Chris Paton | University of Oxford (original) (raw)
Papers by Chris Paton
International Journal of Medical Informatics, 2015
Despite their potential for improving health outcomes, mobile-based home monitoring systems for h... more Despite their potential for improving health outcomes, mobile-based home monitoring systems for heart failure have not yet been taken up widely by the patients and providers. To design and iteratively move towards a personalised mobile health monitoring system for patients living with heart failure, according to their health care and usability needs. We present an iterative approach to refining a remote health monitoring system that is based on interactions between different actors (patients, clinicians, social scientists and engineers) and supports the collection of quantitative and qualitative information about user experience and engagement. Patients were provided with tablet computers and commercially available sensing devices (a blood pressure monitor, a set of weighing scales, and a pulse oximeter) in order to complete physiological measurements at home, answer symptom-specific questionnaires, review their personal readings, view educational material on heart failure self-management, and communicate with their health professionals. The system supported unobtrusive remote software upgrades via an application distribution channel and the activation or deactivation of functional components by health professionals during run-time operation. We report early findings from the application of this approach in a cohort of 26 heart failure patients (mean age 72±15 years), their caregivers and healthcare professionals who participated in the SUPPORT-HF (Seamless User-centred Proactive Provision Of Risk-stratified Treatment for Heart Failure) study over a one-year study period (mean patient follow-up duration=270±62 days). The approach employed in this study led to several system upgrades dealing in particular with patient requirements for better communication with the development team and personalised self-monitoring interfaces. Engagement with the system was constantly high throughout the study and during the last week of the evaluation, 23 patients (88%) used the system at least once and 16 patients (62%) at least three times. Designers of future mobile-based home monitoring systems for heart failure and other chronic conditions could leverage the described approach as a means of meeting patients' needs during system use within the home environment and facilitating successful uptake.
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, Jan 10, 2015
To share approaches and innovations adopted to deliver a relatively inexpensive clinical data man... more To share approaches and innovations adopted to deliver a relatively inexpensive clinical data management (CDM) framework within a low-income setting that aims to deliver quality pediatric data useful for supporting research, strengthening the information culture and informing improvement efforts in local clinical practice. The authors implemented a CDM framework to support a Clinical Information Network (CIN) using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), a noncommercial software solution designed for rapid development and deployment of electronic data capture tools. It was used for collection of standardized data from case records of multiple hospitals' pediatric wards. R, an open-source statistical language, was used for data quality enhancement, analysis, and report generation for the hospitals. In the first year of CIN, the authors have developed innovative solutions to support the implementation of a secure, rapid pediatric data collection system spanning 14 hospital site...
OBJECTIVES: As technology continues to evolve and rise in various industries, such as healthcare,... more OBJECTIVES: As technology continues to evolve and rise in various industries, such as healthcare, science, education, and gaming, a sophisticated concept known as Big Data is surfacing. The concept of analytics aims to understand data. We set out to portray and discuss perspectives of the evolving use of Big Data in science and healthcare and, to examine some of the opportunities and challenges.\n\nMETHODS: A literature review was conducted to highlight the implications associated with the use of Big Data in scientific research and healthcare innovations, both on a large and small scale.\n\nRESULTS: Scientists and health-care providers may learn from one another when it comes to understanding the value of Big Data and analytics. Small data, derived by patients and consumers, also requires analytics to become actionable. Connectivism provides a framework for the use of Big Data and analytics in the areas of science and healthcare. This theory assists individuals to recognize and synthesize how human connections are driving the increase in data. Despite the volume and velocity of Big Data, it is truly about technology connecting humans and assisting them to construct knowledge in new ways. Concluding Thoughts: The concept of Big Data and associated analytics are to be taken seriously when approaching the use of vast volumes of both structured and unstructured data in science and health-care. Future exploration of issues surrounding data privacy, confidentiality, and education are needed. A greater focus on data from social media, the quantified self-movement, and the application of analytics to "small data" would also be useful.
Healthcare informatics research, 2014
This paper outlines a new method of teaching health informatics to large numbers of students from... more This paper outlines a new method of teaching health informatics to large numbers of students from around the world through a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The Health Informatics Forum is a social networking site for educating health informatics students and professionals [corrected]. It is running a MOOC for students from around the world that uses creative commons licenced content funded by the US government and developed by five US universities. The content is delivered through narrated lectures with slides that can be viewed online with discussion threads on the forum for class interactions. Students can maintain a professional profile, upload photos and files, write their own blog posts and post discussion threads on the forum. The Health Informatics Forum MOOC has been accessed by 11,316 unique users from 127 countries from August 2, 2012 to January 24, 2014. Most users accessed the MOOC via a desktop computer, followed by tablets and mobile devices and 55% of users were f...
Yearbook of medical informatics, 2012
This paper explores the range of self-tracking devices and social media platforms used by the sel... more This paper explores the range of self-tracking devices and social media platforms used by the self-tracking community, and examines the implications of widespread adoption of these tools for scientific progress in health informatics. A literature review was performed to investigate the use of social media and self-tracking technologies in the health sector. An environmental scan identified a range of products and services which were used to exemplify three levels of self-tracking: self-experimentation, social sharing of data and patient controlled electronic health records. There appears to be an increase in the use of self-tracking tools, particularly in the health and fitness sector, but also used in the management of chronic diseases. Evidence of efficacy and effectiveness is limited to date, primarily due to the health and fitness focus of current solutions as opposed to their use in disease management. Several key technologies are converging to produce a trend of increased pers...
Yearbook of medical informatics, 2011
Social media are online tools that allow collaboration and community building. Succinctly, they c... more Social media are online tools that allow collaboration and community building. Succinctly, they can be described as applications where "users add value". This paper aims to show how five educators have used social media tools in medical and health education to attempt to add value to the education they provide. We conducted a review of the literature about the use of social media tools in medical and health education. Each of the authors reported on their use of social media in their educational projects and collaborated on a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to delivering educational projects. We found little empirical evidence to support the use of social media tools in medical and health education. Social media are, however, a rapidly evolving range of tools, websites and online experiences and it is likely that the topic is too broad to draw definitive conclusions from any particular study. As practitioners in the use of social media, we h...
Yearbook of medical informatics, 2008
To provide an overview of Web 2.0 and Health 2.0, and so facilitate a widespread discussion of th... more To provide an overview of Web 2.0 and Health 2.0, and so facilitate a widespread discussion of the nature of these concepts and their possible application within the health domain, and implications for health and biomedical informatics and for IMIA. IMIA, the International Medical Informatics Association, has established a Web 2.0 Exploratory Taskforce to bring together interested individuals from within and outside IMIA to explore the nature and potential of Web 2.0 applications. The Taskforce aims to develop background materials and sample uses of Web 2.0 applications, so as to propose specific lines of action for the IMIA Board and General Assembly. This paper provides a brief overview of Web 2.0 and related concepts, and examples of general and health-specific Web 2.0 applications. Some examples of the issues, challenges and opportunities are introduced, to set the scene for a wider dialogue on if, how, and how best, IMIA, and the wider health and informatics communities, should...
ABSTRACT Over the past five years, we have collaborated on a number of initiatives to disseminate... more ABSTRACT Over the past five years, we have collaborated on a number of initiatives to disseminate health informatics knowledge to developing countries. The existing academic and publishing infrastructure is not well suited to distributing knowledge without incurring significant costs to students and researchers. This is a particular issue for researchers in developing countries where the costs of purchasing journal articles, books or courses can be prohibitive. This article describes two initiatives that aim to provide free, high quality research and educational resources to health informatics students, academics and professionals in developing countries. The first is an Open Access (OA) journal called the Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries (www.jhidc.org), and the second is a Massive Open Online Course that is hosted on the Health Informatics Forum website (www.healthinformaticsforum.com/MOOC).
BMC Public Health, 2014
Background: One potential promising strategy for increasing smoking cessation for Māori (Indigeno... more Background: One potential promising strategy for increasing smoking cessation for Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders) and New Zealand resident Pacific Island people is Quit and Win competitions. The current uncontrolled pre and post study, WERO (WERO in Māori language means challenge), differs from previous studies in that it aims to investigate if a stop smoking contest, using both within team support, external support from a team coach and cessation experts, and technology, would be effective in prompting and sustaining quitting.
