design lab john torous healthcare app

Studio Session with John Torous – Engagement as #1 Barrier to Health Apps

Studio Session with John Torous – Engagement as #1 Barrier to Health Apps

Studio Session with John Torous – Engagement as #1 Barrier to Health Apps

Design Lab Studio Session: Engagement as #1 Barrier for Health Apps: The Urgent Need for Collaborative Solution

John Torous, Harvard Medical School

It’s been 10 years since the iPhone was first introduced and the app ecosystem has grown tremendously. Mobile phones serve as a digital platform that is rich with advances in many industries, but healthcare seems to fall short. In a recent discussion at the Design Lab, John Torous, co-director of the Digital Psychiatry program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliated teaching hospital, examined this problem. “We have these really fancy learning machines that operate on algorithms and sensors, but if they’re not being used it doesn’t matter much,” said Torous.

A recent academic study asked primary care patients, “Are you interested in using apps for your healthcare?” 54 percent said yes for issues related to nutrition, 53 percent said yes for issues related to diseases and 25 percent said yes for issues related to mental health. Torous explained that while it appears that many primary care patients are interested in using apps for healthcare, there isn’t much movement in this direction. Torous aims to transfer and sustain the same enthusiasm for PokemonGo, which was a mega successful gaming app, toward health care apps.

Torous stated that there is a tremendous “engagement gap” that needs to be addressed with healthcare apps. He pointed out that PTSDcoach is a popular healthcare app that helps patients manage their own recovery and has been downloaded over 100,000 times, but only about 15,000 people use it.

Torous theorizes that integrating apps into everyday use  is no simple feat because it involves many other issues including the security of personal information and the dynamic nature of the app ecosystem itself.  As sophisticated the problem may be, Torous suggests a simple approach to discover solutions. “How can we get some simple information from users, share it and get feedback. We don’t have to predict everything right away.” Although digital engagement in healthcare may be small, Torous also suggests there may be a solution in engaging “superusers.” A superuser is a network account with privilege levels far beyond those of most user accounts. He says let’s start there, we can learn from them.

Bio
John Torous is a board-certified psychiatrist with a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences. He completed medical school at UCSD, residency at Harvard, and is currently a fellow in clinical informatics at Harvard Medical School. His research is at the intersection of mental health and technology with a focus on smartphone apps and wearable sensors.

Design Lab Studio Session: Engagement as #1 Barrier for Health Apps: The Urgent Need for Collaborative Solution

John Torous, Harvard Medical School

It’s been 10 years since the iPhone was first introduced and the app ecosystem has grown tremendously. Mobile phones serve as a digital platform that is rich with advances in many industries, but healthcare seems to fall short. In a recent discussion at the Design Lab, John Torous, co-director of the Digital Psychiatry program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliated teaching hospital, examined this problem. “We have these really fancy learning machines that operate on algorithms and sensors, but if they’re not being used it doesn’t matter much,” said Torous.

A recent academic study asked primary care patients, “Are you interested in using apps for your healthcare?” 54 percent said yes for issues related to nutrition, 53 percent said yes for issues related to diseases and 25 percent said yes for issues related to mental health. Torous explained that while it appears that many primary care patients are interested in using apps for healthcare, there isn’t much movement in this direction. Torous aims to transfer and sustain the same enthusiasm for PokemonGo, which was a mega successful gaming app, toward health care apps.

Torous stated that there is a tremendous “engagement gap” that needs to be addressed with healthcare apps. He pointed out that PTSDcoach is a popular healthcare app that helps patients manage their own recovery and has been downloaded over 100,000 times, but only about 15,000 people use it.

Torous theorizes that integrating apps into everyday use  is no simple feat because it involves many other issues including the security of personal information and the dynamic nature of the app ecosystem itself.  As sophisticated the problem may be, Torous suggests a simple approach to discover solutions. “How can we get some simple information from users, share it and get feedback. We don’t have to predict everything right away.” Although digital engagement in healthcare may be small, Torous also suggests there may be a solution in engaging “superusers.” A superuser is a network account with privilege levels far beyond those of most user accounts. He says let’s start there, we can learn from them.

Bio
John Torous is a board-certified psychiatrist with a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences. He completed medical school at UCSD, residency at Harvard, and is currently a fellow in clinical informatics at Harvard Medical School. His research is at the intersection of mental health and technology with a focus on smartphone apps and wearable sensors.

Design Lab Studio Session: Engagement as #1 Barrier for Health Apps: The Urgent Need for Collaborative Solution

John Torous, Harvard Medical School

It’s been 10 years since the iPhone was first introduced and the app ecosystem has grown tremendously. Mobile phones serve as a digital platform that is rich with advances in many industries, but healthcare seems to fall short. In a recent discussion at the Design Lab, John Torous, co-director of the Digital Psychiatry program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliated teaching hospital, examined this problem. “We have these really fancy learning machines that operate on algorithms and sensors, but if they’re not being used it doesn’t matter much,” said Torous.

