Health Informatics Journal 

About: Health Informatics Journal is an academic journal published by SAGE Publishing. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Health care & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 1460-4582. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1371 publications have been published receiving 21338 citations.

Healthcare information on YouTube: A systematic review

Abstract: This article reviews the peer-reviewed literature addressing the healthcare information available on YouTube. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined, and the online databases PubMed and Web of Knowledge were searched using the search phrases: (1) YouTube* AND Health* and (2) YouTube* AND Healthcare*. In all, 18 articles were reviewed, with the results suggesting that (1) YouTube is increasingly being used as a platform for disseminating health information; (2) content and frame analysis were the primary techniques employed by researchers to analyze the characteristics of this information; (3) YouTube contains misleading information, primarily anecdotal, that contradicts the reference standards and the probability of a lay user finding such content is relatively high; (4) the retrieval of relevant videos is dependent on the search term used; and (5) videos from government organizations and professional associations contained trustworthy and high-quality information. YouTube is used as a medium for promoting unscientific therapies and drugs that are yet to be approved by the appropriate agencies and has the potential to change the beliefs of patients concerning controversial topics such as vaccinations. This review recognizes the need to design interventions to enable consumers to critically assimilate the information posted on YouTube with more authoritative information sources to make effective healthcare decisions.

A game plan: Gamification design principles in mHealth applications for chronic disease management.

Abstract: Effective chronic disease management is essential to improve positive health outcomes, and incentive strategies are useful in promoting self-care with longevity. Gamification, applied with mHealth (mobile health) applications, has the potential to better facilitate patient self-management. This review article addresses a knowledge gap around the effective use of gamification design principles, or mechanics, in developing mHealth applications. Badges, leaderboards, points and levels, challenges and quests, social engagement loops, and onboarding are mechanics that comprise gamification. These mechanics are defined and explained from a design and development perspective. Health and fitness applications with gamification mechanics include: bant which uses points, levels, and social engagement, mySugr which uses challenges and quests, RunKeeper which uses leaderboards as well as social engagement loops and onboarding, Fitocracy which uses badges, and Mango Health, which uses points and levels. Specific design considerations are explored, an example of the efficacy of a gamified mHealth implementation in facilitating improved self-management is provided, limitations to this work are discussed, a link between the principles of gaming and gamification in health and wellness technologies is provided, and suggestions for future work are made. We conclude that gamification could be leveraged in developing applications with the potential to better facilitate self-management in persons with chronic conditions.

Persuasive technology for health and wellness: State-of-the-art and emerging trends.

Abstract: The evolving field of persuasive and behavior change technology is increasingly targeted at influencing behavior in the area of health and wellness. This paper provides an empirical review of 16 years (85 papers) of literature on persuasive technology for health and wellness to: (1.) answer important questions regarding the effectiveness of persuasive technology for health and wellness, (2.) summarize and highlight trends in the technology design, research methods, motivational strategies, theories, and health behaviors targeted by research to date, (3.) uncover pitfalls of existing persuasive technological interventions for health and wellness, and (4.) suggest directions for future research.

Empowering patients through social media: The benefits and challenges

Abstract: This article explores the range of social media platforms used by patients and examines the benefits and challenges of using these tools from a patient perspective. A literature review was performed to investigate the use of social media technology by patients. The MEDLINE database was searched using the terms "social media" and "patient." The search was conducted in September 2012 and yielded 765 abstracts. Initially, 63 abstracts were selected. All articles dating from 2004 through 2012 were included. Only 12 articles were found to be relevant for the purposes of the review. The results of this research found that there appears to be an increase in the use of social media by patients across the healthcare spectrum. The research indicates a promising future for the use of social media by patients; however, evidence related to the efficacy and effectiveness of social media is currently limited. Various challenges have also been identified relating to privacy and security concerns, usability, the manipulation of identity, and misinformation. The use of social media technology is an emerging trend for patients who are seeking health information. Conclusions are that such technology holds promise for improving patient engagement and empowerment and community building. Social media has a future in healthcare, especially with regard to patient engagement and empowerment; however, there are several challenges to overcome before the technology can achieve its potential.

A framework for secure and decentralized sharing of medical imaging data via blockchain consensus

Abstract: The electronic sharing of medical imaging data is an important element of modern healthcare systems, but current infrastructure for cross-site image transfer depends on trust in third-party interme...