title: Incentives to create and sustain healthy behaviors: technology solutions and research needs.
abstract: Health-related technology, its relevance, and its availability are rapidly evolving. Technology offers great potential to minimize and/or mitigate barriers associated with achieving optimal health, performance, and readiness. In support of the U.S. Army Surgeon General's vision for a "System for Health" and its Performance Triad initiative, the U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center hosted a workshop in April 2013 titled "Incentives to Create and Sustain Change for Health." Members of government and academia participated to identify and define the opportunities, gain clarity in leading practices and research gaps, and articulate the characteristics of future technology solutions to create and sustain real change in the health of individuals, the Army, and the nation. The key factors discussed included (1) public health messaging, (2) changing health habits and the environmental influence on health, (3) goal setting and tracking, (4) the role of incentives in behavior change intervention, and (5) the role of peer and social networks in change. This report summarizes the recommendations on how technology solutions could be employed to leverage evidence-based best practices and identifies gaps in research where further investigation is needed.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702.
authors.forename: Deydre S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Teyhen
authors.affiliation: Booz Allen Hamilton, One Preserve Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aldag
authors.affiliation: Network Science Institute, Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: Damon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Centola
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702.
authors.forename: Elton
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Edinborough
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702.
authors.forename: Jason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ghannadian
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haught
authors.affiliation: Army Institute of Public Health, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD 21010.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: National Center for Telehealth & Technology, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma, Washington, DC 98431.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kinn
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kunkler
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: Booz Allen Hamilton, 1990 Founders Drive, Dayton, OH 45420-4024.
authors.forename: Valerie E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Martindale
authors.affiliation: Empirica Research, 2985 Jackson Avenue, Miami, FL 33133.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, Center for Health Intervention & Prevention, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1248.
authors.forename: Leslie B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Community Systems, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
authors.forename: Mindi A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Styn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia Health System, Box 801075, Charlottesville, VA 22908-1075.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thorndike
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trabosh
authors.affiliation: Office of the Surgeon General, 7700 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA 22042.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Parramore
mesh_terms: D003226:Congresses as Topic; D006040:Goals; D006184:Habits; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D060756:Social Networking; D013672:Technology; D060145:Text Messaging; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs