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Summarizing current news and empirical literature related to digital health technologies
Eye on Innovation

Summarizing current news and empirical literature related to digital health technologies

The field of behavioral health and technology moves at a rapid pace. CTBH follows news and empirical publications and compiles references to and synopses of pieces describing cutting edge applications of technology in behavioral health.
Eye on Innovation
01/31/2023

PTSD Study Uses Precision Medicine Tech from AiCure

Article Excerpt: AiCure’s AI-powered digital biomarker solution enables remote detection of subtle changes in a patient’s health status and response to treatment by capturing audio and visual data between clinic visits. Accessed through AiCure’s Patient Connect application, patients use their smartphone’s front-facing camera to complete brief assessments. AiCure’s algorithm then analyzes behavior, such as emotional expressivity, physical movement and speech patterns. By frequently aggregating these sensitive, objective insights, AiCure empowers pharmaceutical companies to improve their understanding of the disease and treatment side effects, elevating the integrity of their trial data, and optimizing patient outcomes.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/yystxpws

Article Source: Applied Clinical Trials

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
01/29/2023

With Digital Therapeutics, You Can Design Your Health

Article Excerpt: Digital health has emerged as a go-to-by thing during the last decade thanks to smart phones, mobile applications, wearable devices, cloud-based data platforms, social media platforms, and the like. The result is, that unlike the past, today’s patients… now have the freedom to participate in their own treatment decisions.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/4w8dfxhz

Article Source: ETHealthworld

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ;
01/26/2023

Geisel Launches New Center for Implementation Science

Article Excerpt: Despite the many advances made in academic medicine in recent decades, successfully applying what is learned in research to patient care remains a major challenge. For example, it takes, on average, 17 years for research to reach clinical practice. And most evidence-based guidelines are adopted only about 25 percent of the time. With the establishment of the new Dartmouth Center for Implementation Science (DCIS) at the Geisel School of Medicine, community partners across the Dartmouth enterprise will work to help close those gaps. “Implementation science is an emerging area of multidisciplinary research that focuses on moving scientific evidence into routine practice,” explains Jeremiah Brown, PhD, a professor of epidemiology at Geisel and founding director of DCIS. In addition to Brown, the DCIS leadership team includes co-directors Sarah Lord, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and biomedical data science, Kelly Aschbrenner, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and principal scientist at Dartmouth Health, and program manager Sherry Owens, PhD. Genevieve Shaefer ’26, the first Women In Science Project (WISP) intern for DCIS, will be working with the team on campus engagement and training.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/mhxzk79r

Article Source: Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine News

Posted in: Dissemination & Implementation // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ;
01/25/2023

NCI-Funded Centers Study New Ways to Apply Telehealth Across Cancer Care

Article Excerpt: …with the initial urgency of the pandemic in the past, public health agencies including NCI are examining ways to maximize the benefits of telehealth, from cancer screening to survivorship. NCI’s former director, Norman “Ned” Sharpless, MD, inspired agency officials to undertake a widespread effort to accelerate and optimize use of telehealth, (Robin C.) Vanderpool (chief of the health communication and informatics research branch in the division of cancer control and population sciences at NCI) said. “Dr. Sharpless came to our division and said, ‘We need take advantage of this one silver lining coming out of the pandemic.’” she said. “‘We need to understand what’s happening in the cancer space with telehealth.’”

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/4r8h2yyu

Article Source: Healio

Posted in: Emerging Technologies, Methodologies & Analytics // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ;
01/23/2023

Are Wearables Helpful for Dying Patients?

