First Advisor

Squires, Rhonda D.

Second Advisor

Romero, Michaela C.

Date Created

7-2016

Abstract

The purpose of this capstone was to develop a best practice guide for the use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) to aid in the care of chronically ill patients using an exemplar of blood pressure (BP) tracking for hypertension (HTN). Research on the use of mHealth apps is growing but a best practice guide for deployment of the apps has not yet been developed. Mobile health apps have expanded rapidly as smartphone technology captured the attention of American society. Mobile health apps have both inherent benefits and risks. The primary benefit of mHealth apps is the ability to track and display data at regular intervals during the day without resorting to paper data collection. The primary risk of mHealth apps is the possible violation of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) laws with technology that is not yet adequately regulated by appropriate authorities. Mobile health technology on smartphones has proven to be far more useful than simply a replacement of paper data collection. Data show the use of smartphones for tracking data such as BP measurements engages patients in their treatment plans and empowers them to advocate for themselves. This empowerment adds a new dimension to the patient-provider relationship and to treatment plans, and one that providers should iv embrace. Smartphones give patients concrete actions to perform, promoting adherence to treatment plans and activities that foster long-term health. Although smartphone technology is mature and widespread, the healthcare community had not fully exploited it in an effort to combat chronic illnesses. This capstone focused on the development of a best practice guide for the usage of mHealth apps in an effort to facilitate deployment of mHealth apps in clinical settings. It was meant to serve as a practical best practice guide for healthcare providers to understand the capabilities of mHealth apps in the effort to reduce the effects of chronic illnesses in the United States and the benefits and risks associated with the use of mHealth apps. It was also meant to serve as a “How-To” book for the deployment of mHealth apps to patients with chronic illnesses.

Keywords

Mobile health applications; Blood pressure tracking

Local Identifiers

NilesCapstone201607

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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