This novel study systematically summarizes the challenges, barriers, and technological solutions for teens with chronic conditions and their caregivers as teens transition to independence. A new solution ecosystem based on the 10 identified challenges would guide the design of future implementations to test and validate the effectiveness of the proposed 5-component ecosystem.
This study offers preliminary support for the feasibility and acceptability of digital interventions for psychosis in informal caregiver populations. However, the findings underpin a clear need for greater development in the range of caregiver-focused digital approaches on offer and robust evaluation of their outcomes.
Reliance on conversational assistants for actionable medical information represents a safety risk for patients and consumers. Patients should be cautioned to not use these technologies for answers to medical questions they intend to act on without further consultation from a health care provider.
The digital interventions included in this review are in general feasible but are not consistently effective in helping people in recovery from substance use disorder reduce their substance use or achieving other recovery goals.
Despite the growing number of mental health apps available for smartphones, the perceived usability of these apps from the perspectives of end users or health care experts has rarely been reported. This information is vital, particularly for self-guided mHealth interventions, as perceptions of navigability and quality of content are likely to impact participant engagement and treatment compliance.
This study resonates with previous research that has highlighted the importance of involving end users in the design process. The study suggests that having a single solution for stroke rehabilitation or assistance could be challenging or even impossible, and thus, engineers should clearly identify the targeted stroke population needs before the design of any device for the upper extremity.
Open access. The presence of powerful computers in the pockets of most patients should transform how we practise medicine. Yet changes in practice to date have remained modest and occurred only gradually.1 Applications of new technologies often only emerge once the underlying technologies have become ubiquitous and long passed the period of counting as new. As one writer put it: ‘Communication tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring.’2 Once a technology reaches the stage of being taken for granted, it becomes easier to harness it for new functions and activities.
Internet prevention of eating disorders is a relatively new field that is expanding rapidly. We review randomized controlled trial designs examining the efficacy of Internet prevention in eating disorders that have emerged from 2016.. MPFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Over the past 10 years, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has increased in regard to the treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ICT support mechanisms (e.g. computers, laptops, robots) are particularly attractive and are adapted to children with ASD. In addition, ICT algorithms can offer new perspectives for clinicians, outside direct apps or gaming proposals. Here, we will focus on the use of serious games and robots because of their attractiveness and their value in working on social skills.. MPFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The emphasis on reducing the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) has highlighted complex barriers to accessing appropriate services. Internet and social media use by individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP) was examined to explore how these platforms might be used to facilitate treatment initiation.. Login at top right hand side of page using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
This article aimed to test the implementation and outcomes of a short messaging service sent to a dedicated phone. The target cohort were drug treatment clients in two sites in Northern England. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
A psychological therapies service run by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has expanded its provision of online appointments to allow people to access therapy in a more flexible and helpful way.
The Mind Matters IAPT service provides psychological therapies to people experiencing mild to moderate mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression to help them regain their wellbeing.
Online appointments will now be available using Skype for Business, as well as existing platforms; Big White Wall and SilverCloud. Therapy is delivered via video and audio, and Skype for Business can be used on laptops and smart phones, making access to therapy easier and more flexible
Pioneering advances have been made in Internet of Things technologies (IoT) in healthcare. This article describes the development and testing of a bespoke IoT system for dementia care. Technology integrated health management (TIHM) for dementia is part of the NHS England National Test Bed Programme and has involved trailing the deployment of network enabled devices combined with artificial intelligence to improve outcomes for people with dementia and their carers. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Anxiety levels among all monitoring users were markedly reduced in the first few days of usage with some bounce back effect thereafter. A small group of users demonstrated long-term anxiety reduction (using a robust measure), typically monitored for 12-110 days, with 10-30 discrete updates and showed low levels of social participation
Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that young adults diagnosed with schizophrenia are amenable to use a smartphone app to monitor their health, manage their medication, and stay alert of the early signs of illness exacerbation. This may empower them to stay on track with their illness, thus in control of it.
