Mobile Health Technology Shared Resource

MOBILE HEALTH TECHNOLOGY SHARED RESOURCE: ABSTRACT The Mobile Health Technology Shared Resource (mHealth SR) is a Stephenson Cancer Center (SCC)- managed facility which develops advanced mobile applications that aim to prevent cancer, supplement cancer treatment, and improve quality of life for cancer survivors. Under the overall direction of founding director Michael Businelle, PhD (CPC), the mHealth SR works with SCC researchers and other users to create innovative mobile applications that 1) identify and intervene upon environmental, cognitive, affective, physiological, and behavioral antecedents of risk factors (e.g., smoking, heavy alcohol use, obesity, medication non-adherence) linked to cancer (primary, secondary and tertiary prevention), and 2) supplement and support cancer treatment. Applications are developed using state-of-the-science, cross-platform design instruments that facilitate data capture real time in real-life environments using a wide range of devices and technologies (e.g., smartphone based self-report assessments, wearable activity monitors, global positioning data, other Bluetooth enabled devices). mHealth SR staff and leadership employ their expertise to develop and manage mHealth studies, cross-platform programming, and the integration of multiple data streams to create dynamically tailored and adaptive interventions. Leveraging this specialized set of skills, technical knowledge, and SCC infrastructure, the mHealth SR enables rapid translation of innovative research ideas into low-cost and highly disseminable applications. The SCC established the mHealth SR in November 2015 to facilitate community outreach and engagement with the goal of addressing the needs of underserved populations in the SCC catchment area. This investment is in response to a 2014 External Advisory Board recommendation to establish a shared resource that would allow for tailored data gathering and intervention development. The mHealth SR has experienced significant growth since it received an “Outstanding to Exceptional” merit score during the last CCSG review. During the reporting period, 13 unique SCC members utilized the mHealth SR (11 with peer-reviewed funding). Since inception the mHealth SR has provided its technical services and expertise to 72 mHealth research studies (38 NIH-funded) with an additional ~30 grant proposals currently under review at federal granting agencies. Most of these studies have focused on cancer prevention, but there has been a recent increase in studies designed for patients currently receiving cancer treatments (n=9). Thus, there is growing need and interest among SCC members to employ mobile applications to advance their research. The use of this resource will continue to accelerate throughout the next funding cycle.