Cancer- Reframing War Analogies and Why Language Matters
The good news on cancer trends is a movement toward it being a chronic disease versus a terminal diagnosis. However, in common parlance cancer of often framed around "battles"…
Digital Health’s Watershed Moment- Part 2
Last week I highlighted some key considerations for healthcare systems embarking on digital health. This week's post will add some more. Start with an ecosystem mindset - the care…
Digital Health’s Watershed Moment- Have We Arrived? Part 1
The digital health era is almost a decade old. Apps play an essential part in our daily lives, and more and more people are using apps to manage their health…
Behavior Change and Mechanisms of Action- How are they Related?
Whether healthcare interventions are conducted in an in-person setting or via an app, developing a deeper understanding of what works for whom is imperative. What makes some interventions successful…
Evolving Data and Digital Strategy to Inform the Care of the Future
Futurists ponder the world of tomorrow. TV shows like Netflix's "Black Mirror" or HBO's "Years and Years" give us some insights and cautionary tales into how we might integrate…
Can Technology Reduce Loneliness?
The negative impact of loneliness on health has been receiving more attention in the published literature. A recent study in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology suggests that over 17%…
A Proposed Standard of Obesity Care
Since the 1980s the CDC has been tracking state-level rates of obesity, despite numerous local efforts to alter food and activity environments, the rates of obesity have remained high…
Digital Health Apps- How do consumers decide what good is?
The space under the digital health umbrella resembles a crowded beach In the Summertime - apps for behavioral health, obesity, and diabetes dominate the early-to-market solutions. On the app…
Nature is Healing…How Much Do We Need?
A large body of literature points to the healing powers of spending time in nature; positively impacting obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health, and asthma. Recent work in the NHS…
Sleep- an Elixer to Combat Obesity?
Evidence shows the importance of getting a good night's sleep- 7 hours seems to be the magic number; more or less is associated with negative implications for blood pressure,…