Conclusions: Social robots can achieve a fundamental objective of motivational interviewing, encouraging participants to articulate their goals and dilemmas aloud. Because they are perceived as nonjudgmental, robots may have advantages over more humanoid avatars for delivering virtual support for behavioral change.
This study revealed that family care-givers play a crucial role in supporting the patient's decision to adopt and engage with AT devices. Knowledge and awareness, perceived responsibility, usefulness and usability, alongside functionality of the equipment, were influential factors in the decision-making process. Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by impairments in social communication. Core symptoms are deficits in social looking behaviours, including limited visual attention to faces and sensitivity to eye gaze cues. We designed an intervention game using serious game mechanics for adolescents with ASD. It is designed to train individuals with ASD to discover that the eyes, and shifts in gaze specifically, provide information about the external world. We predict that the game will increase understanding of gaze cues and attention to faces. Open Access Article
Conclusions: Tele-rehabilitation could be a promising tool to overcome burdens that restrict accessibility to rehabilitation in the future. VR can increase motivation allowing longer and more training sessions in community-dwelling stroke survivors. Therefore, combining the benefits of both approaches seems convenient. Although evidence is still sparse, functional improvements seem to be equal compared to a similar intervention with therapist-supervision in the clinic, suggesting that for cost-efficient rehabilitation parts of therapy can be transferred to the homes. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
The primary aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of a context-aware automatic prompting system in assisting individuals with TBI in multi-step cooking tasks. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Results: Participants view assistive technology procurement as an ongoing cyclical process, with potential unmet needs at key moments before and after assistive technology procurement. Assistive technology user-family caregiver dyads needs focus on assistive technology information, access, assistive technology-person-context match, training and support. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Results: During the baseline (i.e., without the program), the participants failed to access leisure activities or video calls. During the post-intervention phase (i.e., with the program), they selected and accessed those activities and calls independently and spent between about 75% and 90% of the session time engaging with them. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
The vision sets out how digital services and IT systems will need to meet a clear set of open standards to ensure they can talk to each other and be replaced when better technologies become available. A focus on putting user needs first and setting standards at the centre will enable local organisations to manage their use of technology and spread and support innovation wherever it comes from.
Deputy Director of the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service shares how they’re using virtual reality to increase access to psychological therapies in a blog published by NHS England.
The recently installed security and safety screening device provides a non-intrusive reliable system that can effectively detect lighters, small blades, needles and mobile phones.
With deaths so high, a pioneering medical team in Cornwall developed an app to allow people with epilepsy to monitor their condition and health risk. The app has already won many prestigious awards in the UK and USA, including the 2016 HSJ Patient Safety award, 2016 BMJ Neurology awards, 2015 International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) awards and 2015 Epilepsy Foundation US.
The new technology has been successfully adopted by staff in dementia wards to reduce fall rates. 100% of ward staff reported that the system had improved patient safety on the ward at night, with 79% reporting it has directly enabled them to prevent a fall.1
This article aims to describe the characteristics of those with a primary diagnosis of spinal cord injury (SCI) attending a specialist wheelchair service providing electric powered indoor/outdoor chairs (EPIOCs). This cross-sectional study, with retrospective review of electronic and case note records, explores the complexities of additional clinical features associated with SCI and disability influencing prescription
Open access. Evidence on how to implement new interventions into complex healthcare environments is often poorly reported and indexed, reducing its potential to inform initiatives to improve healthcare services. Using the implementation of a digital intervention within routine National Health Service (NHS) practice, we provide an example of how to develop a theoretically based implementation plan and how to report it transparently. In doing so we also highlight some of the challenges to implementation in routine healthcare.
Free access. The presence of powerful computers in the pockets of most patients should transform how we practise medicine. Yet changes in practice to date have remained modest and occurred only gradually.1 Applications of new technologies often only emerge once the underlying technologies have become ubiquitous and long passed the period of counting as new. As one writer put it: ‘Communication tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring.’2 Once a technology reaches the stage of being taken for granted, it becomes easier to harness it for new functions and activities.
