Mobile Response

University at Albany University at Albany Headlines


Study Finds Mobile Technology Can Help Vulnerable Populations with HIV





























Mobile health has proved a vital health tool, such as when the Red Cross shared public health information via text messaging following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. (Photo by Russell Watkins, U.K. DFID)



ALBANY, N.Y. (April 7, 2017) -- The use of mobile technology shows great promise for those who are HIV-positive, especially among those who have limited resources and those in poor areas of the world, according to a new paper published by researchers at the University at Albany.

Known as mobile health interventions (mHealth), such tools include dosing reminders, data about medication intake and questions about care communicated electronically, all of which result in better feedback and improved communication between patients and their care providers.
These technologies have already proven to be effective for other patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, tuberculosis and malaria, according to UAlbany Assistant Professor of Communication Archana Krishnan.

"The near-ubiquitous access to mobile technology has encouraged entrepreneurs, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), researchers and governments to develop secure methods for data collection that include secure servers, data encryption and HIPAA-compliant security protocols," said Krishnan.

The excitement around mHealth initiatives stems from mobile technology’s ability to address perennial barriers to health care access like cost, infrastructure and accessibility. "The global health community has now created and implemented a myriad of mHealth solutions in response to problems that previously seemed intractable," said Krishnan. "But, there is still a good deal of evaluation that needs to be completed."














Researchers Archana Krishnan and Claire Cravero



The paper, "A Multipronged Evidence-Based Approach to Implement mHealth for Underserved HIV-infected Populations," published in Mobile Media & Communication, incorporates real-world projects and previous previously completed research on mobile technologies and healthcare.

The study showed that text messages were especially effective in reminding participants to keep medical appointments and that participants found them ...

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