PM&R, 2013
Social networking sites (SNS) are now part of everyday life, and SNSs such as Facebook, YouTube, ... more Social networking sites (SNS) are now part of everyday life, and SNSs such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are among the most accessed Web sites on the Internet. Although SNSs are primarily used for staying in touch with friends and family, they are increasingly being used for health-related purposes for a variety of conditions, including concussion awareness. As health interventions begin to be more commonly provided through SNSs (particularly Facebook), ethical issues have been raised with regard to confidentiality, privacy, and trust; these issues need to be addressed. This article outlines some of the key considerations when providing a concussion intervention through Facebook and discusses potential solutions to these issues.
BMC Public Health, 2013
Background: Māori and Pacific Island people have significantly higher smoking rates compared to t... more Background: Māori and Pacific Island people have significantly higher smoking rates compared to the rest of the New Zealand population. The main aim of this paper is to describe how knowledge of Indigenous people's practices and principles can be combined with proven effective smoking cessation support into a cessation intervention appropriate for Indigenous people. Methods/Design: A literature review was conducted to identify what cultural principles and practices could be used to increase salience, and what competition elements could have an impact on efficacy of smoking cessation. The identified elements were incorporated into the design of a cessation intervention. Discussion: Cultural practices incorporated into the intervention include having a holistic family or group-centred focus, inter-group competitiveness, fundraising and ritual pledging. Competition elements included are social support, pharmacotherapy use, cash prize incentives and the use of a dedicated website and iPad application. A pre-test post-test will be combined with process evaluation to evaluate if the competition results in triggering mass-quitting, utilisation of pharmacotherapy and in increasing sustained smoking cessation and to get a comprehensive understanding of the way in which they contribute to the effect. The present study is the first to describe how knowledge about cultural practices and principles can be combined with proven cessation support into a smoking cessation contest. The findings from this study are promising and further more rigorous testing is warranted.
HIC 2010 Conference: …, 2010
To cite this article: Warren, Debra; Paton, Chris and Pollock, Malcolm. Development of a Web 2.0 ... more To cite this article: Warren, Debra; Paton, Chris and Pollock, Malcolm. Development of a Web 2.0 Health Innovation Exchange for New Zealand [online]. In: Hansen, David (Editor); Schaper, Louise (Editor); Rowlands, David (Editor). HIC 2010 Conference: Informing the ...
International Journal of Medical Informatics, 2015
Despite their potential for improving health outcomes, mobile-based home monitoring systems for h... more Despite their potential for improving health outcomes, mobile-based home monitoring systems for heart failure have not yet been taken up widely by the patients and providers. To design and iteratively move towards a personalised mobile health monitoring system for patients living with heart failure, according to their health care and usability needs. We present an iterative approach to refining a remote health monitoring system that is based on interactions between different actors (patients, clinicians, social scientists and engineers) and supports the collection of quantitative and qualitative information about user experience and engagement. Patients were provided with tablet computers and commercially available sensing devices (a blood pressure monitor, a set of weighing scales, and a pulse oximeter) in order to complete physiological measurements at home, answer symptom-specific questionnaires, review their personal readings, view educational material on heart failure self-management, and communicate with their health professionals. The system supported unobtrusive remote software upgrades via an application distribution channel and the activation or deactivation of functional components by health professionals during run-time operation. We report early findings from the application of this approach in a cohort of 26 heart failure patients (mean age 72±15 years), their caregivers and healthcare professionals who participated in the SUPPORT-HF (Seamless User-centred Proactive Provision Of Risk-stratified Treatment for Heart Failure) study over a one-year study period (mean patient follow-up duration=270±62 days). The approach employed in this study led to several system upgrades dealing in particular with patient requirements for better communication with the development team and personalised self-monitoring interfaces. Engagement with the system was constantly high throughout the study and during the last week of the evaluation, 23 patients (88%) used the system at least once and 16 patients (62%) at least three times. Designers of future mobile-based home monitoring systems for heart failure and other chronic conditions could leverage the described approach as a means of meeting patients' needs during system use within the home environment and facilitating successful uptake.
