Mobile Tools Research Articles

Changes in emerging mobility tool adoption: A path towards sustainability?

Emerging mobility technologies, such as car sharing, ride hailing, bike sharing, and telework have led to aspirations of sustainable transportation. But how quickly are emerging mobility tools adopted? Who is adopting them? And are they likely to replace private vehicle use? This study addresses these questions using descriptive statistics and inferential models with repeated cross-sectional data from the Southern Ontario, Canada. Findings indicate that emerging mobility tool use grew between 2016 and 2021 – especially for ride hailing and telework. In the wake of the pandemic, users experimented and there were market changes. However, evidence on the potential for emerging mobility tools to lead to sustainable transportation is underwhelming. In turn, this questions as to whether emerging mobility tools should be core components of climate policy or whether they are most compelling based on a choice-based rationale for transportation policy – wherein choice is of central public value.

Prevalence, attitudes and concerns toward telepsychiatry and mobile health self-management tools among patients with mental disorders during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide survey in Poland from 2020 to 2023.

Mobile Health (mHealth) is a rapidly growing field of medicine that has the potential to significantly change everyday clinical practice, including in psychiatry. The COVID-19 pandemic and technological developments have accelerated the adoption of telepsychiatry and mobile solutions, but patient perceptions and expectations of mHealth remain a key factor in its implementation. The aim of this study was to assess (1) the prevalence, (2) attitudes, preferences and (3) concerns about mobile mental health, including telepsychiatry and self-management tools, among patients with mental disorders over the period 2020-2023, i.e., at the onset, peak and after the expiration of the COVID-19 pandemic. A semi-structured survey was administrated to 354 patients with mental disorders in Poland. The questions were categorized into three section, addressing prevalence, attitudes, and concerns about telepsychiatry and mobile health self-management tools. The survey was conducted continuously from May 2020 to the end of May 2023. As many as 95.7% of patients with mental disorders used mobile devices at least once a week. Over the course of 3 years (from 2020 to 2023), there was a significant increase in the readiness of patients to embrace new technologies, with the percentage rising from 20% to 40%. In particular, a remarkable growth in patient preferences for telepsychiatry was observed, with a significant increase from 47% in 2020 to a substantial 96% in 2023. Similarly, mHealth self-management tools were of high interest to patients. In 2020, 62% of patients like the idea of using mobile apps and other mobile health tools to support the care and treatment process. This percentage also increased during the pandemic, reaching 66% in 2023. At the same time, the percentage of patients who have concerns about using m-health solutions has gradually decreased, reaching 35% and 28% in 2023 for telepsychiatry and for the reliability and safety of m-health self-management tools, respectively. This study highlights the growing acceptance of modern technologies in psychiatric care, with patients showing increased readiness to use telepsychiatry and mobile health self-management tools, in particular mobile applications, after the COVID-19 pandemic. This was triggered by the pandemic, but continues despite its expiry. In the face of patient readiness, the key issue now is to ensure the safety and efficacy of these tools, along with providing clear guidelines for clinicians. It is also necessary to draw the attention of health systems to the widespread implementation of these technologies to improve the care of patients with mental disorders.

Effect of Weight Control Intervention on Body Mass Index among Adolescents with Overweight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Due to the dramatic rise in overweight and obesity, adolescent weight management interventions are required. Therefore, this study aimed to study the components and the effect size of weight control programs for adolescents with overweight and obese. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, ThaiJo, ThaiLis, and Embase) through December 2021 published in English and Thai, samples aged 15-22 years, and presenting the mean, SD a sample size of both experimental and control groups. However, we excluded articles other than full-text articles. In addition, a risk of bias assessment was performed according to the Cochrane Collaboration's quality assessment tool. Finally, this meta-analysis included six studies that met the criteria. The meta-analysis used a fixed-effects model with a forest plot to compute effect sizes and Cochran's Q and I2 statistics as measures of heterogeneity. We found six primary studies which included 721 overweight adolescents. The analysis of the effectiveness of weight control programs for overweight adolescents revealed that 360 adolescents with overweight and obese (49.93%) who underwent the weight control programs changed body weight and body mass index values with the effect size of -0.80 (-1.03, -0.56) and I2 was 56.00%. The results indicate further studies should focus on constructing programs that consider adolescents' changes in technology and lifestyles. Additionally, social and mobile tools should motivate and educate adolescents about body weight control to help them adapt to a healthy lifestyle and maintain weight control over time.

