Health Platform Research Articles

Insights from home parenteral nutrition infusion data

ObjectivePatients with chronic intestinal failure use home parenteral nutrition infusion support. Non-compliance of home parenteral nutrition treatment is well documented, especially if clinical resources are remote. Objective delivery data from Infusion Pump reports have the potential to support treatment progress and planning. The aim of this study was to report the efficacy and accuracy of the Eitan Insights digital health platform for home parenteral nutrition use (a platform providing data-driven insights from the pump-recorded data). MethodsA prospective, single-center observational study of 20 patients treated with home parenteral nutrition ≥3 d/wk was conducted over 2022. The patients recorded the pre- and postinfusion home parenteral nutrition bag weight, duration of infusion, and alarms. We compared manual records to the pump data. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. ResultsA total of 45 data sets were collected, with no adverse events noted. In multiple comparisons between patient factors and descriptive statistics, there was no significant difference between manually recorded and pump-recorded data for volume infused (mean values of manual versus pump were 1707 ± 362 mL and 1708 ± 405 mL; P = 0.939) and infusion duration (mean values of manual versus pump iwere 9h 43 min ± 2.48 SD versus 9h 45 min ± 2.41 SD; P = 0.858). ConclusionThe data collected by the digital platform accurately reflect patients’ infusion data. This connected device has the potential to allow clinicians to be more informed and assess treatment trends and proactive resource planning through the Infusion Pump data insights.

Development of a self-contained microfluidic chip and an internet-of-things-based point-of-care device for automated identification of respiratory viruses.

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted the in vitro diagnostic market, leading to the development of new technologies such as point-of-care testing (POCT), multiplex testing, and digital health platforms. In this study, we present a self-contained microfluidic chip integrated with an internet-of-things (IoT)-based point-of-care (POC) device for rapid and sensitive diagnosis of respiratory viruses. Our platform enables sample-to-answer diagnostics within 70 min by automating RNA extraction, reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), and fluorescence detection. The microfluidic chip is designed to store all the necessary reagents for the entire diagnostic assay, including a lysis buffer, a washing buffer, an elution buffer, and a lyophilized RT-LAMP cocktail. It can perform nucleic acid extraction, aliquoting, and gene amplification in multiple reaction chambers without cross-contamination. The IoT-based POC device consists of a Raspberry Pi 4 for device control and data processing, a CMOS sensor for measuring fluorescence signals, a resistive heater panel for temperature control, and solenoid valves for controlling the movement of on-chip reagent solutions. The proposed device is portable and features a touchscreen for user control and result display. We evaluated the performance of the platform using 11 clinical respiratory virus samples, including 5 SARS-CoV-2 samples, 2 influenza A samples, and 4 influenza B samples. All tested clinical samples were accurately identified with high specificity and fidelity, demonstrating the ability to simultaneously detect multiple respiratory viruses. The combination of the integrated microfluidic chip with the POC device offers a simple, cost-effective, and scalable solution for rapid molecular diagnosis of respiratory viruses in resource-limited settings.

Electronic patient-reported outcomes, fever management, and symptom prediction among patients with BRAF V600 mutant stage III–IV melanoma: The Kaiku Health platform

BackgroundThe Kaiku Health platform is an electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) system aimed at monitoring symptoms and quality of life (QoL) among cancer patients. ePRO systems allow timely interventions to symptoms, which has been shown to improve treatment adherence, QoL, and survival. We examined symptoms and QoL in stage III–IV melanoma patients using the Kaiku ePRO module. Additionally, we evaluated prediction of symptom onset or continuation using a machine learning (ML) model. MethodsPatients ≥18 years old with high-risk stage III (adjuvant) or unresectable/metastatic stage IV BRAF V600E/K–mutant melanoma treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination were included in a descriptive cohort study. Data on symptoms and QoL were collected through questionnaires in 2021–2022 using the digital Kaiku ePRO platform. ResultsAltogether, 44 patients were included. The weighted average for compliance with the symptom questionnaire was 73 %. The compliance with the QoL questionnaire was 77 % at the 1–3 months interval and 50 % at the 7–9 months interval. The most common symptoms were fatigue (85.4 %), headache (56.1 %), muscle/limb pain (56.1 %), skin changes (56.1 %), and cough (51.2 %). The median global health status was 66.7 at baseline and 75.0 at 3 months follow-up. ML-based prediction performance for nine symptoms (blurred vision, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, skin changes, fever, itching, diarrhoea, and lymphoedema) was good to excellent. ConclusionThe Kaiku ePRO platform was well-accepted and had high compliance, with both the symptom and QoL questionnaires. The ML algorithm accurately predicted the onset and continuity of nine symptoms.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence with Digital Health Platforms for Predictive Analytics to Enhance Patient Outcomes in Chronic Disease Management and Personalized Healthcare

Integrating Artificial Intelligence with Digital Health Platforms for Predictive Analytics to Enhance Patient Outcomes in Chronic Disease Management and Personalized Healthcare

Research on disease management of chronic disease patients based on digital therapeutics: A scoping review.

