Abstract:BackgroundMental disorders are notably prevalent in children with chronic illnesses, whereas a lack of access to psychological support might lead to potential mental health problems or disruptions in treatment. Digitally delivered psychological interventions have shown promising results as a supportive treatment measure for improving health outcomes during chronic illness.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the usability, acceptability, and feasibility of providing psychological and treatment support in a cl… Show more
“…It is documented that promoting children’s health with active digital games seems quite promising even among other fields of health, such as physical activity [ 56 ]. Self-management behaviors of young people with chronic diseases [ 57 ] or support of pediatric cancer patients, where a statistically significant decrease in general health problems and a trend toward a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms were observed after implementation of a mobile health game [ 58 ].…”
Mental health disorders among primary school children remain a crucial issue. Early health promotion interventions can positively affect and prevent the onset of mental disorders. Promising digital mental health methods have been implemented for adolescents and youths with scarce evidence among younger ages. Therefore, the aim of the current systematic review was to identify health promotion interventions on mental health and wellbeing, with the use of digital methods, delivered in primary school settings. Six digital interventions have been identified, three of which were targeting teachers and the others students. Regardless of the limited number of studies, the effectiveness of the web-based interventions upon teachers’ knowledge and attitudes and the positive impact on children’s behavioral improvements has been documented. The lack of adequate evidence highlights the need for further research in the field. The current review provides information for professionals working in primary schools useful for the design and implementation of effective mental health and wellbeing interventions.
“…It is documented that promoting children’s health with active digital games seems quite promising even among other fields of health, such as physical activity [ 56 ]. Self-management behaviors of young people with chronic diseases [ 57 ] or support of pediatric cancer patients, where a statistically significant decrease in general health problems and a trend toward a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms were observed after implementation of a mobile health game [ 58 ].…”
Mental health disorders among primary school children remain a crucial issue. Early health promotion interventions can positively affect and prevent the onset of mental disorders. Promising digital mental health methods have been implemented for adolescents and youths with scarce evidence among younger ages. Therefore, the aim of the current systematic review was to identify health promotion interventions on mental health and wellbeing, with the use of digital methods, delivered in primary school settings. Six digital interventions have been identified, three of which were targeting teachers and the others students. Regardless of the limited number of studies, the effectiveness of the web-based interventions upon teachers’ knowledge and attitudes and the positive impact on children’s behavioral improvements has been documented. The lack of adequate evidence highlights the need for further research in the field. The current review provides information for professionals working in primary schools useful for the design and implementation of effective mental health and wellbeing interventions.
“…The insertion of serious games in both hospital and domestic contexts can lead to immersion in the experienced issue, providing an opportunity to discuss the conditions for health promotion, in addition to promoting reflection on unhealthy habits or inefficient care [ 14 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 31 ].…”
Background
Adolescents with chronic kidney disease have a hard time adhering to hemodialysis as a therapy, indicating a need to establish new alternatives for motivation and adherence to treatment.
Objective
The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a serious game to stimulate and motivate adolescents undergoing hemodialysis.
Methods
We describe the technological production followed by a qualitative analysis. We invited 8 adolescents undergoing hemodialysis in the city Goiânia, located in the midwest of Brazil, to participate. The final convenience sample included 7 (87.5% of the target population) adolescents. The process was conducted in 3 phases: creation of a serious game, evaluation of its use, and observation of its motivating effect on behavioral modification with a focus on acquiring the necessary competence for self-care.
Results
An app (Bim) in the modality of a serious game was developed to be used during hemodialysis; the player was encouraged to take care of a character with daily actions during his or her treatment. The game was made available to adolescents aged 10-14 years. Mobile devices were offered during the hemodialysis treatment for a period of 30-40 minutes, 3 times a week for 60 days. The usage definitions of the game were freely chosen by the participants. The qualitative evaluation of the use of the Bim app showed that it encompasses scenarios and activities that enable the exercise of daily actions for the treatment of patients. The behavioral evaluation showed that the Bim app worked as a motivating stimulus for behavioral adherence to hemodialysis requirements.
Conclusions
The easy-to-access app interface showed good operability for its users. The description of the character and proposed activities contributed to motivation and ability to cope with hemodialysis care.
“…Other studies observed benefits through telemedicine strategies in young adults, especially, if face‐to‐face videoconferencing is used or gamification techniques were deployed [66,70]. Another study addressed caretakers of young transplant recipients and described an improved post‐transplant care by an app supported discharge program enabling better communication [67].…”
Summary
eHealth (“electronic” Health) is a new field in medicine that has the potential to change medical care, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. In this review, we analyzed the current status of eHealth in transplantation by performing a PubMed search over the last 5 years with a focus on clinical studies for post‐transplant care. We retrieved 463 manuscripts, of which 52 clinical reports and eight randomized controlled trials were identified. Most studies were on kidney (n = 19), followed by liver (n = 10), solid organ (n = 7), bone‐marrow (n = 6), and lung transplantation (n = 6). Eleven articles included adolescents/children. Investigated eHealth features covered the whole spectrum with mobile applications for patients (n = 24) and video consultations (n = 18) being most frequent. Prominent topics for patient apps were self‐management (n = 16), adherence (n = 14), symptom‐reporting (11), remote monitoring of vital signs (n = 8), educational (n = 7), and drug reminder (n = 7). In this review, we discuss opportunities and strengths of such new eHealth solutions, the implications for successful implementation into the healthcare process, the human factor, data protection, and finally, the need for better evidence from prospective clinical trials in order to confirm the claims on better patient care, potential efficiency gains and cost savings.
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