Authors:
Luuk P. A. Simons
1
and
J. Felix Hampe
2
Affiliations:
1
Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
;
2
Koblenz University, Germany
Keyword(s):
Smart phone, Mobile application, Lifestyle intervention, Health, Motivation, Patient Support, Prostate Cancer, Service design, Design research.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Biomedical Engineering
;
Biomedical Signal Processing
;
Cloud Computing
;
Development of Assistive Technology
;
Devices
;
e-Health
;
Evaluation and Use of Healthcare IT
;
Health Information Systems
;
Human-Computer Interaction
;
Pervasive Health Systems and Services
;
Physiological Computing Systems
;
Platforms and Applications
;
Wearable Sensors and Systems
Abstract:
There is an existing Health (e)Coach Solution for supporting intensive lifestyle changes, which may help reduce cancer progression risks in men with low grade prostate cancer. An important challenge is to support and motivate healthy behaviors for the long term (4 years). Smart phones are increasingly used also in this age group. And mobile apps offer significant opportunities for personalized health behavior monitoring and support. Our overall proposition is that an mApps suite, as an extension to an existing online dashboard with automated emails and interpersonal coach sessions, appears promising for improving long term health behavior support. That is, if three conditions are met: 1) Using best of breed mApps from the market (benefits like ease-of-use, continuity, customer support); 2) creating easy and meaningful score conversions (from mApps to personal dashboard); 3) using automated emails as glue between three key aspects personal progress/dashboarding, user attention and mot
ivation, mApp usage.As methodological approach, this paper focuses on two phases from a design research cycle: requirements analysis and a preliminary design solution exploration. In the analysis phase, two questions are addressed: What are effective lifestyle intervention components according to literature? What are solution properties that may enhance motivation and improve health behaviors? In the solution exploration phase our design question is how a proposed mApp extension may likely add value to the existing Health (e)Coach solution.
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