Transport Accessibility of Regional Centres as a Tool for Sustainable Mobility

The uneven distribution of the population in the territory has many common denominators. The Czech Republic is no exception, where, in addition to geographical factors, the degree of development of the transport network also plays an important role. There are significant differences in transport accessibility between regions. It must have a good transport infrastructure to make public transport more competitive and sustainable with individual car transport. This paper maps the development of transport networks in the Czech Republic and compares commuting times between the different regional cities of the Czech Republic. Individual car transport, rail transport, and bus transport were chosen as the main transport modes.

Программа «Эразмус» в европейском и многополярном образовательном пространстве

This article delves into the role of the “Erasmus” Programme within the context of European and multipolar educational spaces. Recognized as a significant tool for international academic mobility, the “Erasmus” Programme serves as a catalyst for higher education cooperation between participating countries. The program has grown beyond its initial European scope, encompassing universities, youth organizations, and transnational corporations worldwide. The “Erasmus” is not only instrumental in fostering innovative approaches to education, encouraging knowledge exchange, and strengthening international partnerships, but also performs broader political functions. It contributes to socio-economic resources for European citizens, reinforces the EU's political stability, and promotes solidarity among the member states. The “Erasmus” Programme has become a unifying foundation for not only European countries but also a wide range of partner nations, making it an attractive model for regions worldwide and a successful instrument of the EU's foreign policy. The relevance of the “Erasmus” Program is enhanced from a practical point of view in the context of reforming the higher education system in Kazakhstan and closer integration with European educational models.

Umění jako nástroj sociální mobility

The aim of the paper is to present the results of a long-term qualitative research on the potential of introducing artistic activities into environments at risk of social exclusion. The results suggest that the arts can be an important tool for social mobility. In the discussion we will outline the possibilities of using the theory of double exceptionality for better accessibility of artistic activities, which in turn will lead to better educational outcomes.

Ultrasound Applications in Pediatric Orthopedics.

Imaging techniques have significantly impacted physicians' capability for diagnosis and differential diagnosis for decades. The aim of this review is to update our knowledge regarding the use of US in orthopedic pediatric patients for diagnostic purposes or procedural/therapeutic purposes. This review demonstrates the application of US in trauma (long bone fractures, radial neck fractures, etc.), developmental anomalies such as developmental dysplasia of the hip and congenital dislocation of the patella, soft tissue pathologies (ganglion cyst, popliteal cyst, hemangioma, lipoma, etc.), tumors, apophysitis, joint effusion, and femoral acetabular impingement. US aid in musculoskeletal procedures has also been reported; US-guided procedures such as aspiration, injection, biopsy, foreign body removal, and peripheral nerve block reduce complications, thus making the procedures safer for the patient. Sonography is a fast, low-cost, mobile, non-invasive, and radiation-free diagnostic tool. Even though US requires a skilled operator and has a long learning curve, in experienced hands is the "orthopedic surgeon's stethoscope".

Reliability of continuous vital sign monitoring in post-operative patients employing consumer-grade fitness trackers: A randomised pilot trial.

Fitness trackers can provide continuous monitoring of vital signs and thus have the potential to become a complementary, mobile and effective tool for early detection of patient deterioration and post-operative complications. To evaluate potential implementations in acute care setting, we included 36 patients after moderate to major surgery in a recent randomised pilot trial to compare the performance of vital sign monitoring by three different fitness trackers (Apple Watch 7, Garmin Fenix 6pro and Withings ScanWatch) with established standard clinical monitors in post-anaesthesia care units and monitoring wards. During a cumulative period of 56 days, a total of 53,197 heart rate (HR) measurements, as well as 12,219 measurements of the peripheral blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and 28,954 respiratory rate (RR) measurements were collected by fitness trackers. Under real-world conditions, HR monitoring was accurate and reliable across all benchmarked devices (r = [0.95;0.98], p < 0.001; Bias = [-0.74 bpm;-0.01 bpm]; MAPE∼2%). However, the performance of SpO2 (r = [0.21;0.68]; p < 0.001; Bias = [-0.46%;-2.29%]; root-mean-square error = [2.82%;4.1%]) monitoring was substantially inferior. RR measurements could not be obtained for two of the devices, therefore exclusively the accuracy of the Garmin tracker could be evaluated (r = 0.28, p < 0.001; Bias = -1.46/min). Moreover, the time resolution of the vital sign measurements highly depends on the tracking device, ranging from 0.7 to 117.94 data points per hour. According to the results of the present study, tracker devices are generally reliable and accurate for HR monitoring, whereas SpO2 and RR measurements should be interpreted carefully, considering the clinical context of the respective patients.

