Health Portrait Research Articles

Precise Implementation of Mental Health Thinking Measures in Universities Based on Student Portrait Analysis

School learners are the future of the motherland and the hope of the nation, and the level of mental health of school learners directly affects the achievement of moral education and the realization of the goal of moral education. The requirement of cultivating “self-esteem and self-confidence, rational and calm, and positive social mentality” provides guidance for the construction of mind fitness educating courses for school learners. At present, the research on the portrait technology for students in colleges and universities has been carried out one after another, and through the data mining of the informationized campus, the applications such as early warning of students' academic situation, dynamic detection of students' thoughts, and improvement of library lending service have been realized to better promote the management and service of students. The system can help students and teachers to make the mental health portrait model. This system can help students and teachers to analyze students' mental health problems more visually and improve the efficiency.

Correction to: Construction and analysis of students’ physical health portrait based on principal component analysis improved Canopy-K-means algorithm

Correction to: Construction and analysis of students’ physical health portrait based on principal component analysis improved Canopy-K-means algorithm

A tool to assist rheumatologists to engage their lupus patients: the Purple Butterfly.

Translating the highly technical medical jargon of SLE into understandable concepts for patients, their families and individuals without expertise in SLE is a serious challenge. To facilitate communication and enable self-management in SLE, we aimed to create an innovative visual tool, the Purple Butterfly. We selected clinically representative criteria for SLE and transposed them as graphical features in an attractive and meaningful visual. We developed a script in R programming language that automatically transposes clinical data into this visualization. We asked SLE patients from a local cohort about the relevance, usefulness and acceptability of this visual tool in an online pilot survey. The innovative Purple Butterfly features 11 key clinical criteria: age; sex; organ damage; disease activity; comorbidities; use of antimalarials, prednisone, immunosuppressants and biologics; and patient-reported physical and mental health-related quality of life. Each Purple Butterfly provides the health portrait of one SLE patient at one medical visit, and the automatic compilation of the butterflies can illustrate a patient's clinical journey over time. All survey participants agreed that they would like to use the Purple Butterfly to visualize the course of their SLE over time, and 9 of 10 agreed it should be used during their medical consultations. The Purple Butterfly nurtures effective doctor-patient communication by providing concise visual summaries of lupus patients' health conditions. We believe the Purple Butterfly has the potential to empower patients to take charge of their condition, enhance healthcare coordination and raise awareness about SLE.

Construction and analysis of students’ physical health portrait based on principal component analysis improved Canopy-K-means algorithm

Construction and analysis of students’ physical health portrait based on principal component analysis improved Canopy-K-means algorithm

My Family Health Portrait

My Family Health Portrait is a tool from the United States Surgeon General to assist users with creating a family health history. This tool allows users to learn about health risks that reappear in families and can be taken to health care providers to assist with diagnoses and treatments. This tool was developed by the National Institutes of Health and is maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Utilizing the My Family Health Portrait can encourage people to stay healthy by being aware of their family health history.

An Integration Hub of Exercise and Medical Care – Mobile Health Application's Service Construction and Regulations Navigation in "Health China"

Exercise mobile health application (mhAPP) is the integration hub of exercise and medical care, a new health management tool. It can facilitate the monitoring of some physiological health indicators of the human body during exercise/quiet state, collect information on exercise and diet behavior, and even medical history, and quickly generate a "health portrait" of a group or an individual, which is of great significance for China's big health services. Based on China's market service demand, data exchange theory, Internet information security law, APP industry decree and regulation, and borrowing from the U.S. APP information management system, this study constructs a theoretical model of China's big health service system with mhAPP as data source, government-regulated cloud platform as data manager, and hospitals, CDCs, shopping malls, restaurants and other organizations as third-party data users, and designed ordinances and regulations to support its operation.

