The document summarizes key findings from a survey on mobile health (mHealth) apps. It discusses current usage of health apps, reasons for non-use, and desired app features. A panel then discusses opportunities and challenges for mHealth, including using apps and devices to better manage conditions like obesity and diabetes. Goals are improving access to care, monitoring health remotely, and facilitating communication between patients and healthcare providers.

1. The Future of
Mobile
Healthcare
November 2012

2. The mHealth panel
Prof. Christopher Dr Tom Barber Owen Booth Jon Hoeksma Emma
James Associate Head of Editor, eHealth Sinden
Professor of Professor and Content, Insider Head |
Healthcare Honorary Diabetes UK Healthcare
Technology Consultant technology
(University of Endocrinologist, practice,
Warwick) and University of Ruder Finn UK
Director, Institute of Warwick and
Digital Healthcare UHCW NHS Trust
©Ruder Finn 2012

3. Ruder Finn 2012 mHealth
Repor t
Summary of key findings
©Ruder Finn 2012

4. Ruder Finn mHealth Repor t
• The survey was conducted by
YouGov among its online panel of
GB adults
• Total sample size was 2,148
adults of whom 1,204 had
access to a smartphone/ tablet
• Fieldwork was undertaken
between 26th -29th June 2012
• The survey was carried out
online. The figures have been
weighted and are representative
of all GB adults (aged 18+)
©Ruder Finn 2012

5. What are people using?
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6. Current healthy living app
use
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7. Reasons why respondents don ’t
currently use health apps
• I have no need to But 21% said they
access health-related were very or fairly
apps likely to use a service
• I prefer to talk to my delivered via mobile
doctor in person about technology, to better
any health-related manage their health
questions by the end of the
• I do not find health year
apps to be helpful
©Ruder Finn 2012

8. What did respondents
want from mHealth?
©Ruder Finn 2012

9. Top three apps
For me….
• An app to book an
appointment with the GP For my doctor…
• An app to view your medical • Monitoring devices that can alert
records carers, doctors and nurses to a
• An app to check test results health emergency
• An app to access test results
• Devices that enable doctors and
nurses to record observations
and share information while away
from the surgery or hospital
©Ruder Finn 2012

10. Introducing the panel…
©Ruder Finn 2012

11. the
Institute of Digital Healthcare
Christopher James
Professor of Healthcare Technology & Director of IDH

12. Emerging model of
the challenges we face
Healthcare
 Old model of care:  New model:
 Focus on acute conditions,  Focus on long term
reactive management conditions, prevention &
 Hospital centred, disjointed continuing care
episodes  Integrated with people’s lives
 Doctor dependent in homes & communities
 Patient as passive recipient;  Team based, shared record
self care infrequent  Patient as partner; self care
 Use of ICT rare encouraged & supported
 Dependent on ICT & devices

13. The Institute of Digital Healthcare
who are we?
A world-class £4M 5-year funded partnership
between the NHS, WMG, WMS and other
relevant organisations
 Aims: to improve people’s health and
wellbeing through the use of innovative digital
technologies and methodologies
 Wedo this through high quality research,
education and training capabilities

14. The Institute of Digital Healthcare
what do we do?

15. Intervention
Framework
Iterative Process

16. Mobile Health Technology:
A Clinician’s Perspective
Dr. Tom Barber
T.Barber@warwick.ac.uk
Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist
University of Warwick and UHCW NHS Trust
The Future of Mobile Healthcare
London, 27th November 2012

17. Outline of presentation
• My background
• General remarks regarding clinical applicability of m-health
• The case for obesity
• The Human Metabolism Research Unit
• Concluding remarks

18. My Background
Edinburgh
SHO General Medicine
1999-2001 (MRCP) Newcastle University
1995-1998 (MBBS)
Carlisle and SpR Endo 2001-2004
Middlesbrough
Junior House Officer
1998-1999
Cambridge University
University of Warwick 1992-1995 (MA Hons)
UHCW NHS Trust
2010-present
Associate Professor Oxford University
Honorary Consultant (OCDEM)
Endocrinology, Obesity, 2004-2007 DPhil
Metabolism, Diabetes 2007-2010 SpR Endo
and Locum Consultant

