Aligning mHealth with U.S. National Health IT Initiatives for HIV Counseling in Non-Clinical Settings

*Macey L. Henderson, JD, Adam C. Knotts, MBA & Martin C. Were, MD, MS

Acknowledgements

Mobilify TechnologyMichael Dowden, MBAAndrew Roden, BSKigho Emenike, MPHMarc Lane, JD, MBATarik Rabie, MPH

Research AssistantsBraden Paschall Kate CreagerKaila DunnickTyler BowlesLaQuita SparksChristopher HuffChristian Zimmerman

Academic & Research AdvisorsShaun Grannis, MD, MSMalaz Boustani, MD, MPHDennis Watson, PhDPaul Halverson, DrPh

Learning Objectives• Learning Objective 1: Describe emerging role of mHealth in HIV

counseling, testing, and referral (CTR) within non-clinical setting, as a demonstration of broad use of mobile technologies for public health across multiple conditions.

• Learning Objective 2: Explore national health IT standards and their application for mHealth CTR tools that serve public health needs.

• Learning Objective 3: Discuss the implications of FDA’s final guidance on mobile applications, and current certification guidelines for health information technologies on mHealth applications for public health, using mHealth applications for HIV CTR as a reference use-case.  

Commonly Used Acronyms

mHealth mobile health technology (for healthcare or public health)

IT information technology

HIV human immunodeficiency virus

CTR counseling, testing, and referral

FTC Federal Trade Commission

FDA Federal Food and Drug Administration

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

PHIN Public Health Information Network

RHIE Regional Health Information Exchange

MOBILE APPS FOR IMPROVED HIV CTR IMPACT

(photo credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

mHealth

• The use of mobile information and health IT for improving population health outcomes:

- health promotion- illness prevention- health care delivery- information systems- workforce and training

• Has the potential to shift the paradigm on when, when, where, how, and by whom where, how, and by whom health services are provided and accessed

mHealth and HIV• HIV prevention, care, and treatment

• mHealth tools support HIV priorities including linkage to care, retention in care, and adherence to ART treatment

• Short messaging services (SMS) can be used for appointment and medication reminders

• Offers an opportunity to expand health care services in areas with limited resources

mHealth and HIV• Mobile phones have the

potential to induce a paradigm shift in resource-limited settings by encouraging patients to stay connected to health care providers

• Will improve low-cost, highly engaging, and ubiquitous STD/HIV prevention and treatment support interventions

“Just in one of our programs, we did 1200 tests last year. That’s 1200 pieces of paper that have to be entered into the system. Instead of doing that, if we were doing it on an iPad or whatever, and that went into the system, think of the steps we could save…. So those hours and dollars could be spent doing more testing or more outreach, saving the agency money, you know, going into something else.”

“Just in one of our programs, we did 1200 tests last year. That’s 1200 pieces of paper that have to be entered into the system. Instead of doing that, if we were doing it on an iPad or whatever, and that went into the system, think of the steps we could save…. So those hours and dollars could be spent doing more testing or more outreach, saving the agency money, you know, going into something else.”

Enhanced Possibilities With a Mobile Data Collection System in Non-traditional Settings• Improved surveillance and

reporting• Improved reach and public

health impact

Traditional Non-Traditional (Community Based

0.47% 0.82%

Test Positivity Rates by setting (CDC, 2012)

DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS

Dimensions of mHealth Technologies focused on HIV CTRDimensions of mHealth Technologies focused on HIV CTR

FDA Regulations of Mobile Apps

• MAY meet the definition of medical device but for which FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion.

• May be intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.

• Even though these mobile apps MAY meet the definition of medical device, FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion for these mobile apps because they pose lower risk to the public. 

Mobile apps that use patient characteristics such as age, sex, and behavioral risk factors to provide patient-specific screening, counseling and preventive recommendations from well-known and established authorities [Appendix B].

Mobile apps that use patient characteristics such as age, sex, and behavioral risk factors to provide patient-specific screening, counseling and preventive recommendations from well-known and established authorities [Appendix B].

Mobile apps that enable, during an encounter, a health care provider to access their patient’s personal health record (health information) that is either hosted on a web-based or other platform [Added March 12, 2014].

Mobile apps that enable, during an encounter, a health care provider to access their patient’s personal health record (health information) that is either hosted on a web-based or other platform [Added March 12, 2014].

National Health IT Standards• Common standards and implementation specifications

recommended for electronic data exchange within meaningful use guidelines

• The concept of meaningful use rested on the '5 pillars' of health outcomes policy priorities, namely:– Improving quality, safety, efficiency, and reducing health

disparities– Engage patients and families in their health– Improve care coordination– Improve population and public health– Ensure adequate privacy and security protection for personal

health information

Infrastructure and Workforce

• National initiative to increase the capacity of public health agencies to electronically exchange data and information across organizations and jurisdictions

• Promotes the use of standards

• Defines functional and technical requirements for public health information exchange

www.healthit.gov

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MOBILE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM

King et al. (2013) King, J. D., Buolamwini, J., Cromwell, E. A., Panfel, A., Teferi, T., Zerihun, M., & Emerson, P. M. (2013). A novel electronic data collection system for large-scale surveys of neglected tropical diseases. PloS one, 8(9), e74570.

