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Abstract
BackgroundAlthough complications of obesity are well acknowledged and managed by clinicians, management of obesity itself is often difficult, which leads to its underdiagnosis and undertreatment in hospital settings. However, tools that could improve the management of obesity, including self-monitoring, engagement with a social network, and open channels of communication between the patient and doctor, are limited in a clinic-based setting.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a newly developed mobile app linked with an accelerometer and its early effects on patient-doctor relationships.MethodsFrom September 2013 to February 2014, we developed a mobile app linked with an accelerometer as a supportive tool for a clinic-based weight loss program. The app used information from electronic health records and delivered tailored educational material. Personal goal setting, as well as monitoring of weight changes and physical activity combined with feedback, are key features of the app. We also incorporated an interactive message board for patients and doctors. During the period of March 2014 to May 2014, we tested our mobile app for 1 month in participants in a hospital clinic setting. We assessed the app’s usability and acceptability, as well as the patient-doctor relationship, via questionnaires and analysis of app usage data.ResultsWe recruited 30 individuals (18 male and 12 female) for the study. The median number of log-ins per day was 1.21, with the most frequently requested item being setting goals, followed by track physical activities and view personal health status. Scales of the depth of the patient-doctor relationship decreased from 27.6 (SD 4.8) to 25.1 (SD 4.5) by a Wilcoxon signed rank test (P=.02).ConclusionsA mobile phone app linked with an accelerometer for a clinic-based weight loss program is useful and acceptable for weight management but exhibited less favorable early effects on patient-doctor relationships.
Highlights
In South Korea, management of obesity remains challenging within the current health care system [1,2] despite the existence of numerous guidelines [3,4,5] and effective treatments [6,7]
We developed a Web-based interface for the mobile app to provide obesity-related information based on electronic health records (EHRs) to provide patients with tailored content and assessment tools, as Figure 1 shows
2 participants used the mobile app for 1 month, they were unable to attend their 1-month follow-up visit
Summary
In South Korea, management of obesity remains challenging within the current health care system [1,2] despite the existence of numerous guidelines [3,4,5] and effective treatments [6,7]. Given obesity’s negative impact on premature death [9], socioeconomic costs [10,11,12], and quality of life [13], it is important to manage obesity in hospital settings via a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach with a comprehensive lifestyle program [3] that includes implementing a low-calorie diet, increasing physical activities through the use of behavioral strategies, and providing additional support from pharmacotherapy or surgical treatment in certain patients [14]. The tools required for self-monitoring and interactive feedback with clinicians are often limited in a clinic-based setting. Tools that could improve the management of obesity, including self-monitoring, engagement with a social network, and open channels of communication between the patient and doctor, are limited in a clinic-based setting
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