The prevalence of chronic diseases is rising annually due to the aging of the population, and these illnesses constitute a major cause of mortality. Digital therapeutics (DTx) is a promising solution for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. With the rapid advancement of information technology in recent years, software algorithms or applications based on clinical assessment, evidence, and technology can be used to directly provide digital medical interventions to patients to promote disease management. Digital therapeutics has been applied in the field of various diseases. The most significant application area among them is the management, treatment, and intervention of chronic illnesses. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of using digital therapeutics for the management of patients with chronic diseases. The scoping review framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley was applied to the process. Using the research method of scope review, the network retrieval of pertinent papers was conducted in eight databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and CNKI. The database was retrieved between the date of database creation and September 20, 2023. The "PCC" principle was used to determine the inclusion criterion. Analyze and discuss the mentioned literature. Findings were presented in tabular and descriptive formats. The scoping review included 25 studies. The intervention carriers of digital therapeutics included health management systems, digital health platforms, learning machine models, and so on. Professional technologists, medical personnel, and others were among the implementation personnel. Disease management strategies included application-based home workout plan intervention, virtual reality digital control mode intervention, and so on. Digital therapeutics helped patients with symptom monitoring, medication management, weight control, mental health, and everyday activities. Digital therapeutics improves the treatment of chronic disease patients and promotes health recovery. In the future, under the supervision of the treatment team, we should formulate scientific, standardized, and relevant digital therapeutic disease management programs according to the application status of patients with chronic diseases and develop more customized digital therapeutic projects.

Digital health literacy and its determinants among community dwelling elderly people in Taiwan.

Digital Health Literacy (DHL) is crucial in navigating digital health environments, yet few studies focus on older adults. Explore the associations of digital health information and resource utilization, IT-related social support, and barriers/enhancers to digital health service usage with DHL among older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2022 to April 2023, involving 417 individuals over the age of 60 who were interviewed using an instrument for collecting data on DHL, social support, barriers/enhancers influencing use of digital health resources and personal/demographic data. Multi-regression models were used to examine the associations. Higher DHL scores were associated with daily use of digital interaction with healthcare (B = 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.07, 0.49; p = .01), daily use of other digital health resources (B = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.40; p = .01), ease in finding assistance for online navigation (B = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.45; p = .01), self-perceived digital proficiency ("usually very good at surfing the internet," B = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.18, 0.52; p = .01), assistance from relatives/others in internet browsing (B = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.02, 0.37; p = .02), and having access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone (B = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.11, 0.47, p = .01). Conversely, barriers like "no access to a computer, tablet, or phone at all times" (B = -0.19; 95% CI = -0.34, -0.04; p = .01), "difficulty understanding online content" (B = -0.22; 95% CI = -0.36, -0.07; p = .01), and "believing to be too old for online services" (B = -0.18; 95% CI = -0.32, -0.03; p = .02) were associated with lower DHL scores. Engagement with digital health platforms, including making online appointments and accessing personal health records, is associated with higher DHL levels. Support from relatives or others, a modifiable attribute, is also associated with elevated DHL among older adults.

Mental health provider and youth service users’ perspectives regarding implementation of a digital mental health platform for youth: A survey study

Background For youth and young adults (YYAs) with mental health concerns, digital mental health (dMH) can improve access to care and support collaboration with providers. Measurement-based care using a dMH platform may further optimize YYA outcomes by individualizing treatment approaches. Engaging service providers and YYA provides an opportunity to better understand how to mitigate implementation challenges. Aim Explore the experiences of mental health care providers and YYAs regarding the implementation of a dMH platform for YYAs accessing mental health care in multiple care settings. Methods Mental health care providers and YYA service users completed an electronic survey exploring their experiences and perceptions of implementing a dMH platform. Survey design, data analysis, and reporting were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Results A total of 195 individuals (100 providers, 95 YYAs) responded. Of those, 48 providers and 79 YYAs reported using the platform at least once. Both groups identified several important factors supporting implementation including collaborative relationships between providers and YYAs, the ability to monitor mental health outcomes, and increased YYA engagement in care. The need for increased provider training and automatic reminders for YYAs to use the platform were common barriers. Each group perceived the other to be uninterested in using the platform, highlighting the importance of using all stakeholder views to inform implementation planning. Conclusions Successful implementation of dMH for care of YYA requires ongoing, user-informed training, integration into existing workflows, and alignment with YYA priorities for care. Future work exploring provider and youth perceptions of the others’ “buy-in” is needed to inform future implementation strategies.

