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Tag: feasibility
12/13/2021

Feasibility and acceptability of a technology-based, rural weight management intervention in older adults with obesity

Batsis JA, Petersen CL, Clark MM, et al. (2021). Feasibility and acceptability of a technology-based, rural weight management intervention in older adults with obesity. BMC Geriatr 21, 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01978-x

Researchers evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of technology-based health promotion program among 53 older adults (at least 65 years old) living in rural New England with body mass index of at least 30kg/m2 Participants were enrolled in a 26-week program that consisted of video-conference nutrition and exercise sessions and Fitbit device monitoring. A Samsung tablet and detailed instructions to connect to Wi-Fi was provided for each participant. A Fitbit with user instructions was also provided for each participant. A registered dietitian nutritionist delivered 18 individual 30-minute sessions centered on nutrition and 7 1-hour group sessions on caloric intake, vitamin D, and protein intake. Weekly food records and attendance were collected. A trained physical therapist also conducted 75-minute, twice-a-week video conference group sessions that focused on exercise. Exercise sessions included resistance, flexibility, and balance training. Participants were encouraged to complete 150 minutes per week of moderately intense aerobic walking outside of the sessions. Feasibility, acceptability, and health outcomes were assessed at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 months. Participants reported a high overall satisfaction of the program and the Fitbit. The Fitbit was worn by participants for on average 81.7% of the intervention time. Completed participants observed a mean of 4.6kg loss of weight. The researchers found improvement in physical functioning test outcomes and subjective measures of late-life physical functioning. The researchers concluded that a technology-based obesity intervention is feasible and acceptable for older adults living in rural areas and can lead to weight loss and better physical functioning.

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11/22/2021

A smoking cessation app for nondaily smokers (version 2 of the Smiling Instead of Smoking app): Acceptability and feasibility study

Hoeppner BB, Siegel KR, Carlon HA, Kahler CW, Park ER, Hoeppner SS. (2021). A smoking cessation app for nondaily smokers (version 2 of the Smiling Instead of Smoking app): Acceptability and feasibility study. JMIR Form Res. doi: 10.2196/29760

Researchers evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of version 2 of the Smiling Instead of Smoking app, a positive psychology intervention to help nondaily smokers quit. The study recruited 100 nondaily smokers to use the Smiling Instead of Smoking version 2 app for seven weeks during a quit attempt. The smartphone app provides daily positive psychology exercises and behavioral challenges every 2-3 days. The app also includes tools to track smoking behavior, summary graphs, reminders, note keeping and health information. The study tested feasibility and acceptability by analyzing participants’ interactions with the app, ratings of app usability and usefulness, and perceptions of the helpfulness of the app. Participants also self-reported their desire to smoke, self-efficacy, positive affect, and smoking status. On average, participants used the app for 24.7 out of 49 days. A majority of participants rated the app as easy to use and useful; 87% of participants said the app helped them to quit smoking and 82% said the app helped them to stay positive during the quit attempt. Large effects were observed in decreases in desire to smoke, importance of pros in smoking, and psychoactive benefits of smoking. Medium effects were found in remaining abstinent when met with internal and external cues. However, results indicated unexpected decreases in motivation to quit smoking and in perceived importance of the pros of quitting. Researchers concluded that the Smiling Instead of Smoking V2 was acceptable and feasible in promoting smoking cessation among nondaily smokers. Larger randomized controlled studies are needed.

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09/27/2021

Outcomes of a Health Informatics Technology-Supported Behavioral Activation Training for Care Managers in a Collaborative Care Program

Bauer, AM, Jakupcak, M, Hawrilenko, M, Bechtel, J, Arao, R, & Fortney, JC (2021). Outcomes of a health informatics technology-supported behavioral activation training for care managers in a collaborative care program. Families, Systems, & Health, 39(1), 89–100. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000523