Article Excerpt: A 2019 study found that health tech wearables may improve the outpatient monitoring of cancer patients. The device could detect a decline in a patient’s condition and send the data to a doctor, catching the issue much earlier than the typical trip to the emergency department. This early catch supports patient comfort and reduces costly readmissions for the patient and the health system. Data collection could also improve telehealth visits by recording vital signs and other assessment data before or during appointments.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/ycyhh49h

Article Source: Health News

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ;

Extra Belly Fat at Midlife May Increase Risk of Disability Later in Life

Article Excerpt: Scientists in Norway looked at data from about 4,500 people age 45 or older at the study’s start for an average of 21 years, and discovered that individuals who had a high waist circumference measurement at the beginning were twice as likely to be frail or pre-frail (meaning at high risk of becoming frail) than people who started out with a normal waist size…. John Batsis, MD, an associate professor of geriatric medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill also not involved with the new study, says excess belly fat can contribute to frailty. “Visceral fat promotes inflammation, which then has more widespread effects on other organs and one’s physiology — including muscle and changes in body composition, important alterations in skeletal muscle mass and strength. [These effects] often lead to frailty and mobility disability,” he says.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/284m2uck

Article Source: Everyday Health

Posted in: Epidemiology // Tagged: ; ; ;
01/17/2023

Clinical Trial to Test Wearable Device as Treatment for Chronic Pain, Opioid Withdrawal

Article Excerpt: A multi-year clinical trial at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will examine the use of a wearable device thought to stimulate nerves near the ear to change signals in the brain as a treatment for chronic pain and opioid tapering. The trial, known as tANdem, is being funded by an $8.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and is designed to provide an understanding of the mechanistic, neurophysiological and antinociceptive effects of transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN), which has been shown to reduce pain and the symptoms of withdrawal.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/4d266t22

Article Source: Investors Observer

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ;
01/11/2023

The Use of Technology-Assisted Methods in Therapy and Psychological Treatments

Article Excerpt: Over the last few decades, technology in fields like healthcare and psychology has been advancing rapidly. Wherever one looks, technological advancements can be seen improving both diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of mental health issues. From cognitive behavioral therapy to virtual reality simulations, computer-assisted methods have helped clinicians deliver evidence-based treatments that allow patients to make real changes more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Within this article we will explore some of the most commonly used technology-assisted methods within therapeutic practice today, looking at how they are being implemented into current psychological treatments along with the associated benefits they bring.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/nhh3fb24

Article Source: HealthTechZone

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ;
01/10/2023

Challenges in Recruiting University Students for Web-Based Indicated Prevention of Depression and Anxiety: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial (ICare Prevent)

Bolinski F, Kleiboer A, Neijenhuijs K, Karyotaki E, Wiers R, de Koning L, Jacobi C, Zarski A, Weisel K, Cuijpers P, Riper H. Challenges in Recruiting University Students for Web-Based Indicated Prevention of Depression and Anxiety: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial (ICare Prevent). J Med Internet Res 2022;24(12):e40892. DOI: 10.2196/40892

This study described recruitment challenges for a transdiagnostic, web-based prevention program and presented initial analysis on the intervention’s effectiveness on depression and anxiety symptoms. The study was a 3-arm randomized controlled trial with students (at least 16 years old) with subclinical symptoms of depression and anxiety to compare individually guided and automatically guided versions of ICare Prevent versus care as usual. ICare Prevent is a web-based and mobile-supported intervention for prevention of depression and anxiety. ICare Prevent is a 7-session web-based program (45-60 minutes each) and participants were instructed to complete 1-2 sessions weekly. ICare Prevent also provides elective modules and diaries that target factors common to mood and anxiety problems (i.e., sleep, alcohol use, positive activities). The individually guided version provided structured and personalized feedback on exercises and the automatically guided version provided standard and computerized feedback after each session. The study’s original recruitment goal was 252 student participants. Various strategies of recruitment were used, including social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, printed advertising at universities, paid participant platform, and other collaborations. Direct recruitment using students’ email addresses via the student administration was the most effective strategy. Despite these strategies, data was available for only 35 participants (individually guided: n=14, automatically guided: n=8, care as usual: n=13). Participants provided self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Log data from the intervention platform showed low usage, with an average of 3 out of 7 sessions completed. Results did not show sufficient evidence of intervention effects on depression and anxiety over time in any intervention arm. Overall, recruitment for this population was challenging and more research is needed to identify factors to better engage college students in research studies.

Posted in: Cutting Edge Literature // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ;