Rapidly evolving technologies like data analysis, smartphone and web-based applications, and the Internet of things have been increasingly used for healthy living, fitness and well-being. These technologies are being utilized by various research studies to reduce obesity. This paper demonstrates design and development of a dataflow protocol that integrates several applications. After registration of a user, activity, nutrition and other lifestyle data from participants are retrieved in a centralized cloud dedicated for health promotion. In addition, users are provided accounts in an e-Learning environment from which learning outcomes can be retrieved. Using the proposed system, health promotion campaigners have the ability to provide feedback to the participants using a dedicated messaging system. Participants authorize the system to use their activity data for the program participation. The implemented system and servicing protocol minimize personnel overhead of large-scale health promotion campaigns and are scalable to assist automated interventions, from automated data retrieval to automated messaging feedback. This paper describes end-to-end workflow of the proposed system. The case study tests are carried with Fitbit Flex2 activity trackers, Withings Scale, Verizon Android-based tablets, Moodle learning management system, and Articulate RISE for learning content development.
The use of mobile and web tools in health care has greatly improved interactions between doctors, patients and healthcare professionals in the past few years. According to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) almost 75% of the 296,980 women in the United States that are diagnosed with breast cancer will have hormone receptor-positive breast cancers. Endocrine hormonal therapy (EHT) is very effective for nearly all women with hormone-receptive positive tumours and is the most widely prescribed one. The dedicated use and adherence to this therapy for 5 years has also shown larger reduction in recurrence [6]. However, even with such proven benefits, the adherence is limited to just 33% of all the women who are prescribed. In such cases, the use of interactive easy-to-use apps would promote and improve adherence [2]. Such apps should enable fast responses to patient queries, guide patients through treatment, help them understand symptoms, motivate them through educational content, and prompt interaction with their peers. In this paper, we describe an approach for accelerating app prototyping using the existing Google Android platform and converting it to a cross-platform web application thereafter. Google Firebase [1] is used as a database server to assist in monitoring and sending notifications to users without compromising the safety and security of patients' data. The proposed system and approach can also be further tailored for similar technology-assisted health promotion and intervention studies. The effectiveness of the approach is evaluated through a randomized controlled study with breast cancer patients conducted by the UTHSCSA research team.
This paper deals with the description of our new development of a mobile system for general practitioners and doctors' practices. It is Intended to simplify the complex and error-prone work process of a home visit to patients and to Ensure a high degree of accuracy and correctness. The system besteht of a technical device (similar in size to a smartphone) and a customized software. The hardware component is to realize the connection and reading of the medical analyzers used in the practices (eg. Blood glucose, blood lipids, blood oxygen equipment, etc.). The software component is Intended to Ensure the secure, paperless exchange of information between home doctors and doctors' offices in the field of external use and laboratories.
The download number of health-promotion apps from App Stores is increasing every year. These so-called eHealth-Apps are for users a great chance to encourage their health status proactively but also to monitor this continuously. However, the resulting positive properties also entail risks. In particular, when users disclose (in addition to their personally identifiable information) some of their health-related data. Nowadays, general apps are more and more criticized in the media, especially the aspects of privacy and data security of user data are in focus [24,25]. The aim of this study is to analyze what risks may arise through the daily use of Android eHealth-Apps to user data. The security investigation focuses on three basic security relevant aspects.One topic here is the evaluation of required permissions by the providers as well as the transparency towards the users. Furthermore, the data storage of user data will be analyzed, in particular the readability of the stored data in the database and in generated text files. The third critical focus of this study is the monitoring of the data traffic. The background traffic will be checked, i.e. on possible hidden advertising companies, on encrypted or unencrypted communication protocols and on responding provider server.