19. General remarks regarding clinical applicability of m-Health
• Broad applicability: administration (appointments), direct and continuous
monitoring of health/disease parameters, ‘alarms/alerts’, interaction
with health care professionals, reminders, disease prevention
• Confidentiality is key!
• Ubiquity of usage of mobile devices and apps
• Avoidance of acute admission in chronic disorders (eg. diabetes-related)
• Ease of use/application is essential
• Communication improved
• Remote clinics (eg. thyroid disorders; remote communities)
• Adjunctive rather than replacement
• Facilitate many aspects of traditional healthcare
• Paramedic application (communication with A&E)
• Financial implications for NHS are substantial
• Health of the nation

20. The Case for Obesity
The global obesity epidemic: trends in children

21. The Case for Obesity
Portion sizes and activity

22. The Case for Obesity
The Link Between Sleep Deprivation and Obesity
Forest plot of the association between Adults who sleep less than 5 hours
Adults who sleep less than 5 hours
short duration of sleep (≤5 hrs) and per night have a 60% increase in the
per night have a 60% increase in the
risk for obesity compared to adults
risk for obesity compared to adults
obesity in studies carried out in adults
who sleep more
who sleep more
Cappuccio et al. SLEEP 2008

23. The Case for Obesity
The effect of cold exposure on brown fat activation
in an obese man
A sugar-cube volume of brown fat can burn off up to 4Kg white fat in a year if stimulated

24. The Human Metabolism Research Unit

25. Concluding remarks

26. Developing the Diabetes UK
Tracker App
Owen Booth| November 2012

27. 1. Let’s develop an app!

28. “We need to do an app because…”
● Everyone’s doing them
● Mobile is really important
● Something something fundraising
● Er…

29. Let’s start again…

30. How can we find out what our audience wants?
Diabetes UK Facebook page Snapshot: June 2012
● Page likes 39,388
● Total reach 46,381
● Number of times DUK posts shared 682
● Number of comments on DUK posts 667
● Number of likes on DUK posts 2,818

31. What are they talking about?
Diabetes UK Facebook page comments
● 27% comments about Blood Glucose levels
● 26% people seeking medical information
● 18% concerned supporters
● 10% external links
● 8% complaints about diabetes
● 6% general conversation
● 5% people seeking nutritional advice

32. Will they talk to us?
● We used Facebook, Twitter and forums to ask our
(potential) users about how they manage their condition…
● … and to source 15 face-to-face interviewees
● Then we fed the initial insights back to the community for
comments
● … and got 200+ responses

33. What we found out
Key insights about our audience
● They don’t tell the truth to their doctors
● They think family and friends don't understand
● They like to share information with their ‘inner circle’
● They often keep notebooks to monitor their condition
● …including their emotional state

34. User goals
“I want…”
● Something that helps me self-manage, even on bad days
● Something that’s easy to share with others
● To be able to communicate about the daily impact of my
condition
● To participate in the development of my own healthcare
plan
● A better relationship with my health care professional

35. Using the Diabetes UK Tracker app
● Log and track blood glucose, insulin, carbohydrates,
calories, weight and ketones
● View data in day and week graphs to spot trends
● Track feelings - and see whether this affects levels
● Share entries with friends or healthcare professionals
● Save specific records as 'talking points‘
 Recognise patterns and use them as reminders in healthcare
appointments.
 Get the most out of appointments by setting an agenda of
concerns.

36. Results
● 25,000 downloads in first year
● 22,000 updates downloaded – suggests ongoing use
● Extensive user feedback guiding continuing development
● Third Sector Excellence Awards 2012: Use of Digital
Media – Winner
● Unintended consequence: strong response from
younger audience, who are often unengaged with their
condition

37. Next steps
● Other operating systems
● Desktop version
● Interest from other charities
● Ability to take BG measurements straight from meter?
● HCP involvement…???

38. Thank you
For further information about digital health contact Emma Sinden
Head| Healthcare Technology Practice
Ruder Finn UK
+44 (0) 7734 905583
esinden@ruderfinn.co.uk
©Ruder Finn 2012