Supporting data driven translational patient-centered care using network analysis to visualize symptom distress in children with serious illness.

There are an increasing number of techniques and tools to improve the capacity for children to relay their perceptions of their symptom experience while undergoing blood and marrow transplant (BMT). Network analysis (NA) is a tool that can illustrate associations between symptoms and the distress they cause. We aimed to develop a biopsychosocial assessment clinical analytic tool to examine symptom relationships for children undergoing BMT to find actionable relationships for intervention to improve clinical outcomes including mood. This pilot study used an analytical mobile application tool to support a wide scope of 15 biopsychosocial symptom distress levels and five mood assessments. Children recorded their symptom distress and mood using the app. NA was used to explore relationships between symptom distress and mood. Four children, 11-14 years old, undergoing BMT used the app daily during hospitalization. We found a strong presence of emotional distress and its associations symptom distress and mood. Multiple symptom associations were identified including associations between the set of symptoms difficulty breathing and fever (0.557), sad and worried (0.429). Of note, pain distress had a strong capacity to bridge other symptoms and was connected directly to many symptoms. We found the significance of patient struggles with emotional and symptom distress and the importance of this relationship to other clinical outcomes. This provides valuable insights and an improved understanding of the child's symptoms. Our findings support early assessment, intervention, and improved symptom communication to enhance sense of well-being and the child's care experience.

Developing the First Digital Occupational Therapy Dictionary Worldwide: A Promising Mobile Application Model for Occupational Therapy Service Providers and Recipients.

The purpose of this study was to develop the first English-Arabic occupational therapy dictionary mobile application that could be used by occupational therapy service providers and recipients and help fill the gap in understanding and communicating occupational therapy services. Google Play Store and App Store application stores were searched first to identify any current electronic occupational therapy dictionary. While developing the dictionary concept and structure, end users' needs, language, and culture were taken into consideration applying a user-friendly design, functionalities, and an easy-to-understand language with illustrative visual representations. Our search for currently available electronic occupational therapy dictionaries did not identify any mobile application on the official application stores for iPhone and Android. As a result, a conceptual model was created to develop a mobile application aiming to develop a comprehensive and user-friendly mobile electronic dictionary with over 2400 scientific terms translated and annotated from English to Arabic, more than 350 illustrative pictures, and special features to assist occupational therapy professionals and occupational therapy services recipients in looking up and understanding terminology used in rehabilitation and occupational therapy in the most convenient, fastest, and easiest way possible. The occupational therapy dictionary mobile application has helped create a unified terminology and a common language of shared understanding, proved to be a helpful tool of communicating important messages between Arab occupational therapy professionals and community members through providing an easy access to up-to-date comprehensive English-Arabic lexicography in occupational therapy. It has become the first digital occupational therapy dictionary worldwide and has been made available for everyone to download from Google Play and App Store on their smartphones, computers, or tablets free of charge. Further research is urgently needed for quality improvement and to further enrich Arabic content in occupational therapy through developing evidence-based mobile tools to be used in occupational therapy practice by Arabic-speaking population.

Problems of financing urban mobility resilience in Poland

Motivation: The efficient functioning of transportation systems is subject to various types of disruptions and risks. Transportation systems are strongly affected by all kinds of local, regional, national, or global crises. The European Union’s transport policy indicates the need to build sustainable, intelligent, and resilient urban mobility systems based on public mass transit. The paradigm of resilience has gained particular importance in the context of the global crises of the last five years. Resilient urban mobility systems are intended to provide the ability to respond quickly to disruptions that occur, allowing urban organisms to achieve operational stability.Aim: The purpose of the study is to identify the main problems with financing the resilience of public mass transit systems in Polish cities. The specific aims are the identification of the factors determining the resilience of urban mobility systems and tools supporting it, measures of resilience and ways of financing it. The study sought to verify whether the mobility systems of Polish regional cities can be considered resilient from a financial point of view.Results: Financing urban public mass transport in Poland is based on two key sources of income: fees from ticket sales and payments (compensations) made by local governments. The economic and energy crisis contributed to a significant increase in the operating costs of public mass transportation providers. In this context, the key to building resilient public mass transport systems in urban areas is to make changes to existing models to ensure a stable PTA financing system.

Assistance using mobile learning applications to improve skills physical education teacher in the 4.0 era

The aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of support in the utilization of mobile learning applications among 38 Physical Education, Sports, and Health Teachers in Lahat Regency. Employing a quantitative descriptive methodology through a survey approach, the research encompasses pre-test and post-test assessments. During the pre-test phase, the results highlight a deficiency in teachers' knowledge regarding mobile learning applications, specifically in comprehending their purpose and operational functionalities. Nonetheless, the post-test outcomes signify a significant enhancement, revealing that the teachers developed awareness and proficiency in utilizing mobile learning applications. They demonstrated an improved understanding of the applications' objectives and acquired the necessary skills for their effective implementation. The transition from the pre-test to the post-test phase signifies the success of the provided assistance in bridging the knowledge gap among the teachers. This implies that the intervention, likely delivered in the form of training or guidance, positively influenced the participants' comprehension and utilization of mobile learning applications. The research findings underscore the critical role of targeted support in augmenting educators' familiarity with technology, ultimately contributing to the seamless integration of mobile learning tools in educational settings. Consequently, this study makes a noteworthy contribution to the ongoing discourse on the significance of mobile applications in pedagogy, particularly within the domain of Physical Education, Sports, and Health.Key words: mobile learning, physical education, era 4.0.

Blended Learning with Mobile Learning Tools in Financial Curricula: Challenges, Opportunities, and Implications for Student Engagement and Achievement

This study explores the impact of teaching strategies for blended learning, which combines mobile learning with traditional classes in financial curricula in Taiwan. The aim of this study is to address the challenges and opportunities of using digital technology in education, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the popularity of social media apps among young students. The study adopts mixed methodologies, including questionnaires and qualitative analysis, to examine whether integrating LINE@ and Zuvio apps into the blended learning strategy enhances students’ class engagement, learning experience, and overall achievement. The results show that the blended learning strategy significantly improves students’ learning outcomes, especially in elective courses. The qualitative analysis also reveals the strengths and weaknesses of using different mobile learning tools. It highlights a blended learning model, emphasizing the value of effective teacher-student interaction, and demonstrates that digital technology complements traditional face-to-face teaching. Teachers can give students more confidence in using these digital tools, thereby enhancing the quality of teaching. Furthermore, this study suggests the need for teachers to consider their students’ and courses’ characteristics and needs when implementing blended learning. The study contributes to the literature on blended learning and Finance education. It provides insights and suggestions for teachers and researchers who want to implement blended learning strategies in other disciplines and contexts.

Factors Affecting Dietary Intake and Physical Activities of Primary Health Care Workers in Nasarawa State Nigeria

This study adopted a cross-sectional study design and deployed a quantitative methodology to assess the factors affecting dietary intake and physical activities in Nasarawa state. The questionnaire was adapted as an instrument for data collection. 400 respondents were sampled through a multistage sampling technique and 300 were interviewed with the aid of the epi-info mobile data collection tool. Data from the field survey were presented in frequency and simple percentages informed by tables and charts. The study reveals that Location and Level of income are some of the basic factors affecting dietary intake and physical exercise among Primary Health Care workers in Nasarawa state however, it was also observed that income and location do not necessarily affect dietary intake and physical exercise all the time, but motivation could also play a role most especially in maintaining good physical activity. The study also reveals that PHC staff in Nasarawa state may be aware of their daily exercise and diet needs theoretically but in practice, they don’t “practice what they preach”. It was concluded that Primary health care workers in Nasarawa state maintain a poor level of diet and physical activities, dietary intake and physical activities affect the performance of PHC staff, and PHC workers don’t practice and maintain good diet and physical activity habits, there is a need for promotion of health education activities related to diet and physical activities at PHC level across the state to inspire and motivate PHC staff to take up healthy diet and exercise habit. Keywords: Affect, Dietary, Exercise, Habit, Healthy, Intake, Physical, study, Planned, Performance.