Shaping the Future of General Surgery: A Minireview for A Fusion of Technological Advancements, Ethical Considerations, and Global Health Equity

This mini-review explores the transformative potential of technological advancements and innovation in shaping the future of general surgery. Artificial intelligence, robotics, bioprinting, gene editing, and nanotechnology hold immense promise for enhancing surgical precision, minimizing complications, and personalizing patient care. However, the review acknowledges the ongoing challenges of global surgery, particularly the need for solutions to bridge the gap in access to safe and effective surgical care for underserved populations. Telemedicine and mobile health platforms emerge as promising tools for delivering surgical consultations and follow-up care in resource-limited settings. Ethical considerations, including resource allocation, research conduct, and cultural competency, are recognized as crucial aspects of global surgery. Collaborative frameworks that prioritize equity and empower local communities are emphasized. The potential impact of climate change on surgical needs is also addressed, highlighting the importance of understanding this interplay to develop preparedness and mitigation strategies. Finally, the review explores unconventional topics with the potential to changing the shape of surgical practices, including the role of the gut microbiome, psychedelic substances, and personalized genetic approaches. The importance of further research in these areas is acknowledged. In conclusion, this article portrays a future of general surgery characterized by a fusion of cutting-edge technology, a commitment to global health equity, and a focus on ethical considerations and responsible innovation. This future holds immense promise for improved surgical outcomes, enhanced patient care, and a more equitable distribution of surgical resources across the globe.

Consumer perceptions of direct-to-consumer electronic prescription services in Queensland, Australia.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) electronic prescription services (EPS) are a novel addition to the Australian healthcare landscape. This study aimed to explore consumers' perceptions on how this model of care supports the delivery of best-practice care. Focus groups participants were recruited through social media and included adults aged 18 years or older, Queensland (Australia) residents, and interested in DTC EPS. Focus groups were conducted via Zoom® and repeated until data saturation. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to elicit consumer perception themes from focus group discussions and field notes. Three focus groups were conducted between July and August 2022 and included 13 participants of which two (15%) had previously used DTC EPS. Four major perception themes were induced: (a) Consumer responsibility. There is an assumed level of consumer health literacy leading to an unacceptable burden of responsibility on the patient; (b) System processes appear to be underdeveloped to support best-practice care; (c) Access to convenient and timely healthcare will be improved for many patients, however, out of pocket expenses may promote inequity; and (d) Service model improvements can address safety and quality concerns including integration of the model within existing national digital health platforms. Participants believed that DTC EPS was a valuable addition to the Australian health care landscape increasing convenient and timely access to medicines for consumers. Participants were concerned that a heavy reliance on health literacy and underdeveloped system processes may lead to unsafe prescribing.

Developing the BornFyne prenatal management system version 2.0: a mixed method community participatory approach to digital health for reproductive maternal health

ABSTRACT Despite the growing number of global initiatives aimed at reducing adverse maternal health outcomes, there remain critical gaps and disparities in access to maternal health services in Cameroon and across the sub-Saharan Africa. Digital health innovations represent unique opportunities for addressing maternal and newborn child health in sub-Saharan Africa. This article documents the approach to developing the BornFyne-Prenatal Management System (PNMS) as an intervention to support maternal health issues in Cameroon. The mixed-method design employed the three-delays model conducted in four health districts purposefully selected with a mix of urban and rural settings as defined in the context. The study employed focus group discussions and interviews to inform the development features. A total of 25 providers were interviewed, 12 focus group discussions and 4 workshops were held and a total of 3654 households were surveyed. Participants highlighted multifaceted advantages of using digital health platform such as BornFyne-PNMS to enhance communication and care during pregnancy such as remote consultations, emergency response, increased patient engagement and improved continuity of care and convenience. Most respondents believed that the use of a digital platform like BornFyne-PNMS would greatly facilitate access to health facilities, especially during emergencies. The BornFyne-PNMS deployment includes community engagement, training and practical skills building of health workers in the use of digital technologies, the establishment of an emergency transport mechanism for response to emergency cases, assessment and upgrading of the computer hardware of enrolled health facilities and support to health system managers to review and interpret the BornFyne data and interoperability with the national health management information system.