Utility of a virtual counselor (VICKY) to collect family health histories among vulnerable patient populations: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesThis study is a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of a virtual counselor (VICKY) to the My Family Health Portrait (MFHP) tool for collecting family health history (FHx). MethodsA total of 279 participants were recruited from a large safety-net hospital and block randomized by health literacy to use one of the digital FHx tools, followed by a genetic counselor interview. A final sample of 273 participants were included for analyses of primary study aims pertaining to tool concordance, which assessed agreement between tool and genetic counselor. ResultsTool completion differed significantly between tools (VICKY = 97%, MFHP = 51%; p < .0001). Concordance between tool and genetic counselor was significantly greater for participants randomized to VICKY compared to MFHP for ascertaining first- and second-degree relatives (ps<.0001), and most health conditions examined. There was significant interaction by health literacy, with greater differences in concordance observed between tools among those with limited literacy. ConclusionsA virtual counselor overcomes many of the literacy-related barriers to using traditional digital tools and highlights an approach that may be important to consider when collecting health histories from vulnerable populations. Practice implicationsThe usability of digital health history tools will have important implications for the quality of the data collected and its downstream clinical utility.

Disparities amidst plenty: a health portrait of Indigenous peoples in circumpolar regions

ABSTRACT This paper describes the extent and variation in health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people within Alaska, Greenland and the northern regions of Canada, Russia and the Nordic countries. We accessed official health statistics and reviewed research studies. We selected a few indicators of health status, health determinants and health care to demonstrate the health disparities that exist. For a large number of health indicators Indigenous people fare worse than non-Indigenous people in the same region or nationally, with the exception of the Sami in the Nordic countries whose health profiles are similar to their non-Sami neighbours. That we were unable to produce a uniform set of indicators applicable to all regions is indicative of the large knowledge gaps that exist. The need for ongoing health monitoring for Indigenous people is most acute for the Sami and Russia, less so for Canada, and least for Alaska, where health data specific to Alaska Natives are generally available. It is difficult to produce an overarching explanatory model for health disparities that is applicable to all regions. We need to seek explanation in the broader political, cultural and societal contexts within which Indigenous people live in their respective regions.

Applying theory to characterize impediments to dissemination of community-facing family health history tools: a review of the literature.

Uptake of community-facing family health history (FHH) tools to identify those at highest risk of disease and target prevention efforts has been consistently low. This review uses the diffusion of innovations (DOI) as a framework to organize the FHH evidence base and identify potential strategies to improve uptake of community-facing FHH tools. Methods for this literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. We completed systematic searches in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for studies from 2009 to 2017 and hand searched bibliographies of relevant literature to identify additional articles. We abstracted and synthesized results, which were then organized by the DOI including the innovation-decision making process and characteristics of the innovation likely to influence diffusion (e.g., compatibility, relative advantage, complexity, trialability, observa/bility). Of the 290 unique articles identified, 65 were eligible for full-text review after title and abstract screening; a total of 27 were included in the final abstraction. Eleven unique tools were identified. The most commonly used tool was the Surgeon General's My Family Health Portrait (n =9/27). Only six studies directly evaluated participant perceptions shown to be associated with tool uptake. Studies tended to focus on improving compatibility by customizing tools to the target population's needs and use of educational interventions. Results from this review suggest the need to evaluate strategies to increase the pace of uptake of community-facing FHH tools. These include pragmatic trials that compare different approaches to engage and evaluate participant perceptions of the relative advantage and complexity of tools. Ancillary support strategies may include collaborations with community networks to facilitate use and implementation study designs for rigorous evaluation.

Obtaining a Genetic Family History Using Computer-Based Tools.

