Orji, Rita, and Karyn Moffatt. “Persuasive Technology for Health and Wellness: State-of-the-Art and Emerging Trends.” Health Informatics Journal, vol. 24, no.1, 2018, pp. 66-91.
In this article, the authors examine the impact of persuasive technology (PT) on people’s behavioral patterns in relation to wellness and health. First of all, they define PT as “interactive systems designed to aid and motivate people to adopt behaviors that are beneficial to them and their community while avoiding harmful ones” (Orji and Moffatt 66). In the case of health, there are two types of PT – PT for disease management and PT for health promotion. While PT for disease management helps patients obtain essential knowledge and skills for health-related self-management, PT for health promotion is used to target patients’ behaviors for the prevention of illnesses and the promotion of general wellbeing. In their study, the authors aim to evaluate the effectiveness of PT for health, summarize existing trends in research methods, strategies, technology design, and targeted behavioral patterns, identify barriers to PT’s use, and suggest directions for upcoming research through the review of available literature dedicated to this topic.
According to the results, PT has a positive impact on people’s behavior in relation to health promotion and general wellbeing. In particular, more than 90% of existing studies confirm its efficiency (Orji and Moffatt 77). In this case, it is possible to say that the use of technology is beneficial for health. Thus, this research may be used in order to support a position in favor of technological advancements for the improvement of people’s wellness.
Shan, Rongzi, et al. “Digital Health Technology and Mobile Devices for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus: State of the Art.” Diabetologia, vol. 62, no. 6, 2019, pp. 877-887.
In this article, the authors investigate the impact of technologies on the management of diabetes mellitus for the improvement of patients’ wellbeing. In general, diabetes mellitus may be regarded as a severe disease that, without optimal control, may lead to cardiovascular issues, kidney failure, blindness, and death (Shan et al. 877). At the same time, with the growing use of mobile technologies, mobile health (mHealth) tools became available for patients for disease management and the prevention of serious complications. In the present day, they include programs and applications for insulin and blood glucose management, lifestyle modifications, self-management, and diabetes-related education. According to the results, the use of mHealth tools for diabetes management generally demonstrates positive outcomes. In addition, the availability of automated messages, educational content, and the option for self-monitoring increase patients’ motivation to control their health condition. Thus, this article proves that the use of technologies cannot be under-evaluated in relation to their benefits for health and wellness.
Figueroa, Caroline A., and Adrian Aguilera. “The Need for a Mental Health Technology Revolution in the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 11, no. 523, 2020, pp. 1-5.
In this article, the researchers emphasize the importance of technology for the improvement of people’s mental wellbeing during the pandemic. Caused by the spread of the coronavirus across the globe, it led to self-solation and related negative consequences for individuals’ mental health. People suffered from anxiety, stress, and depression, however, a lack of adequate technologies for remote help contributed to the deterioration of their health. Thus, the authors state that the implementation of digital mental health tools is necessary. They examine telehealth, smartphone applications, social media platforms, and texting applications and their positive impact on the prevention of serious mental disorders (Figueroa and Aguilera 5). In particular, the authors state that digital technologies should target vulnerable groups, such as seniors, non-English speakers, and people with low-tech skills. In addition, the security of patients’ information should be considered as well. This article demonstrates that although several essential aspects should be considered, the benefits of technology for people’s health are undeniable.
Works Cited
Figueroa, Caroline A., and Adrian Aguilera. “The Need for a Mental Health Technology Revolution in the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 11, no. 523, 2020, pp. 1-5.
Orji, Rita, and Karyn Moffatt. “Persuasive Technology for Health and Wellness: State-of-the-Art and Emerging Trends.” Health Informatics Journal, vol. 24, no.1, 2018, pp. 66-91.
Shan, Rongzi, et al. “Digital Health Technology and Mobile Devices for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus: State of the Art.” Diabetologia, vol. 62, no. 6, 2019, pp. 877-887.