15 million adults in England have a long-term condition (LTC) and can access online peer support. Online health communities can influence health, use of health care resources, and improve illness self-management. The way people connect online and in particular how highly active users (called superusers) shape the online communities play a fundamental role in information diffusion, according a study published today in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The management of long-term conditions represents a growing and potentially insurmountable challenge to health systems worldwide. A major policy response has been to attempt to empower people to self-manage their condition better through programs for self-care andRead More →

Source: University of Plymouth New research has shown for the first time that a social robot can deliver a ‘helpful’ and ‘enjoyable’ motivational interview (MI)— a counselling technique designed to support behaviour change. Many participants in the University of Plymouth study praised the ‘non-judgemental’ nature of the humanoid NAO robot as it delivered its session— with one even saying they preferred it to a human. Led by the School of Psychology, the study also showed that the robot achieved a fundamental objective of MI as it encouraged participants, who wanted to increase their physical activity, to articulate their goals and dilemmas aloud. MI is a techniqueRead More →

Source: Retrofit, Inc Interacting regularly with a coach as part of a weight-management program significantly affects an individual’s ability to lose weight, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. “We know that weight-management programs that offer coach support are more effective at engaging participants and delivering weight-loss success,” said Robert Kushner, MD, MS, coauthor and Director of the Center for Lifestyle Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. “This study goes a step further and sheds light on the type of coach and client interactions that affect weight-loss.” The study retrospectively evaluated 1432 male and female participants aged 18 years or older withRead More →