Family health history has long been known to be a powerful predictor of individual disease risk. It can be obtained prior to DNA sequencing in order to examine inheritance patterns, to be used as a proxy for genetic information, or as a tool to guide decision-making on the utility of diagnostic genetic testing. Increasingly, it is also being obtained retrospectively from sequenced individuals to examine familial disease penetrance and to identify at-risk relatives for cascade testing. The collection of adequate family history information to screen patients for disease risk and guide decision-making is a time-consuming process that is difficult to accomplish exclusively through discussion between patients and their providers. Engaging individuals and families in data collection and data entry has the potential to improve data accuracy through re-iterative review with family members and health care providers, and to empower patients in their healthcare. In addition, electronic datasets can be shared amongst relatives and stored in electronic health records or personal files, enabling portability of family history information. The U.S. Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and others have developed tools for electronic family history collection to help families and providers obtain this useful information in an efficient manner. This unit describes the utility of the web-based My Family Health Portrait (https://familyhistory.hhs.gov) as the prototype for patient-entered family history. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

An Investigation of the Usability Issues of a Family Health History Compiling Application

Family health history is considered a useful indicator for early detection or prediction of an individual’s risk for chronic diseases. There are several ways to collect these data, one of which is through online tools. Usability of these applications is vital since they have to serve a diverse user population including different age groups and levels of education. This study investigated the usability issues of a widely used computer-based family history collection tool, the Surgeon General's My Family Health Portrait. A total of 20 participants completed the experimental study. Based on a pre-defined and fictional script, the users completed 5 tasks on the application: 1) creating a user profile, 2) adding family health history, 3) re-accessing the application, 4) editing the information, and 5) sharing the information. Participants reported issues in getting back to the home page (opening screen) and with the excessive number of written instructions on the screen.

Time to rethink the capture and use of family history in primary care.

Since Hippocrates, doctors have recognised the value of family history.1 It is less clear how GPs should use this information now that gene sequencing and electronic medical records are redefining what is possible. In rare genetic diseases, family history highlights important risks but shared ethnicity, culture, diet, and environment mean that family history is also a risk factor for many common conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia. The UK’s relatively poor outcomes in cancer, for example, have been partly attributed to reluctance by primary care physicians to investigate possible cancer.2 Genetic clinics require patients to be identified in primary care before a referral is made, and GPs could make significant use of family history to do this. In the US, every Thanksgiving Day since 2004 has been declared a ‘National Family History Day’ with promotion of My Family Health Portrait (https://familyhistory.hhs.gov), an online tool for families to record their relationships and relevant diseases.3 Such patient-led tools can link to online resources such as Microsoft HealthVault but not to clinical systems, at least not yet. Rubin et al presented a model in the BJGP to improve early diagnosis from referral to treatment.2 In this Debate and Analysis we argue for an earlier step — linking patient-led online family pedigree tools with primary care electronic health records to inform early risk assessment, lifestyle choices, and diagnostic screening instead of waiting for patients to present with signs of illness. Patients often present to discuss their genetic risk following a family gathering (Christmas, weddings, or funerals) where information about a …

Evidence for Health I: Producing evidence for improving health and reducing inequities.

In an ideal world, researchers and decision-makers would be involved from the outset in co-producing evidence, with local health needs assessments informing the research agenda and research evidence informing the actions taken to improve health. The first step in improving the health of individuals and populations is therefore gaining a better understanding of what the main health problems are, and of these, which are the most urgent priorities by using both quantitative data to develop a health portrait and qualitative data to better understand why the local population thinks that addressing certain health challenges should be prioritized in their context. Understanding the causes of these health problems often involves analytical research, such as case-control and cohort studies, or qualitative studies to better understand how more complex exposures lead to specific health problems (e.g. by interviewing local teenagers discovering that watching teachers smoke in the school yard, peer pressure, and media influence smoking initiation among youth). Such research helps to develop a logic model to better map out the proximal and distal causes of poor health and to determine potential pathways for intervening and impacting health outcomes. Rarely is there a single ‘cure’ or stand-alone intervention, but rather, a continuum of strategies are needed from diagnosis and treatment of patients already affected, to disease prevention, health promotion and addressing the upstream social determinants of health. Research for developing and testing more upstream interventions must often go beyond randomized controlled trials, which are expensive, less amenable to more complex interventions, and can be associated with certain ethical challenges. Indeed, a much neglected area of the research cycle is implementation and evaluation research, which often involves quasi-experimental research study designs as well as qualitative research, to better understand how to derive the greatest benefit from existing interventions and ways of maximizing health improvements in specific local contexts. There is therefore a need to alter current incentive structures within the research enterprise to place greater emphasis on implementation and evaluation research conducted in collaboration with knowledge users who are in a position to use the findings in practice to improve health.