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, Jan 10, 2015
To share approaches and innovations adopted to deliver a relatively inexpensive clinical data man... more To share approaches and innovations adopted to deliver a relatively inexpensive clinical data management (CDM) framework within a low-income setting that aims to deliver quality pediatric data useful for supporting research, strengthening the information culture and informing improvement efforts in local clinical practice. The authors implemented a CDM framework to support a Clinical Information Network (CIN) using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), a noncommercial software solution designed for rapid development and deployment of electronic data capture tools. It was used for collection of standardized data from case records of multiple hospitals' pediatric wards. R, an open-source statistical language, was used for data quality enhancement, analysis, and report generation for the hospitals. In the first year of CIN, the authors have developed innovative solutions to support the implementation of a secure, rapid pediatric data collection system spanning 14 hospital site...
OBJECTIVES: As technology continues to evolve and rise in various industries, such as healthcare,... more OBJECTIVES: As technology continues to evolve and rise in various industries, such as healthcare, science, education, and gaming, a sophisticated concept known as Big Data is surfacing. The concept of analytics aims to understand data. We set out to portray and discuss perspectives of the evolving use of Big Data in science and healthcare and, to examine some of the opportunities and challenges.\n\nMETHODS: A literature review was conducted to highlight the implications associated with the use of Big Data in scientific research and healthcare innovations, both on a large and small scale.\n\nRESULTS: Scientists and health-care providers may learn from one another when it comes to understanding the value of Big Data and analytics. Small data, derived by patients and consumers, also requires analytics to become actionable. Connectivism provides a framework for the use of Big Data and analytics in the areas of science and healthcare. This theory assists individuals to recognize and synthesize how human connections are driving the increase in data. Despite the volume and velocity of Big Data, it is truly about technology connecting humans and assisting them to construct knowledge in new ways. Concluding Thoughts: The concept of Big Data and associated analytics are to be taken seriously when approaching the use of vast volumes of both structured and unstructured data in science and health-care. Future exploration of issues surrounding data privacy, confidentiality, and education are needed. A greater focus on data from social media, the quantified self-movement, and the application of analytics to "small data" would also be useful.
Healthcare informatics research, 2014
This paper outlines a new method of teaching health informatics to large numbers of students from... more This paper outlines a new method of teaching health informatics to large numbers of students from around the world through a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The Health Informatics Forum is a social networking site for educating health informatics students and professionals [corrected]. It is running a MOOC for students from around the world that uses creative commons licenced content funded by the US government and developed by five US universities. The content is delivered through narrated lectures with slides that can be viewed online with discussion threads on the forum for class interactions. Students can maintain a professional profile, upload photos and files, write their own blog posts and post discussion threads on the forum. The Health Informatics Forum MOOC has been accessed by 11,316 unique users from 127 countries from August 2, 2012 to January 24, 2014. Most users accessed the MOOC via a desktop computer, followed by tablets and mobile devices and 55% of users were f...
Yearbook of medical informatics, 2012
This paper explores the range of self-tracking devices and social media platforms used by the sel... more This paper explores the range of self-tracking devices and social media platforms used by the self-tracking community, and examines the implications of widespread adoption of these tools for scientific progress in health informatics. A literature review was performed to investigate the use of social media and self-tracking technologies in the health sector. An environmental scan identified a range of products and services which were used to exemplify three levels of self-tracking: self-experimentation, social sharing of data and patient controlled electronic health records. There appears to be an increase in the use of self-tracking tools, particularly in the health and fitness sector, but also used in the management of chronic diseases. Evidence of efficacy and effectiveness is limited to date, primarily due to the health and fitness focus of current solutions as opposed to their use in disease management. Several key technologies are converging to produce a trend of increased pers...
Yearbook of medical informatics, 2011
Social media are online tools that allow collaboration and community building. Succinctly, they c... more Social media are online tools that allow collaboration and community building. Succinctly, they can be described as applications where "users add value". This paper aims to show how five educators have used social media tools in medical and health education to attempt to add value to the education they provide. We conducted a review of the literature about the use of social media tools in medical and health education. Each of the authors reported on their use of social media in their educational projects and collaborated on a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to delivering educational projects. We found little empirical evidence to support the use of social media tools in medical and health education. Social media are, however, a rapidly evolving range of tools, websites and online experiences and it is likely that the topic is too broad to draw definitive conclusions from any particular study. As practitioners in the use of social media, we h...