King et al. (2013) King, J. D., Buolamwini, J., Cromwell, E. A., Panfel, A., Teferi, T., Zerihun, M., & Emerson, P. M. (2013). A novel electronic data collection system for large-scale surveys of neglected tropical diseases. PloS one, 8(9), e74570.

• Studied the collection of data using mobile technology.• Results:

• Gained 265 person-days using mobile technology as seen in Table 1.1

• Able to collect more data in less time

• 12% decrease in data entry error pertaining to blank field in census record (age, sex, availability)

• Cost of equipment was similar between both methods, though continual use of mobile equipment suggested increased savings overtime

• Gave instant results and obviated the need for double-data entry and cross-correcting, thus reducing errors

“Electronic data collection using an Android-based technology was suitable for a large-scale health survey, saved time, provided more accurate geo-coordinates, and was preferred by recorders over standard paper-based questionnaires”.

Onono, M. A., Onono, M. A., Carraher, N., Cohen, R. C., Bukusi, E. A., & Turan, J. M. (2011). Use of personal digital assistants for data collection in a multi-site AIDS stigma study in rural south Nyanza, Kenya. African health sciences, 11(3).

Onono, M. A., Onono, M. A., Carraher, N., Cohen, R. C., Bukusi, E. A., & Turan, J. M. (2011). Use of personal digital assistants for data collection in a multi-site AIDS stigma study in rural south Nyanza, Kenya. African health sciences, 11(3).• Describes the development, cost effectiveness, and implementation in

a PDA Based electronic system to collect, verify, and manage data from a multi-site study on HIV/AIDS.

• PDA programmed for collecting and screening eligibility study data and responses to structured interviews on HIV/AIDS stigma.

Successes included:Successes included:

1. Capacity building of interviewers (workforce development)2. Low cost of implementation3. Quick turnaround time of data entry with high reliability4. Convenience

Successes included:Successes included:

1. Capacity building of interviewers (workforce development)2. Low cost of implementation3. Quick turnaround time of data entry with high reliability4. Convenience

Advantages of Paper to Mobile Transition

Double data entry•265 person-days were gained •Final data set available one month sooner Accuracy•Electronic: 1.8% error rate (n=38,652)•Paper: 2.3% error rate (n=33,800)

King et al. (2013)

Cost & Security

One device was stolen “The stolen PDA was not recovered, but because data on the SD card were encrypted and the PDA password protected, participant privacy was not compromised.” (Onono, et. al., 2011)

Study Example Onono 2011 King 2013

Paper Based $10,313 $13,883

Electronic Based $6,471 $10,320

Savings $3,842 $3,563

A NEW PROPOSED PROCESS

Designed from a Use-Case Analysis

“It has to be compatible with our reporting system….If it’s just another exercise in collecting data, it doesn’t do us any good. It has to be compatible.”

Community Health Worker (CHW) Collects Client’s

Information on pen and paper.

CHW reenters info into 3rd party web-

based portal

3rd party manages

data

Bi-annual hard upload

to CDC

CHW collects info via Mobile

Tablet

Encrypted data

transmitted to 3rd party data management

company

Data sent to CDC

Current Process

Proposed Process

Security

Community Health Worker (CHW) Collects Client’s

Information on pen and paper.

CHW reenters info into 3rd party web-

based portal

3rd party manages

data

Bi-annual hard upload

to CDC

Current Process

Double data entry

Data Accuracy

Cost

CHW collects info via Mobile

Tablet

Encrypted data

transmitted to 3rd party data management

company

Data sent to CDC

Proposed Process

NIST Compliant Lower costData validity increases

Saved man power

Diminishing Resources Over Time

Comparison• 3rd party web-based portal cost to

CDC and community organizations

• Security concerns– No audit trail for paper, unable

to identify data breach– Paper process not secure –

increased risk to HIPAA violations

• Double data entry– Strain on already resource-

constrained organizations

“I see less likelihood of HIPAA violations with electronic forms, because with the paper forms, currently, they take it back and input it and it might not be the same person taking it back and putting it in. So you have multiple people touching the forms.”

Implementation Study Overview

• Aim 1: Aim 1: Develop mobile data collection system

• Aim 2: Aim 2: Pilot test (mixed-methods)

• Aim 3: Aim 3: Develop an implementation strategy for scalability

Aim 1: Develop Mobile Data Collection System1) Design basic system components2) Develop protocols and proceduresMethods:

– Literature reviews– Observations– Key informant interviews

3) Alpha Test user-interface

Aim 2: Pilot Testing: Deployment to Community Based Organizations1) Determine appropriate baseline data

– Recommendation: 1 month field observations, or analysis of

2) Beta Test (small sample size (n=10) – collect quantitative and qualitative data

Technical and workforce components

3) Develop a logic model to describe the process and to inform implementation strategy

Aim 3:Develop an Implementation Strategy for Scalability

1) When developing the implementation strategy, fidelity will be a key issue

2) Developing a fidelity toolCould be a checklist, or a scale?

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