A Health Literacy Program Using Family Health History for Young Black Rural Students: Implications for Reducing Health Disparities.

This report from the field introduces use of the U.S. Surgeon General's Family Health Portrait in an African American rural middle school population in Alabama. It is believed that use of this online tool in this population could serve as a model for addressing chronic health disparities between African Americans and Whites at an earlier age.

Acceptability and feasibility of a virtual counselor (VICKY) to collect family health histories.

To overcome literacy-related barriers in the collection of electronic family health histories, we developed an animated Virtual Counselor for Knowing your Family History, or VICKY. This study examined the acceptability and accuracy of using VICKY to collect family histories from underserved patients as compared with My Family Health Portrait (MFHP). Participants were recruited from a patient registry at a safety net hospital and randomized to use either VICKY or MFHP. Accuracy was determined by comparing tool-collected histories with those obtained by a genetic counselor. A total of 70 participants completed this study. Participants rated VICKY as easy to use (91%) and easy to follow (92%), would recommend VICKY to others (83%), and were highly satisfied (77%). VICKY identified 86% of first-degree relatives and 42% of second-degree relatives; combined accuracy was 55%. As compared with MFHP, VICKY identified a greater number of health conditions overall (49% with VICKY vs. 31% with MFHP; incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.59; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.13-2.25; P = 0.008), in particular, hypertension (47 vs. 15%; IRR: 3.18; 95% CI: 1.66-6.10; P = 0.001) and type 2 diabetes (54 vs. 22%; IRR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.33-4.60; P = 0.004). These results demonstrate that technological support for documenting family history risks can be highly accepted, feasible, and effective.

Preliminary validation of a consumer-oriented colorectal cancer risk assessment tool compatible with the US Surgeon General's My Family Health Portrait.

PurposeThis study examines the analytic validity of a software tool designed to provide individuals with risk assessments for colorectal cancer (CRC) based on personal health and family history information. The software is compatible with the U.S. Surgeon General’s My Family Health Portrait.MethodsAn algorithm for risk assessment was created using accepted colorectal risk assessment guidelines, and programmed into a software tool (MFHP). Risk assessments derived from 150 pedigrees using the MFHP tool were compared to “gold standard” risk assessments developed by three expert cancer genetic counselors (GCs).ResultsGenetic counselor risk assessments showed substantial, but not perfect, agreement. MFHP risk assessments for CRC cancer yielded a sensitivity for CRC risk of 81% (95% CI 54–96%) and specificity of 90% (95% CI 83–94%), respectively, when compared to GC pedigree review. The positive predictive values for risk for MFHP was 48% (95% CI 29–68%), while the negative predictive values was 98% (95% CI 93–99%). Agreement between MFHP and GC pedigree review was moderate (Kappa = 0.54)ConclusionsThe analytic validity of the MFHP CRC risk assessment software is similar to other types of screening tools used in primary care. Future investigations should explore the clinical validity and utility of the software in diverse population groups.

Perceptions of family history and genetic testing and feasibility of pedigree development among African Americans with hypertension.