Networks method of hybrid construction and support of data transmission routes in programmed tools of mobile radio communication based on neural networks

The article proposes a method of hybrid construction and support of data transmission routes in programmable means of mobile radio communication based on neural networks. Taking into account the peculiarities of the operation of mobile radio communication networks and means of communication, the article proposes to intellectualize the processes of managing data flows by using knowledge processing technologies in the construction of a control system. The construction of the control system is based on the use of neural networks, the methodology proposes three main steps of its construction, namely the method of hybrid construction of data transmission routes, the method of maintaining data transmission routes and modeling the process of construction and maintenance of data transmission routes in the network using neural networks. Unlike similar methods, which: are used in stationary communication networks with a small number of end nodes, without the possibility of monitoring the functions of data transmission routes; which are characterized by the absence of a clear decision-making hierarchy and the presence of unpredictability when applied in data transmission systems of mobile radio communication networks; do not take into account the peculiarities of the functioning of mobile radio communications. The proposed technique is able to build data transmission routes, increases the time of network operation and reduces the loading of network channels based on the application of a hybrid structure of neural network construction, by minimizing service traffic in the information direction; selection of the type, number and method of control of data transmission routes; introduction of the hierarchy of the decision-making process for the construction of the data transmission route and the selection of data parameters, taking into account the characteristic features of the use of programmable mobile communication tools to ensure the given quality of network service under different conditions of operation of mobile radio communication tools, using neural networks.

Understanding individuals with spinal cord injury’s self-care practices: a technology probe study to promote pressure relief adherence

Pressure reliefs (PRs) are self-care practices essential for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to prevent life-threatening pressure injuries (PIs). Despite the benefits, individuals often do not do these exercises at home, leading to increased patient morbidity and mortality. To examine how digital technology could improve this population’s adherence to PR exercises, we conducted a technology probe study with five individuals with SCI over ten consecutive business days. A chat-based intervention was created to send user-scheduled PR reminders, which were personalized with visual elements and progress trackers. Participants were interviewed before and after interacting with the probe to better understand their experiences with PIs and PR practices. Results shed light on specific factors that may impact individuals with SCI’s behaviours towards PRs and four considerations to design a customisable reminder intervention: (1) easy to use and friendly technology, (2) design-your-own- schedule feature, (3) communication style feature, and (4) dialogue support features. Personalisation supported with gamified visual progress tracking and motivational messages emerged as a strong strategy to increase PR adherence. Both sets of findings expand upon the human-computer interaction (HCI) literature for mobile health tools that encourage self-care practices; in particular, to the specific needs of individuals with SCI and the use of visual elements to increase engagement.

PRAGMATIC, SUSTAINABLE, AND COST-FEASIBLE TECHNOLOGIES TO ENABLE REMOTE CARE COORDINATION SERVICES

Abstract The aim of this presentation is to communicate the approach and lessons learned in successfully deploying open source smart home and consumer-grade technologies to enable novel remote care coordination services for older adults as part of the CMS-funded ASSETs for Aging in Place demonstration project. Major barriers to use of technologies that enable service reach to rural or home-bound at-risk populations are technology availability, internet connectivity, cost, configuration, installation, ease of management, and usability and usefulness of clinically relevant data displays for decision-making to support personalized care coordination, coaching, and self-management goals. We have pioneered a reusable, innovative approach and infrastructure through partnership with the State of Missouri Department of Social Services and a non-profit hosting partner that facilitates testing and deployment of such remote services with broad goals of scalability and translation as starting principles. The specific focus of this presentation will describe technology selection, configuration, proof-of-concept testing, use of mobile hot spots to overcome broadband availability in rural areas, team composition and skills, introduction and training of the OT/Nurse/Social Worker teams to technology, resources required to stand up the team and transition to independent technology expertise in the field with mobile, video, and remote messaging tools, and user-centered design engagement of the care coordination and informatics teams to drive dashboard features and visual display developments for new work flows. An overview of the approach, technologies, and practical considerations to support research and development of new technology-enabled services for older adults will be presented.