Utilization and engagement with an employer-provided digital mental health platform: An international perspective.

This retrospective study (2020-2022) compared the usage patterns across international regions of an employer-provided digital mental health platform, which is available in native languages and offers both self-guided digital activities and one-on-one sessions. Routine data from the platform were analyzed by describing the demographic profile of 178,119 users from different geographical regions, their baseline mental health status and burnout levels, as well as patterns of engagement. Statistical analyses were conducted using logistic and ordered logit models to examine the association between cumulative engagement with the platform over time and baseline characteristics. The platform had high engagement and satisfaction levels across regions and age groups. Female users were more engaged than males in both self-guided digital activities and one-on-one sessions. Older users and those from non-US regions were more engaged in self-guided digital activities, while younger users and those from the US were more engaged in one-on-one sessions. Symptoms of anxiety were also associated with engagement with one-on-one sessions. The study's findings provide valuable insights into the benefits of digital platforms in addressing mental health needs of employers from different regions. Future research should focus on exploring the specific factors that influence engagement with digital mental health platforms and how these platforms can be optimized and tailored to better serve diverse populations.

A stakeholders' perspective on enhancing community pharmacists' roles in controlling non-communicable diseases in the United Arab Emirates.

There is a global call for upscaling and optimising the role of community pharmacists (CPs) in the control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where NCDs are classified as a public health pandemic, upscaling CPs contributions has become more critical. Several contextual, professional, and educational challenges constrain the role of CPs. To synthesise the perspectives of key stakeholders in the UAE healthcare system and propose a roadmap for advancing the role of CP s in controlling NCDs in the UAE. This research followed a qualitative design using the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) framework for quality assurance of pharmacy profession development. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 28 experts and senior leaders, then analysed using the thematic analysis technique with the assistance of NVivo software. The analysis yielded three main themes that outlined the prospective roadmap: education, work environment, and policy. Some of the generated subthemes were establishing accredited NCD-specialised programmes, building a national framework for interprofessional education and collaboration, and upscaling the engagement of CPs in public health platforms and initiatives. Improving the role of CPs in controlling the NCD pandemic in the UAE requires coherent and well-structured multidisciplinary endeavours from health policymakers, educational institutions, and all groups of healthcare professionals, including the CPs themselves.

Health Crisis and Platforms for Remote Higher Education: Tools as Means and Not as Ends

The paper reflects on the impact of the health crisis on higher education in Costa Rica, specifically since the year 2020. It aims to demonstrate the scope and limitations of a virtualized education for higher education in Costa Rica. It is based on a reflection not derived from an investigation; that is, it recovers theoretical perspectives on the object of study, and it opens the possibility of debates and meeting points, generating a documentary reflection that problematizes the feelings and experiences of teachers, students, and researchers in the face of the health crisis caused by COVID-19. It is essential to take advantage of the health emergency to criticize the technicist past or the verbal, vertical, and numerical tradition of Costa Rican education and rediscover participatory democracy in the classroom, even in emergency contexts.

Utilizing microfluidic chips for rapid, on-site detection of antimicrobial resistance in infectious pathogens

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in infectious pathogens presents a significant global health challenge, necessitating rapid and accurate diagnostic tools for timely intervention. This paper discusses the potential of microfluidic chips as innovative solutions for the on-site detection of AMR. Microfluidic technology, characterized by its ability to manipulate small volumes of fluids within miniaturized devices, offers several advantages in the context of AMR diagnostics, including speed, portability, and the ability to perform multiple assays simultaneously. The integration of microfluidic chips with molecular diagnostics, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), enables the rapid identification of resistance genes and mutations directly from clinical samples, often within a matter of hours. This capability is critical in both clinical settings and remote or resource-limited areas, where traditional laboratory-based diagnostics may be inaccessible or too slow to influence treatment decisions effectively. Moreover, microfluidic chips can be designed to detect a wide range of pathogens and resistance mechanisms, offering a versatile platform for comprehensive AMR surveillance. The portability and ease of use of these devices also empower healthcare workers and public health officials to conduct on-site testing, thereby accelerating the decision-making process and improving patient outcomes. Despite these advantages, challenges remain, including the need for standardization, regulatory approval, and ensuring the accuracy and sensitivity of the devices in diverse settings. Ongoing research and development are focused on overcoming these hurdles, with promising advancements in microfluidic chip design, integration with digital health platforms, and the development of cost-effective manufacturing processes. In conclusion, microfluidic chips represent a promising tool for the rapid, on-site detection of antimicrobial resistance in infectious pathogens. Their ability to provide quick and accurate results holds the potential to revolutionize AMR diagnostics, ultimately contributing to more effective treatment strategies and better management of infectious diseases globally. Keywords: Microfluidic Chips, On-Site Detection, Antimicrobial Resistance, Infectious Pathogens, Rapid.