Yearbook of medical informatics, 2008
To provide an overview of Web 2.0 and Health 2.0, and so facilitate a widespread discussion of th... more To provide an overview of Web 2.0 and Health 2.0, and so facilitate a widespread discussion of the nature of these concepts and their possible application within the health domain, and implications for health and biomedical informatics and for IMIA. IMIA, the International Medical Informatics Association, has established a Web 2.0 Exploratory Taskforce to bring together interested individuals from within and outside IMIA to explore the nature and potential of Web 2.0 applications. The Taskforce aims to develop background materials and sample uses of Web 2.0 applications, so as to propose specific lines of action for the IMIA Board and General Assembly. This paper provides a brief overview of Web 2.0 and related concepts, and examples of general and health-specific Web 2.0 applications. Some examples of the issues, challenges and opportunities are introduced, to set the scene for a wider dialogue on if, how, and how best, IMIA, and the wider health and informatics communities, should...
ABSTRACT Over the past five years, we have collaborated on a number of initiatives to disseminate... more ABSTRACT Over the past five years, we have collaborated on a number of initiatives to disseminate health informatics knowledge to developing countries. The existing academic and publishing infrastructure is not well suited to distributing knowledge without incurring significant costs to students and researchers. This is a particular issue for researchers in developing countries where the costs of purchasing journal articles, books or courses can be prohibitive. This article describes two initiatives that aim to provide free, high quality research and educational resources to health informatics students, academics and professionals in developing countries. The first is an Open Access (OA) journal called the Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries (www.jhidc.org), and the second is a Massive Open Online Course that is hosted on the Health Informatics Forum website (www.healthinformaticsforum.com/MOOC).
BMC Public Health, 2014
Background: One potential promising strategy for increasing smoking cessation for Māori (Indigeno... more Background: One potential promising strategy for increasing smoking cessation for Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders) and New Zealand resident Pacific Island people is Quit and Win competitions. The current uncontrolled pre and post study, WERO (WERO in Māori language means challenge), differs from previous studies in that it aims to investigate if a stop smoking contest, using both within team support, external support from a team coach and cessation experts, and technology, would be effective in prompting and sustaining quitting.
PM&R, 2013
Social networking sites (SNS) are now part of everyday life, and SNSs such as Facebook, YouTube, ... more Social networking sites (SNS) are now part of everyday life, and SNSs such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are among the most accessed Web sites on the Internet. Although SNSs are primarily used for staying in touch with friends and family, they are increasingly being used for health-related purposes for a variety of conditions, including concussion awareness. As health interventions begin to be more commonly provided through SNSs (particularly Facebook), ethical issues have been raised with regard to confidentiality, privacy, and trust; these issues need to be addressed. This article outlines some of the key considerations when providing a concussion intervention through Facebook and discusses potential solutions to these issues.
BMC Public Health, 2013
Background: Māori and Pacific Island people have significantly higher smoking rates compared to t... more Background: Māori and Pacific Island people have significantly higher smoking rates compared to the rest of the New Zealand population. The main aim of this paper is to describe how knowledge of Indigenous people's practices and principles can be combined with proven effective smoking cessation support into a cessation intervention appropriate for Indigenous people. Methods/Design: A literature review was conducted to identify what cultural principles and practices could be used to increase salience, and what competition elements could have an impact on efficacy of smoking cessation. The identified elements were incorporated into the design of a cessation intervention. Discussion: Cultural practices incorporated into the intervention include having a holistic family or group-centred focus, inter-group competitiveness, fundraising and ritual pledging. Competition elements included are social support, pharmacotherapy use, cash prize incentives and the use of a dedicated website and iPad application. A pre-test post-test will be combined with process evaluation to evaluate if the competition results in triggering mass-quitting, utilisation of pharmacotherapy and in increasing sustained smoking cessation and to get a comprehensive understanding of the way in which they contribute to the effect. The present study is the first to describe how knowledge about cultural practices and principles can be combined with proven cessation support into a smoking cessation contest. The findings from this study are promising and further more rigorous testing is warranted.
HIC 2010 Conference: …, 2010
To cite this article: Warren, Debra; Paton, Chris and Pollock, Malcolm. Development of a Web 2.0 ... more To cite this article: Warren, Debra; Paton, Chris and Pollock, Malcolm. Development of a Web 2.0 Health Innovation Exchange for New Zealand [online]. In: Hansen, David (Editor); Schaper, Louise (Editor); Rowlands, David (Editor). HIC 2010 Conference: Informing the ...