METHODS: Intensive voice therapy was delivered to 11 adults with PD using a smartphone videoconference method via WhatsApp Messenger freeware. The therapy consisted of 12 sessions over four weeks and focused on increasing vocal loudness. Outcomes were assessed using objective, perceptual and quality-of-life measures pre and post treatment. Participant satisfaction with the telerehabilitation method was obtained via the Smartphone-Based Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire.
RESULTS: Significant gains were reported for sound pressure level in sustained vowels and monologue. Perceptual ratings showed significant improvements in overall mean severity and loudness after treatment. Mean scores of speech intelligibility and Voice Handicap Index-10 were significantly better post treatment. Overall, participants were highly satisfied with the smartphone videoconference method.
DISCUSSION: Present results suggest that the smartphone videoconference method is feasible to deliver intensive voice therapy to individuals with PD to gain better speech and voice functions. Future studies need to address the standardisation of the system protocol to optimise this novel service delivery method in Malaysia.
METHODS: A total of 11 participants with NS-NP were recruited. Pain intensity, active range of motion (AROM), posture, deep neck flexor (DNF) endurance, combined neck movements and disability were measured using face-to-face and TR methods, with a one-hour break in between. TelePTsys, an image-based TR system, was used for TR assessment.
RESULTS: A high degree of concurrent validity for pain (bias = 0.90), posture (bias = 0.96°), endurance (bias = -2.3 seconds), disability (bias = 0.10), AROM (extension bias = -0.60 cm, flexion bias = 1.2 cm, side flexion bias = -1.00, rotation bias = -0.30 cm) was found. Standard error of measurement and coefficient of variation (CV) values were within the acceptable level for concurrent validity, except the CV for cervical flexion and endurance. There was a high degree of reliability demonstrated for pain, posture, AROM, endurance and disability measurements. The average-measure interclass correlation coefficient (ICC(3,1)) ranged from 0.96 to 0.99 for inter-rater, and 0.93 to 0.99 for intra-rater reliabilities. There was moderate agreement for combination movement for validity (78.5%, p
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2021. An online survey, consisting of socio-demographic characteristics, Internet use, eHealth Literacy Scale and mobile health application utilisation, was distributed amongst pharmacy undergraduates in public and private universities in Malaysia. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test.
RESULTS: A total of 415 participants completed the survey (response rate = 82.5%). The median eHealth Literacy Scale score (out of 40) was 31.0 ± 3.0 (interquartile range). More than one-third of participants (34.7%) were found to have low eHealth literacy. Many lacked confidence in making health decisions from online information (42.4%) and skills in distinguishing between high-quality and low-quality health resources (35.2%). Only 70.4% of the participants had mobile health applications installed on their smartphones and/or tablets. Some students felt that they were neither knowledgeable nor skilful enough to utilise mobile health applications (24.8%), whereas 23.9% were unaware of the mobile health applications available.
CONCLUSION: In summary, the eHealth literacy of Malaysian pharmacy students can be further enhanced by incorporating eHealth literacy-focused programmes into the curriculum. Moreover, pharmacy students' mobile health application utilisation can be improved through increased awareness and support from universities.
METHODS: This research was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The databases that had been searched included Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Ovid from 2017 to 2022. Study characteristics were retrieved and study outcomes such as adherence status and diabetes control were extracted and quantitatively analysed through meta-analysis.
RESULTS: Eight studies met the final inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis, contributing to a total of 884 subjects. The methodological quality of the included studies was variable. Three studies reported statistically significant improvement in medication adherence through mobile apps intervention. Additionally, the mobile apps intervention proved effective in reducing glycaemic outcomes. As compared to non-mobile apps users, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) significantly decreased by 0.36% (95% CI -0.47% to -0.25%), whereas fasting plasma glucose (FPG) significantly decreased by 16.75 mg/dL (95% CI -17.60 mg/dL to -15.80 mg/dL).
CONCLUSION: Mobile apps intervention had beneficial impacts on medication adherence and glycaemic parameters. Future research should explore the best practical approach for real-world settings.