Digital Health

at

UNC - Chapel Hill

Needs Assessment Report, July 2016

Carolina Digital Health Research Initiative

Carolina Digital Health Research

Initiative (CaDHRI)

Promotes and enables the use of digital health solutions to solve pressing patient-centered health problems, and builds a more connected digital health research community

A partnership of the UNC Health

Sciences Library and School of

Medicine

http://digitalhealth.web.unc.edu/

Report on

UNC digital health research

This report describes the current use of digital health

among health care researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill

This report:

Helps to guide CaDHRI’s activities, vision, and outreach

Contributes to the promotion and use of digital health

solutions in healthcare research

Brings together a larger community of digital health

researchers

What is digital health?

Wireless health and connected health solutions

Wearable devices, mHealth

(mobile health applications), and

gamification

Sensors, digital medical devices, and self-tracking

systems

Use of personal health records,

electronic medical records, and big data in

healthcarePersonalized medicine and

e-patients (electronically

engaged patients)

Digital health research at

UNC-Chapel Hill

Survey respondents:

60% have conducted digital health research

40% have not conducted digital health research

The majority of digital health

researchers have used:

Mobile health

applications

Online platforms

Wearable activity trackers

A minority of digital health

researchers have used:

Video software programs

Digital scales

Remote monitoring

& other devices

Varied focus of digital health

researchers’ research

Cancer

control

Irritable bowel

syndrome

Weight control

and obesity

Rehabilitation

engineering

Asthma Patient

reported

outcomes

Clinic and

administrative

workflows

Sexual health

risk reduction

Additional knowledge about

digital health is needed

Feedback from non-digital

health researchers

Theoretical interest in using digital health solutions

Want to learn more about digital health before

moving forward with planning research

Interested in learning more about:

Available and applicable digital health devices

Programming

Building mobile applications

Data mining

High interest in digital health

Which digital health component(s) would you be

interested in using, if you were to start using digital

health solutions in your research?

Resources for

digital health research

Devices Access to cost effective software and devices

Knowledge of digital health technologies

Access to digital health devices

Assistance with IRB apps; knowledge of what you can do without IRB approval

Technical expertise

Programming

Digital health evaluation and study design

Software development

Ability to link to EHRs; guidance for developing electronic data collection tools

Analytical expertise in complex datasets

Community Connection with others interested in digital health research

CaDHRI services of highest

need for UNC researchers

Which of the following services would be

useful for you in using digital health

devices or applications in your research?

Non-digital health researcher responses

Digital health researcher responses

Digital health researcher responses

What makes a digital health

solution successful?

Using digital health technologies not for the sake of

using technology, but for the sake of solving a health

or public health problem

Funding

Patients who are willing to volunteer for digital health

research

Programmers, statisticians, and clinicians

Cutting edge technologies that are delivered on time,

are technologically robust, and are priced reasonably

Software and application development

Knowledge of the extent of digital health

technology use among different patient

populations

Statistical methods expertise for complex digital

health interventions

Collaboration across disciplines

Program support, especially in managing large

datasets

Clinician support, especially in referrals to digital

health solution

Expertise in machine learning

Integration of digital health solutions with EHR

systems, provider, and payor systems

Areas in which to improve

outcomes using digital health

solutions

UNC digital health community

Digital Health Interest Group

Gathers people at UNC to share their interest, ideas, and practice of digital health research

Promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration by presenting an opportunity to meet other people on campus working in digital health

Members share and discuss research findings, methods, and ideas, and explore new developments related to digital health

CaDHRI Advisory Board

Advocate for CaDHRI to increase exposure and interest

in digital health

Provide input on CaDHRI’s strategic vision and

activities

Provide ongoing support to ensure a viable future for

the initiative

Carolina Digital Health

Research Initiative

Visit http://cadhri.org or contact digitalhealth@unc.edu

Principal Investigator Carlton Moore, MD, MS

Director Brian Moynihan, MBA, MSIS, MA

Project Coordinator Mihir Pershad

Research Assistant Gayatri Rathod

Needs Assessment conducted and reported by Julia (Hill) Narendra, MPH