A recent academic study asked primary care patients, “Are you interested in using apps for your healthcare?” 54 percent said yes for issues related to nutrition, 53 percent said yes for issues related to diseases and 25 percent said yes for issues related to mental health. Torous explained that while it appears that many primary care patients are interested in using apps for healthcare, there isn’t much movement in this direction. Torous aims to transfer and sustain the same enthusiasm for PokemonGo, which was a mega successful gaming app, toward health care apps.

Torous stated that there is a tremendous “engagement gap” that needs to be addressed with healthcare apps. He pointed out that PTSDcoach is a popular healthcare app that helps patients manage their own recovery and has been downloaded over 100,000 times, but only about 15,000 people use it.

Torous theorizes that integrating apps into everyday use  is no simple feat because it involves many other issues including the security of personal information and the dynamic nature of the app ecosystem itself.  As sophisticated the problem may be, Torous suggests a simple approach to discover solutions. “How can we get some simple information from users, share it and get feedback. We don’t have to predict everything right away.” Although digital engagement in healthcare may be small, Torous also suggests there may be a solution in engaging “superusers.” A superuser is a network account with privilege levels far beyond those of most user accounts. He says let’s start there, we can learn from them.

Bio
John Torous is a board-certified psychiatrist with a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences. He completed medical school at UCSD, residency at Harvard, and is currently a fellow in clinical informatics at Harvard Medical School. His research is at the intersection of mental health and technology with a focus on smartphone apps and wearable sensors.

Read Next

Surveillance Drones San Diego

Chula Vista PD Approved For Broader Use Of Drones In Law Enforcement

Photo courtesy of Shalina Chatlani

The Chula Vista Police Department has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to broaden its use of drones.

Still, some academics say drones can be seen as a form of surveillance. And that having a video doesn’t necessarily mean that officers are making neutral decisions.

"Say you’re getting a call from someone acting erratic … like what would a drone be able to see that would discern a person screaming and waving their hands around as someone who needs intervention by the police, versus a mental health team?" said Lilly Irani, a professor of communication and technology at UC San Diego (and Design Lab faculty).

Even if officers are using video to see whether a situation is dangerous, human bias doesn’t just go away, she said.

"OK, so what type of visual symbols are you going to look for to discern the difference between dangerous and nondangerous?" Irani said.
Earth2 Project Challenges Vaccines

Earth2 Project Challenges Vaccines, 10 to 100, Ten Days to Vaccinate Everyone

"In collaboration with the University of New Mexico, the Earth2 project is helping to present a 10 day series of seminars on Vaccines and Vaccine Hesitancy, covering topics that range from vaccine-myths to Native American implications and special aspects having to do with other minority and LGBTQ communities, to hearing trusted voices." - David Brin, Author, Futurist, Public Speaker

"Solving the most complex societal programs involves a whole community approach. That's why I'm so excited about the Earth 2 Challenge to reach 100% vaccination which will make our society healthier and safer. But to succeed, we need everyone to participate." - Mai Nguyen, Design Lab Director, UC San Diego
Mobile Health

Focus on mobile health: Scientists develop app to diagnose, treat leishmaniasis

Photo courtesy of Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Medicas

Cutaneous leishmaniasis - caused by bites from infected sandflies - produces skin lesions that leave behind both scars and stigma that last a lifetime. Up to 1.2 million new cases are diagnosed each year across the 90 countries where the disease exists, including Colombia.

“Leishmaniasis happens where the medical system isn't," says Dr. Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, a Fogarty mHealth grantee at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He's been working in rural Colombia to bridge the access gap between remote communities and the public health system, using a mobile tool that empowers community health workers to identify new cases of the disease and monitor treatment.
Enrique Zavala

Enrique Zavala on Empathy in Design | Design Chats


Enrique Zavala, Research Assistant at UC San Diego, speaks on the importance of being empathetic in design research.

Design Chats is a video series where we sit down with design practitioners to answer questions about how they utilize human-centered design.

View our Design Chats playlist on the Design Lab YouTube Channel
Earth2 Project Challenges Vaccines

Earth2 Project Challenges Vaccines, 10 to 100, Ten Days to Vaccinate Everyone

"In collaboration with the University of New Mexico, the Earth2 project is helping to present a 10 day series of seminars on Vaccines and Vaccine Hesitancy, covering topics that range from vaccine-myths to Native American implications and special aspects having to do with other minority and LGBTQ communities, to hearing trusted voices." - David Brin, Author, Futurist, Public Speaker

"Solving the most complex societal programs involves a whole community approach. That's why I'm so excited about the Earth 2 Challenge to reach 100% vaccination which will make our society healthier and safer. But to succeed, we need everyone to participate." - Mai Nguyen, Design Lab Director, UC San Diego
Design Lab Ucsd Design At Business Summit Amsterdam

Exploring Design at Business in Amsterdam

Design Lab Associate Director Michèle Morris, and members Nanna Inie, and Jennifer Taylor recently attended…

Back To Top