611) were women, 40.7% (249/611) had a university education, and 45.1% (276/611) of patients reported their overall state of health to be good. Use of ICTs when searching for health-related information:87.1% (532/611) of subjects were interested in being informed about health-related matters. Of all subjects, 75.5% (532/611) sought information from health professionals and 61.3% (375/611) on the Internet. Of these, 71.2% (436/611) searched through Google and 21.9% (134/611) by means of social networks. Before going to their doctor's appointment, 21.8% (133/611) of patients looked up information about their disease and/or treatment on the Internet. This access to the internet rose to 51% after their first medical appointment with their oncologist, up to 50.9% (311/611) of participants referred to the Internet.Usage preferences for health apps: 82.7% (505/611) had a smartphone, while 20.3% (124/611) had a health app installed. Some 81.5% (498/611) would use an app if their health professional recommended it to them, but 39.6% (242/611) were not willed to pay for it. Conclusions:The hematology-oncology patients showed a great deal of interest in searching for healthrelated information by means of ICTs, especially using smartphones and apps. The issues that drew the most interest in terms of apps were appointment management, advice on disease management, and communication with health professionals. Free access to these features and the recommendation by a health professional are important factors when it comes to their use. Therefore, the health care provider is a key element in the recommendation of ICTs, providing their knowledge and experience concerning their correct usage.

show abstract

Hospital-Owned Apps in Taiwan: Nationwide Survey

Cited by 20 publications

References 25 publications

Oncology Patient Interest in the Use of New Technologies to Manage Their Disease: Cross-Sectional Survey

Oncology Patient Interest in the Use of New Technologies to Manage Their Disease: Cross-Sectional Survey

A Novel mHealth Approach for a Patient-Centered Medication and Health Management System in Taiwan: Pilot Study

Oncology Patient Interest in the Use of New Technologies to Manage Their Disease: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

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