Mobile App for self management and consumer engagement

Project members

Dr Annie Lau - Senior Research Fellow

Project main description

The use of mobile apps for health and wellbeing has grown exponentially in recent years. Given the rapid spread of smart phone apps, it is increasingly difficult for consumers, health professionals, and researchers to find high quality apps.  In fact, many apps are downloaded and not opened again beyond the first use.

In this research, we seek to understand how patients and consumers use mobile apps across a range of healthcare conditions, and attempt to answer the question of why some apps are more useful than others. In collaboration with our research partners, the following studies examining the design and efficacy of mobile apps for self-management are currently underway:

• Gout (St Vincent’s Hospital, University of Sydney)
• Cardiovascular risk assessment (University of Sydney)
• Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Royal Hospital for Women, University of New South Wales)
• Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (Macquarie University)
• Obesity and lifestyle modification (Macquarie University)
• Prostate cancer (Macquarie University)
• Lymphoedema (Macquarie University)
• Orthopaedics (Macquarie University)

References

1. Biederer M, Arguel A, Liu J, Lau AYS. From web-based to mobile: experience of developing a personal health management system. electronic Journal of Health Informatics (eJHI). 2014;8(1):e9.
2. Norberg MM, Rooke SE, Albertella L, Copeland J, Kavanagh DJ, Lau AYS. The First mHealth App for Managing Cannabis Use: Gauging its Potential Helpfulness. Journal of Addictive Behaviors, Therapy & Rehabilitation. 2013;DOI:10.4172/2324-9005.S1-001

Project sponsors

• NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in eHealth
• Macquarie University

Collaborative partners

• St Vincent’s Hospital, University of Sydney
• Royal Hospital for Women, University of New South Wales
• Macquarie University Hospital

Related projects

Personal Health Management System (Healthy.me)

Project status

Current

Centres related to this project

Centre for Health Informatics