ASSESSING USABILITY OF A MEDICATION ADHERENCE SYSTEM FOR PERSONS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

Abstract Persons with mild cognitive impairment (PwMCI) are at risk of medication nonadherence due to prospective memory deficits. Over time, they are likely to experience accelerated deterioration in cognitive functions and may develop dementia when comorbid treatable health conditions, such as hypertension, are not well managed. A digital therapeutic system called Medication Education, Decision Support, Reminding, and Monitoring (MEDSReM©) has been designed for cognitively normal older adults to support hypertension medication adherence and is currently being tested in a randomized controlled trial. MEDSReM has the potential to support PwMCI with hypertension medication adherence, but it must be optimized specifically for this population. We conducted a cognitive walkthrough to identify usability issues and inform the redesign and optimization of the system for PwMCI. This usability technique is used to evaluate a system from a user’s perspective and is typically conducted by subject matter experts. We had 12 individuals with interdisciplinary expertise in cognitive aging, cognitive impairment, hypertension management, nursing, human factors, and health technology participate in the cognitive walkthrough. Usability issues related to figure-ground contrast, text complexity, and flexibility related to decision making were identified. Overall, recommendations included (1) simplifying the user interface (e.g., color contrast/textual cues), (2) eliminating options related to medication taking actions (e.g., snooze, take later) to mitigate memory-related errors, and (3) providing more direct, prescriptive instructions to minimize decision-making demands. Based on these recommendations, MEDSReM is currently being redesigned for testing with PwMCI. Our approach can inform the design of other mobile health tools.

VALIDATING THE IMPACT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE MOBILITY EVALUATION TOOL USED BY NURSES IN ACUTE CARE

Abstract Existing nursing-based mobility tools were developed with clinical and reliability testing with small samples; none focused on predicting assistance needs. The Comprehensive Mobility Evaluation Tool (CMET) was designed using established testing procedures to support nurses to assess all phases of mobilization and predict level of assistance. A prospective descriptive research design was used to test reliability and validate CMET items, scoring, and ability to predict LOA. A randomly selected sample of decisional/English-speaking non-ventilated stable patients were enrolled from four medical/surgical and one critical care units at a large community hospital where CMET was used. Trained data collectors consented patients, completed bedside testing, and distributed patient surveys. Descriptive, inferential, and regression statistics were used for analysis. The representative sample (N=190) had an average age of 67.3 yrs (SD=16.2, 23-101), 50% male, with a robust range of mobility levels. Inter-rater reliability (n=27) yielded an average kappa of 0.94. Six of seven steps contributed significantly to predicting patient LOA with scores that correlated with nurse judgement [r (184) =0.86, p&amp;lt; .0001]. Patients needed time and support to perform testing without assistance for optimal accuracy and benefit. Patients reported CMET was useful (88%) and easy (62%) and identified barriers that limit walking while hospitalized. Study limited by research at a single site. This study represents the initial validation, confirming reliability and benefits of the CMET, a skill-based tool to evaluate mobility status. Providing time and encouragement to perform CMET helps nurses and patients to identify deficits and tailor care to overcome mobility barriers.

Narzędzia mobilne w planowaniu i monitoringu aktywności fizycznej i w promocji zdrowia

Mobile devices in planning and monitoring physical activity and in promoting health The vast majority of Poles have modern smartphones or smartwatches. These devices are equipped with a number of sensors that can provide a lot of information interesting from a biomedical point of view. According to the concept of Marc Lalond, the most important factor affecting human health is their lifestyle. The purpose of this article is to present widely available and easy-to-use mobile tools that can be utilised to monitor health and the level of physical activity. Dedicated applications tracking physical activity, diet and the calorie intake, sleep patterns or helping to control or stop using stimulants should be an important element of health promotion. The authors postulate the deliberate use of devices owned by majority of the society to improve habits, the general condition of the body and their self-awareness.