Pediatric behavioral health care utilization in integrated primary care and hospital-based clinics during the pandemic – Implications for virtual care

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic forced health care organizations and providers to adapt innovative approaches to ensure patient care needs are met. In particular, improving patient access to behavioral health services is essential to improving population health. 
 Methods and Aims: Clinical visit volume and utilization data were analyzed via the Tableau platform for behavioral health visits by providers within the division of Pediatric Psychology at the University of Michigan Health (UM) during the pandemic through the present. UM is a publicly funded academic medical center that manages a total of approximately 2.5 million patient visits per year. Psychologists provide care within hospital-based specialty clinics or primary care clinics, both of which utilize integrated models of care. Unprecedented changes were made with regards to care delivery format and workforce allocation, and the present paper examines the corresponding impact on patient behavior health care. 
 Results: During Fiscal Year 22 (July 2021 to June 2022), 24 pediatric psychology providers completed a total of 8,252 visits within 12,802 available patient slots, a utilization rate of 64.5%. Utilization was significantly higher in primary care clinics (80.9%) than in hospital-based clinics (51.6%), Z = 34.47, p < .00001. Services were delivered virtually in 100% of the 4549 visits completed in primary care and 72.6% of the 3703 completed hospital visits. These data are currently being analyzed for the present Fiscal Year 23. Patient satisfaction data revealed barriers impacting access to care, including scheduling issues, setting up virtual care and managing, technology problems. 
 Conclusions: Utilization data provides strong support for delivery of behavioral health services in primary care via virtual care means. However, patients area likely to encounter significant barriers to initiating and participating in care when systems are designed to exclusively or primarily support remote users. 

Novel Trial Designs in Heart Failure: Using Digital Health Tools to Increase Pragmatism.

Heart failure is an important clinical and public health issue. There is an urgent need to improve the efficiency of clinical trials in heart failure to rapidly identify new therapies and evidence-based implementation strategies for currently existing therapies. Electronic health (eHealth) platforms and digital health tools are being integrated into heart failure care. In this manuscript, we review opportunities to use these tools to potentially improve the design of and reduce the complexity of clinical trials in heart failure. The PRECIS-2 tool outlines clinical trial design domains that are targets for pragmatism. We believe incorporating pragmatic design elements with the aid of eHealth platforms and digital health tools into clinical trials may help address the current complexity of clinical trials in heart failure and improve efficiency. In the manuscript, we provide examples from recent clinical trials across clinical trial design domains. We believe the current adoption of eHealth platforms and digital health tools is an opportunity improve the design of heart failure clinical trials. We specifically believe these tools can enhance pragmatism in clinical trials and reduce delays in generating high-quality evidence for new heart failure therapeutics.

Power of narrative: a case study about documenting private insightful experiences while dealing with pain and associated disability.

People adjusting to living with a chronic disability, such as chronic pain, seek support and resources from societal systems, including health systems, to help them cope with this reality. This case study describes the use of a digital health platform designed to help in that quest. MyHealthMyRecord (MHMR), is being developed to record, register and curate personal private experiences of a chronic condition. MHMR allows users to record and log short (30-90s) personal and private audio-videos of their accommodation-seeking journey in a way that can be encrypted, registered, curated and shared privately. This case study describes the use of a prototype version of the platform by a participant co-designer who experienced a sudden onset of a chronic pain condition, of undetermined origin. System use began three months after the onset of the condition and just after being discharged from several months of hospitalization without any definitive diagnosis. During a three-month period, 65 short unstructured contributions were authored and logged. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of that content. The clips used various communication styles that documented experiences, concerns, issues, positive and negative interactions and pain episodes. Using thematic analysis with open coding, three domains (person-facing, accessibility and system-facing) and eight themes (pain, joy, therapy, environmental, recommendations, technical, culture and communication) were identified. Comments about pain, stress, etc., were the most common and occurred in 75% of all videos while technical and therapy/physio related comments were the fewest and occurred in 3 and 9% of the videos, respectively. We conclude that it is possible to create recordings of events, thoughts, reflections and issues on different aspects affecting an individual's health and well-being impact, including effects of the chronic condition as well as tangential outcomes such as accessibility (or lack of it), using MHMR over a longer period of time. The next steps will be to develop functionality to annotate the recordings, automatically analyze and summarize collections of recordings to make them consumable, useful and understandable to the individual and others, and then to share those analyses and summaries with others. In addition, evaluate this functionality longitudinally with more users.