The self-management fall prevention program is feasible and safe in a community-dwelling and home for the aged population, making it worthwhile to further explore self-management fall-prevention studies. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Results: Health care workers reported mixed views regarding the use of robots. They considered an array of tasks that robots could perform; they addressed the issue of patient safety and raised concerns about privacy. Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Psychological Services (Nov 8, 2018). DOI:10.1037/ser0000286
In this brief state of the science review, we provide a synopsis of the literature on psychological health mobile applications (apps) and discuss the impact of mobile technology on psychological health practice. We describe the variety of psychological health app uses from self-management, skills training, and supportive care to symptom tracking and data collection; and we summarize the current evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of psychological health apps. Finally, we offer some pragmatic suggestions for evaluating psychological health apps for quality and clinical utility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract). To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Psychological Services (Nov 8, 2018). DOI:10.1037/ser0000261
Depression is common in primary care settings, but barriers prevent many primary care patients from initiating treatment. Smartphone apps stand as a possible means to overcome such barriers. However, there is limited evidence to understand the use and efficacy of these apps. The purpose of the current study was to pilot an evaluation of the usage and efficacy of apps for depression based upon behavioral or cognitive intervention skills, compared to a wait-list control.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has received £1.2m of new NHS funding to utilise innovative digital technologies and treatments that could lead to thousands of fewer hospital admissions nationally.
The area is one of seven locations nationwide to become part of the NHS Test Beds programme. Clinicians at Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent will look specifically at how they can improve care for patients with chronic long-term heart failure.
The team at Royal Stoke will combine three new digital technologies to help reduce A&E admissions for patients with chronic long-term heart failure. They will do this by coordinating community-based clinical interventions with patients who report deteriorating symptoms.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to answer two research questions: (1) What is the clinical evidence for the reported outcomes in studies on electronic pillboxes for older adults? and (2) What is the technology readiness level (TRL) of the electronic pillboxes used, or intended to be used, for older adults? You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes in Shropshire will soon be able to manage their condition remotely by using a smartphone app.
The app will be used by The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) from December and means that women will be able to better manage their condition, and potentially reduce the number of visits they need to make to hospital.
We are proud to partner with Stay Alive, the UK’s first suicide prevention app, which offers information, help and support to people in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
The TIHM (Technology Integrated Health Management) for dementia study, which involves partners the University of Surrey, Alzheimer’s Society and technology provider Howz, enables clinicians to remotely monitor the health of people with dementia living at home. It scooped the ‘Improving Care with Technology’ award in what is the world’s largest healthcare awards programme at a ceremony in London on Wednesday, 21 November.
TIHM is a based on a network of internet enabled devices, such as sensors, monitors and trackers that are installed in the home. Data streamed from these devices is analysed using data analytics and machine learning and any health problems identified are flagged on a digital dashboard and followed up by a Clinical Monitoring Team. The aim is to help people with dementia to stay well in their homes and reduce pressure on carers.
This review presents a selection of recent research on assistive technology for older people funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and other government funders. This has been selected with help from an expert steering group. In this review we focus on research around the use of technology in the home, remote monitoring systems and designing better environments for older people.
This Housing LIN case study report summarises the findings from recent research conducted on the lived experiences of home adaptations, funded by the Centre for Ageing Better. It draws on the views of both people in later life and practitioners to explore their home adaptations journey, including triggers, access, installation and outcomes.