This study tested a remote technology-based training for 34 care managers in 12 rural federally qualified health centers in 3 states to deliver behavioral activation with patients who had posttraumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder. The training included self-directed readings, videos, virtual meetings for role-plays and skill assessment, an electronic checklist, and group virtual collaboratives. For every encounter that included behavioral activation, the care manager completed an online checklist to indicate which of the 10 skills were delivered. The trained care managers reported delivering behavioral activation for a total of 4632 sessions with 455 patients. The study evaluated the implementation outcomes of patient reach and care manager skill adoption. Findings showed care managers engaged 88% of patients in behavioral activation and 57% of patients received the minimum course (at least 4 sessions) On average, patients received 5.9 skills per session during treatment. Care managers significantly increased the range of skills the reported using over time. Overall, the training program was feasible for community-based providers and minimized the training time burden to a one-time experience . The technology-based behavioral activation training facilitated care managers to deliver therapy to hundreds of patients in underserved rural settings.

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09/13/2021

Telephone-based depression self-management in Hispanic adults with epilepsy: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Spruill TM, Friedman D, Diaz L, Butler MJ, Goldfeld KS, O’Kula S, Montesdeoca J, Payano L, Shallcross AJ, Kaur K, Tau M, Vazquez B, Jongeling A, Ogedegbe G, Devinsky O. (2021). Telephone-based depression self-management in Hispanic adults with epilepsy: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 11(7), 1451–1460. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibab045

Project UPLIFT, a telephone-based depression self-management program, was developed for Hispanic adults with epilepsy. A study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of culturally adapted UPLIFT for the Hispanic community. Hispanic patients with elevated depressive symptoms were recruited from epilepsy clinics in New York City and randomly assigned to UPLIFT or usual care (i.e., receiving educational materials on epilepsy self-management). UPLIFT was delivered in English or Spanish to small groups in eight weekly telephone sessions. The researchers measured feasibility through recruitment, retention, and adherence rates. Accessibility was assessed through self-reported satisfaction questionnaires. Recruitment (76% consent rate) and retention rates (86-93%) were high at 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months follow-ups. Satisfaction ratings among 96% of UPLIFT participants were “mostly or very satisfied”, but rates of long-term use at 12 months post-intervention were low. Rates of clinically significant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score of 5 and over) were lower in the UPLIFT arm compared to the usual care arm at 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. The findings suggested that UPLIFT is feasible and acceptable among Hispanic adults with epilepsy and is effective for lowering depression scores.

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09/06/2021

The use of eHealth interventions among persons experiencing homelessness: A systematic review

Polillo A, Gran-Ruaz S, Sylvestre J, Kerman N. (2021). The use of eHealth interventions among persons experiencing homelessness: A systematic review. Digital Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055207620987066

A systematic review was conducted to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of eHealth interventions for homeless populations, and the experiences of homeless population representatives with these digital interventions. Eight articles met the eligibility criteria from the review. All articles were pilot or feasibility studies that used short message service, mobile apps, computers, email, and/or websites, to deliver the interventions. Studies had primarily qualitative or quasi-experimental designs; there was only one randomized-controlled trial. Participants expressed that the accessibility, flexibility, and convenience of interventions are beneficial. However, participants viewed phone retention, limited adaptability, high level of human involvement, and preference for in-person communication as barriers to eHealth interventions. Overall, eHealth interventions have the potential to improve access to care and service delivery because they are feasible and usable for the homeless population. However, there are a number of barriers to adoption and use of these interventions by homeless individuals that need to be considered in designing and implementing eHealth interventions.

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07/26/2021

Smoking cessation avatar-led Acceptance and Commitment Therapy digital intervention: Feasibility and acceptability in young adults

Karekla M, Savvides SN. (2021). Smoking cessation avatar-led Acceptance and Commitment Therapy digital intervention: Feasibility and acceptability in young adults. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 11(1), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz128

