title: Mobile health devices: will patients actually use them?
abstract: Although mobile health (mHealth) devices offer a unique opportunity to capture patient health data remotely, it is unclear whether patients will consistently use multiple devices simultaneously and/or if chronic disease affects adherence. Three healthy and three chronically ill participants were recruited to provide data on 11 health indicators via four devices and a diet app. The healthy participants averaged overall weekly use of 76%, compared to 16% for those with chronic illnesses. Device adherence declined across all participants during the study. Patients with chronic illnesses, with arguably the most to benefit from advanced (or increased) monitoring, may be less likely to adopt and use these devices compared to healthy individuals. Results suggest device fatigue may be a significant problem. Use of mobile technologies may have the potential to transform care delivery across populations and within individuals over time. However, devices may need to be tailored to meet the specific patient needs.
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC, USA; ryan.shaw@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA;
authors.forename: Dori M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA;
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bonnet
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA;
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Modarai
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA;
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC, USA;
authors.forename: Traven
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Markedia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA;
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahsahebi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Grambow
authors.affiliation: Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA;
authors.forename: Gary G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham NC, USA.
authors.forename: Hayden B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Bosworth
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012648:Self Care; D000073278:Self-Management; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: data collection; health apps; health promotion; informatics; mHealth; mobile health; self-monitoring