Psychotherapy is a complex intervention, consisting of various components and being implemented flexibly in consideration of individual patient’s characteristics. It is then of utmost importance to know which of the various components or combinations thereof are more efficacious, what their specific effect sizes are and which types of patients may benefit more from different components or their combinations. Open Access Article
Digital health interventions present an important opportunity to improve health care for people with psychosis or bipolar disorder, but despite their potential, integrating and implementing them into clinical settings has been difficult worldwide. This Review aims to identify factors affecting implementation of digital health interventions for people affected by psychosis or bipolar disorder.. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Recent advances in smartphone technology have revealed new opportunities for the diagnosis, monitoring and provision of mental health care. Such digital approaches have the potential to enhance our understanding of the course of mental disorder, enable early diagnosis and generate new treatment targets. However, issues relating to mobile phone ownership, misuse of clinical data, commercial devices and the ethics of such approaches need to be overcome if smartphones are to be routinely used in mental health care. This article reviews the potential as well as the challenges posed by the use of such technologies in mental health settings. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
This article reviews currently available appropriate technologies which have been used in mental health, in order to reduce confusion and delay. Confusion (for example when and where to refer) can lead to error and waste. Similarly delay impacts quality and accessibility of the whole range of mental health services. As most secondary care mental health services use electronic patient records, it is arguably easier to apply technology in this speciality. However, consideration needs to be given to confidentiality and data security. Doctors of all specialities will be exposed to ‘new’ technologies over the next decade, and need to be aware of the direction of travel and its implications. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
A new resource on CQC’s website, which will see pages added as new topics are addressed, explores the use of technology in care, looking at the benefits of innovation and updating previously published information on surveillance.
Although evidence exists for the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in preventing depression, little is known about its prevention through online interventions. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of online interventions in preventing depression in heterogeneous populations. Open Access Article
The scheme involves a dementia-friendly mug and plastic tumbler playing pre-set messages to patients not drinking regularly enough. They can be programmed with personalised messages from patients’ families and help ward staff keep a check.
Open access. E-mental health holds promise for people with severe mental illness, but has a limited evidence base. This study explored the effect of e-health added to face-to-face delivery of the Illness Management and Recovery Programme (e-IMR).
Persons with severe mental disorders (SMDs) experience dramatically reduced life expectancy compared with the general population. We consider the role of digital technologies for addressing this serious public health concern. In this clinical review, we apply the multilevel risk model recently introduced by the WHO to conceptualise how digital technology can support efforts to reduce excess mortality risk at the individual, health system and social determinants of health levels. In particular, digital technologies show promise for targeting preventable physical health conditions in persons with SMDs.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
This POSTnote introduces robotic technology and the main ways it has been developed for use in social care. It reviews evidence on the impact of robotics on the costs and quality of social care and its workforce, and explores the main ethical, social and regulatory challenges to its use in social care.
Bethan Davies on a qualitative study of service users' experience about the acceptability, use and safety of the BlueIce app for young people who self-harm.
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Conclusion: Positive effects were found on aspects of QoL and fall incidents in the bathroom. The lower caregiver appreciation of work circumstances in the AHT group confirms the importance of intensive support and guidance of personnel during the implementation of AHT. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
This information can be used to contribute to evidence-based practice when using apps for intervention. A feature-matching checklist was developed in order to guide SLPs in selecting apps based on the features of the app to facilitate language intervention. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
We report the first use of wireless continuous temperature monitoring for daily wear and home use in patients with diabetes and neuropathy. The wearers found the socks to be no different from standard socks. The temperature studies conducted show that the sensors used in the socks are reliable and accurate at detecting temperature and the findings matched clinical observations. Continuous temperature monitoring is a promising approach as an early warning system for foot ulcers, Charcot foot, and reulceration.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore psychiatrists’ perspectives on this paradigm through the prism of new clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). Our primary objective was to assess the acceptability of these new technologies. Our secondary objective was to characterize the factors affecting their acceptability.
Conclusions: This study offers evidence that AI can serve as a cost-effective and accessible therapeutic agent. Although not designed to appropriate the role of a trained therapist, integrative psychological AI emerges as a feasible option for delivering support.
Conclusions: The results suggest that adding M-CT to TAU is not effective and cost effective compared to TAU alone. Adherence rates were similar to other studies and therefore do not explain this finding. The participants scarcely booked additional therapist support, resulting in 17.3 minutes of mean total therapist support. More studies are needed to examine the cost effectiveness of internet-based interventions with respect to long-term outcomes and the role and optimal dosage of therapist support. Overall, more research is needed on scalable and cost-effective interventions that can reduce the burden of recurrent MDD.
Conclusions: The importance of evidence in eHealth has not been discussed as rigorously as have the diverse evaluation approaches and evaluation frameworks. Further research directed toward evidence-based evaluation can not only improve the quality of intervention studies but also facilitate successful long-term implementation of eHealth in general
Conclusions: Qualitative findings suggest that many, but not all, clients will be interested in using technology to support mental health needs. The variability in type and quality of technology owned by participants suggests the need to design for a range of functionality in the development of mental health tools. Findings also suggest thinking broadly about using existing platforms and widely available tools to support consumers in mental health recovery.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal (Dec 27, 2018). DOI:10.1037/prj0000337
Objective: A growing body of literature indicates that mobile health (mHealth) interventions that utilize smartphones for illness management are feasible, acceptable, and clinically promising. In this study, we examine how individuals with serious mental illness use a mHealth intervention—FOCUS—to self-manage their illnesses. Additionally, we explored participant perceptions of the intervention’s impact on their subjective illness experience.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Conclusions: High interest in mental health apps does not automatically translate into high use. Our results of low but similar rates of mental health app use at diverse clinics suggests DMH patients with largely psychotic disorders are as interested and engaged with apps as those in a private insurance clinic treating largely mood and anxiety disorders. Results from our study also highlight the importance of understanding how actual patients are using apps instead of relying on internet-based samples, which often yield higher results due to their likelihood of being selected.
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A summary of findings from the UTOPIA study, which looked at local authority use of telecare and assistive technology for older people in adult social care. The study which was carried out between April 2016 and May 2017, involved an online survey of English local authorities and selective interviews with telecare managers and stakeholder. Key findings cover the strategic aims of assistive technology and telecare; how it is being deployed (assessment process, installation, responding to alarms, and reviews); and evidence collected to monitor whether strategic aims are being met. Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Sense of presence (SoP) has recently emerged as one of the key elements promoting the effectiveness of virtual reality-based training programs. In the context of wheelchair simulators (WSs), the effectiveness of the simulation has been sought using different perception and interaction devices, providing the end-users with different levels of SoP. We performed a scoping review searching scientific and grey literature databases with the aim of assessing the extent of published research dealing with SoP and effectiveness of WSs. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Background: Spinal bracing is one form of conservative treatment used in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting
Aim: The aim of this review was therefore to evaluate the effect of brace treatment on balance in subjects with AIS.
Method: The search strategy was based on the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO). PubMed, Scopus, ISI web of knowledge, Ovid, the Cochrane library (CENTRAL) and Google scholar databases and also the reference lists of relevant articles were searched for articles of clinical trials with level of evidence of three or more of AIS that underwent spinal bracing treatment.
Open access. Telephone cognitive–behaviour therapy (TCBT) may be a cost-effective method for improving access to evidence-based treatment for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people.
Pressure ulcer interventions are commonly assessed with measures of seating interface pressure, such as peak pressure gradients (PPGs). Decreases in PPG magnitudes may reduce pressure ulcer risk by decreasing tissue deformation and increasing tissue perfusion of at-risk weight-bearing tissues. Changes in PPG directions, which have previously been overlooked in the seating pressure literature, may provide a transient increase in blood flow to at-risk tissues, even if the PPG magnitude and location remain the same. The purpose of this study was to assess both PPG components in response to combinations of wheelchair tilt and recline angles. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Students with reading learning disabilities (RLDs) often face struggles in acquiring basic reading abilities, including oral reading fluency. The current study builds on previous work that compared peer-assisted instruction (PAI) to iPad-assisted instruction (IAI) on oral reading fluency, which led to the conclusion that a combined approach may be more effective than either approach alone.You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Open access. The development of digital health interventions (DHIs) for severe mental health problems is fast-paced. Researchers are beginning to consult service users to inform DHIs; however, much of this involvement has been limited to feedback on specific interventions post-DHI development. This study had two aims: 1. explore service user views towards DHIs for severe mental health problems; and 2. make recommendations for specific content within DHIs based on service user needs and suggestions.