Continue staying in online health platforms or not: the moderating role of threat appraisal

PurposeThis study aims to study the mechanisms and conditions of users' intention to continue to use online health platforms from an information technology (IT) affordance perspective.Design/methodology/approachb This research proposes that a critical affordance effect on an online health platform, users' intention to continue the use of the platform, is affected by five platform affordances via two actualized affordances (i.e. perceived benefits (PBs) and online engagement (OE)). Perceived health threat moderates the effect generated by affordance actualization. A dataset involving 409 users from the “Ping An Health” platform was collected through an online survey and analyzed to validate the research hypotheses.FindingsThe data analysis results confirm that the proposed online health platform affordances affect users' PBs and OE, which influence users' intentions to continue using the platform. Perceived threats (perceived vulnerability (PVU) and perceived severity (PSE)) moderate the relationship between PBs and continuance intention (CI) and between OE and CI.Practical implicationsThe research provides important recommendations for online health platform designers to develop IT affordances that can support users' needs for healthcare services.Originality/valueLimited studies investigated why users continue participating in online diagnosis and treatment. This study provides a new perspective to expand the affordance framework by combining technology features and user health behavior. The study also emphasizes the importance of perceived threats in IT use.

SARCOPENIA AND MOBILITY DYSFUNCTION AS INDICATORS OF INCREASED ADRD RISK IN ASYMPTOMATIC DISEASE

Abstract Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, affects up to 30% of older adults. In addition to being an established component of frailty and predictor of mobility dysfunction, sarcopenia is associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of cognitive impairment, with ~70% individuals with late-stage dementia having sarcopenia. In this study, we investigated whether sarcopenia differentiates high- vs low- ADRD risk among 141 community-dwelling, older adults who were healthy controls (HC) or had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (65% female; mean Age=70±11yr; mean Educ=16±3yr). Using the Brain Health Platform (BHP) developed at the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, we categorized participants based on measures of resilience, vulnerability, cognitive performance as: Low-risk HC (36.9%); High-risk HC (12.8%), and MCI (50.4%). Amyloid positivity increased across risk groups (20% in Low-risk HC; 33.3% in High-risk HC; 39.1% in MCI). Prevalence of sarcopenia was 26.7% and increased by ADRD risk (12.2% vs 18.8% vs 39.1%, p=0.004). The MCI group had lower flexibility compared to both the low-risk (p=0.024) and high-risk HC (p=0.039) groups. Timed Up and Go (TUG) score increased with risk group (p< 0.001MCI vs Low-risk HC; p=0.005MCI vs High-risk HC). Both mobility measures (i.e., flexibility, TUG) showed good discrimination for MCI vs Low-risk HC [AUC=0.77flexibility; AUC=0.78TUG] as well as for MCI vs High-risk HC [AUC=0.71flexibility; AUC=0.73TUG). Findings suggest that sarcopenia and other markers of mobility dysfunction have the potential to identify asymptomatic individuals at increased risk of ADRD, who could benefit from early intervention.

Cloud-Based Platforms for Health Monitoring: A Review

Cloud-based platforms have gained popularity over the years because they can be used for multiple purposes, from synchronizing contact information to storing and managing user fitness data. These platforms are still in constant development and, so far, most of the data they store is entered manually by users. However, more and better wearable devices are being developed that can synchronize with these platforms to feed the information automatically. Another aspect that highlights the link between wearable devices and cloud-based health platforms is the improvement in which the symptomatology and/or physical status information of users can be stored and syn-chronized in real-time, 24 h a day, in health platforms, which in turn enables the possibility of synchronizing these platforms with specialized medical software to promptly detect important variations in user symptoms. This is opening opportunities to use these platforms as support for monitoring disease symptoms and, in general, for monitoring the health of users. In this work, the characteristics and possibilities of use of four popular platforms currently available in the market are explored, which are Apple Health, Google Fit, Samsung Health, and Fitbit.