The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Tech Talk: Smartphone Apps, Online Games May Encourage Healthy Behaviors in Rheumatology Patients

Tech Talk: Smartphone Apps, Online Games May Encourage Healthy Behaviors in Rheumatology Patients

February 1, 2014 • By Susan Bernstein

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

You Might Also Like
  • Tech Talk: Apps Put More Rheumatology Information at Fingertips
  • Tech Talk: Tapping Computer Power to Promote Physical Therapy
  • Tech Talk: Rheumatologists Have Many Options for Providing Patient Education Online
Explore This Issue
February 2014
Also By This Author
  • New Processes May Stick Around After the Pandemic: Q&A with Wendy Ramey, BSPharm, RPh, CSP
High-Tech Health Promotion

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

SAN DIEGO—Technology advances like smartphone apps and virtual reality games may help rheumatology patients better adhere to treatment plans and even lead healthier lifestyles, said Maura Iversen, PT, DPT, at the at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, held October 26–30. Dr. Iversen spoke as the 2013 ARHP Distinguished Lecturer. [Editor’s Note: This session was recorded and is available via ACR SessionSelect at www.rheumatology.org.]

Mobile technology has greatly enhanced access to patients, overcoming barriers of time and inconvenience, said Dr. Iversen, professor and chair of the department of physical therapy at Northeastern University in Boston. A health professional might send a customized text message to remind a patient to take a medication or get daily physical activity, for example. Messaging can be programmed to suit an individual patient’s treatment plan. “Right now, we are looking at a concept of personalized medicine. Mobile health may be one of the key parameters in global intervention” for health promotion, she said.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Access to technology has also greatly increased in recent years, Dr. Iversen said. Currently, more than 3.2 billion individuals worldwide have mobile phones, so access through mobile technologies is a key area of growth for health care. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 34% of U.S. adults 18 and older now own a tablet computer. Mobile health technologies include text messaging, video messaging, voice messaging, and mobile monitoring devices like accelerometers, which can monitor vital signs as well as the speed and distance of physical activity like walking. Interactive apps allow an individual to record personal health information on their phones, tracking symptoms, dietary intake, or physical activity, for example. There are estimated to be between 30,000 and 90,000 mobile health apps now available for smartphones, but only a few hundred have been formally evaluated, Dr. Iversen noted.

Exercise as Play

Virtual reality, a technology first popularized in arcade games, is now used for behavioral intervention as well. “Virtual reality is allowing both measurement and motivation of human behavior,” said Dr. Iversen. Virtual reality includes screens displayed on stationary bikes that allow riders to envision themselves biking through scenic locations, as well as information on how many calories were burned during the workout. A more advanced form of the technology is immersion virtual reality, where a participant uses a special mask and smart gloves to manipulate an avatar, or stand-in, as it moves through a virtual scenario. Immersion virtual reality games are popular with individuals who have suffered a stroke, who practice physical movements through a virtual environment and track their progress over time, Dr. Iversen continued.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Apps, Conditions, Rheumatoid Arthritis, SLE (Lupus), Technology Tagged With: AC&R, ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, American College of Rheumatology, apps, patient care, patient communication, Research, Rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatologist, rheumatology, Smartphone app, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Technology, virtual realityIssue: February 2014

You Might Also Like:
  • Tech Talk: Apps Put More Rheumatology Information at Fingertips
  • Tech Talk: Tapping Computer Power to Promote Physical Therapy
  • Tech Talk: Rheumatologists Have Many Options for Providing Patient Education Online
  • Tech Talk: HealthPatch MD Latest in Wearable Health Devices

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Cookie Preferences

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)