Pedigree development, family history, and genetic testing are thought to be useful in improving outcomes of chronic illnesses such as hypertension (HTN). However, the clinical utility of pedigree development is still unknown. Further, little is known about the perceptions of African Americans (AAs) of family history and genetic testing. This study examined the feasibility of developing pedigrees for AAs with HTN and explored perceptions of family history and genetic research among AAs with HTN. The US Surgeon General's My Family Health Portrait was administered, and 30-60 min in-person individual interviews were conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze pedigree data. Interview transcripts were analyzed with content analysis and constant comparison. Twenty-nine AAs with HTN were recruited from one free clinic (15 women, 14 men; mean age 49 years, standard deviation (SD) 9.6). Twenty-six (90%) reported their family history in sufficient detail to develop a pedigree. Perceptions of family history included knowledge of HTN in the family, culturally influenced family teaching about HTN, and response to family history of HTN. Most participants agreed to future genetic testing and DNA collection because they wanted to help others; some said they needed more information and others expressed a concern for privacy. The majority of AAs in this sample possessed extensive knowledge of HTN within their family and were able to develop a three-generation pedigree with assistance. The majority were willing to participate in future genetic research.

Fragile States, Infectious Disease and Health Security: The Case for Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste is a very young and developing nation state. Endemic infectious disease and weakened health security coupled with its growing and inclusive public institutions keep Timor-Leste fragile and in transition on the spectrum of state stability. The objective here is to systematically review Timor-Leste's state and public health successes, showing how a fragile state can consistently improve its status on the continuum of stability and improve health security for the population. The case study follows a state case study approach, together with a disease burden review and a basic description of the health portrait in relation to Timor-Leste's fragile state status. Disease burden and health security are directly proportional to state stability and indirectly proportional to state failure. Timor-Leste is a clear example of how public health can feed into increased state stability. Our discussion attempts to describe how the weak and fragile island nation of Timor-Leste can continue on its current path of transition to state stability by increasing health security for its citizens. We surmise that this can be realized when public policy focuses on primary healthcare access, inclusive state institutions, basic hygiene and preventative vaccination programs. Based on our review, the core findings indicate that by increasing health security, a positive feedback loop of state stability follows. The use of Timor-Leste as a case study better describes the connection between public health and health security; and state stability, development and inclusive state institutions that promote health security.

Pilot Trial of an Electronic Family Medical History in US Faith-Based Communities

In spite of the acknowledged importance of collecting family health information, methods of collecting, organizing, and storage of pedigree data are not uniformly utilized in practice, though several electronic tools have been developed for the purpose. Using electronic tools to gather health information may empower individuals to take responsibility in managing their family health history. The purpose of this study was to describe the feasibility and outcomes of introducing small groups to the My Family Health Portrait tool in faith-based communities using faith community nurses (FCNs). This pilot project adopted a mixed methods approach to assess the potential of an educational intervention delivered by FCNs for increasing the use of electronic technologies for organizing and storing family health histories among the general public. Treatment and control groups were recruited from four faith-based communities in north Texas using a parallel-groups quasi-experimental design. Qualitative data were gleaned from field notes made by investigators interacting with FCNs and observing their teaching. A majority of respondents believed that knowing one's health history and passing it on to family and medical personnel is important. Those receiving face-to-face instruction on the electronic tool were significantly more likely to have written down family health information than the control group who received only an informational handout (χ(2) = 5.96, P = .015). Barriers to teaching about and using the electronic tool included FCNs' lack of facility with computers in the educational context and FCN and respondent mistrust of electronic storage for family health information.

Mothers’ Perceptions of Family Health History and an Online, Parent-Generated Family Health History Tool

Family health history (FHH) can identify families at increased risk for disease. Purpose. To learn mothers' (1) perceptions of the benefits of FHH and (2) willingness to complete a FHH tool, My Family Health Portrait (MFHP). Methods. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with mothers recruited through Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Deductive and inductive codes were developed. Results. A total of 25 mothers were interviewed. Perceived benefits included keeping the pediatrician informed (n = 12; 48%) and preventive screenings recommended based on FHH (n = 10; 40%). Participants had positive impressions of MFHP and felt that it was user-friendly (n = 17; 68%). Lack of FHH knowledge was the most common challenge to completing MFHP, but most respondents stated that they would be able to complete MFHP prior to their child's medical appointment (n = 23; 92%). Conclusion. Mothers are interested in and may be motivated to complete a parent-generated FHH prior to a pediatric appointment. Future research should focus on FHH implementation in practice.