A study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an avatar-led digital intervention for smoking cessation in youth. The six-session intervention is based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The program used avatars as interactive digital characters serving as coaches. Forty-nine participants ages 18-28 years who reported to be regular smokers with Internet access were recruited at three universities in Cyprus. The intervention included six 25-minute sessions covering topics such as external and internal triggers to smoking, present-moment awareness, mindfulness, and relapse prevention. Participants were instructed to space out the sessions at least three days in between each session. At the end of each session, the study collected participants’ satisfaction with the treatment session and perceived helpfulness for quitting. Participants were also asked open-ended questions to gather feedback and suggestions for improvement. After the end of the intervention period, participants completed assessment questionnaires of satisfaction and feedback (0=not at all satisfied to 10=very satisfied). Overall, participants reported that the program was satisfactory, useful, and motivating. Participants’ open-ended comments indicated the intervention videos, games, and metaphors were positively received more than the graphics and avatars. Participants’ recommendations included modifications for more reality-based user experiences and more avatar interactivity. Findings indicate that the avatar-led digital ACT intervention was acceptable and satisfactory for smoking cessation among young adults.

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07/12/2021

Is telemedicine the answer to rural expansion of medication treatment for opioid use disorder? Early experiences in the feasibility study phase of a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network Trial

Hser, YI., Ober, A.J., Dopp, A.R. et al. Is telemedicine the answer to rural expansion of medication treatment for opioid use disorder? Early experiences in the feasibility study phase of a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network Trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract 16, 24 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-021-00233-x

A randomized controlled trial aims to test the implementation and effectiveness of adding telemedicine-based medication treatment for opioid use disorder in rural primary care. In preparation, researchers conducted a feasibility study to develop and pilot test implementation procedures. The researchers shared the challenges and lessons learned from the first two months of the six-month feasibility study. During the first two months, the study team visited and recruited potential study clinics. With the selected clinics, regular quality assurance meetings were conducted with different staff members, care coordinator assigned to facilitate the study and information technology staff. The study also partnered with a telemedicine vendor to work with clinics on referrals and provide services as needed. 7 rural primary care centers in Maine, Washington, and Idaho participated in the feasibility study. The clinics completed all training on study protocols, data safety, ethics and preparation tasks in eight months. The study identified many challenges, including low rates of identification of new patients with opioid use disorder through screening, low rates of referral to telemedicine, internet access issues, and insurance coverage.

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04/19/2021

StopWatch: Pilot study for an Apple Watch application for youth with ADHD

Leikauf JE, Correa C, Bueno AN, Sempere VP, Williams LM. (2021). StopWatch: Pilot study for an Apple Watch application for youth with ADHD. DIGITAL HEALTH. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076211001215

A study was conducted to test an application developed for a wearable device as a non-pharmacologic approach for managing attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in young people. StopWatch collects movement data and provides gentle haptic feedback, technology that uses touch sensory experiences such as vibrations and motions, to nudge users to attend to symptoms. During periods of intentional focus, the StopWatch gives haptic feedback about users’ movements. The application (StopWatch) was evaluated in a six-week pilot to assess feasibility of use of the app. Thirty-two young persons (ages 8 to 17 years old) with ADHD diagnosis and an iPhone were recruited. Assessments were administered weekly during the pilot study and most participants completed at least two assessment timepoints. Results indicated significant improvements in parent-rated youth ADHD symptoms over time. Qualitative feedback about the app was collected from participants and their parents. Users recommended improving the visual tracking feature and ability for users to adjust the movement threshold for haptic feedback. Feasibility outcomes supported favorable potential for wearable applications for targeting ADHD symptoms.

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01/17/2020

Assessing mobile health feasibility and acceptability among HIV-infected cocaine users and their healthcare providers: Guidance for implementing an intervention

Brown S, Krishnan A, Ranjit Y, Marcus R, Altice F. (2019). Assessing mobile health feasibility and acceptability among HIV-infected cocaine users and their healthcare providers: guidance for implementing an intervention. mHealth. 6: 4. doi: 10.21037/mhealth.2019.09.12

Researchers recruited people with HIV (PWH) aged 18 or older who had used cocaine in the past 30 days (n = 20) and their healthcare providers (physicians, healthcare workers, and substance use counselors) (n = 8), through flyers, treatment clinics, a mobile medical unit, support groups, and emails to members of the New England AIDS Education and Training Center, to participate in 5 patient focus groups and 3 provider focus groups between November 2016 and February 2017 to assess the feasibility and acceptability of mobile health (mHealth) in PWH who use cocaine. Read More

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