Their study is the first to evaluate a smartphone app as the sole method for monitoring weight loss, with researchers creating My Meal Mate to trial against similar products for monitoring food intake, an online food diary and the traditional paper version. The My Meal Mate app allows users to monitor their food intake and exercise, set a weight loss target and sends a weekly update on progress via text message.
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EU and US Step Up Cooperation in eHealth
The European Commission's Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) have agreed on a roadmap to strengthen transatlantic cooperation in eHealth and Health information technologies (IT). This builds on a Memorandum of Understanding on this topic, signed in 2010 under the auspices of the Transatlantic Economic Council.
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Transformational Telemonitoring NI Service Celebrated by Northern Ireland Health Minister
Experts from across Northern Ireland gathered this week to mark the success of the Telemonitoring NI service. The service, which is being provided by the TF3 Consortium in conjunction with the five health and social care trusts, is designed to transform patient care across Northern Ireland by enabling better control over their health and improving care outcomes, and has benefitted 1,500 patients to date.
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Computer Based Interventions Provide Limited Support
Self-management interventions delivered by computer and mobile phone currently provide limited benefits for people with diabetes, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. Although computer and mobile phone-based self-management programmes had small positive effects on blood sugar levels, these effects seemed to be short-lived.
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The Personal Assistant App for People with Rheumatic Disease
The Italian Association for People with Rheumatic Diseases (A.P.MA.R.) has announced the successful launch in Italy of the advanced mobile Application Software (App) for people with rheumatoid arthritis, named the Rheumatoid Arthritis App. A.P.MA.R.’s project has been developed by SB Soft s.r.l., with scientific support from Dr. Marilena Serra, Rheumatologist, Vito Fazzi Hospital of Lecce and Dr. Tiziana Nava, President GIS Rheumatology -AIFI (Italian Association of Physiotherapists) and made possible with a contribution from MSD Italy.
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Telehealth Unlikely to be Cost Effective for Patients with Long Term Conditions
Telehealth does not seem to be a cost effective addition to standard support and treatment for patients with long term conditions, finds a study published on bmj.com. The findings follow a BMJ study showing that telehealth does not improve quality of life for patients with long term conditions.
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Earthquake Crisis Accelerates Healthcare Reform in Christchurch, New Zealand
In these austere times, when the NHS is charged with delivering efficiency challenges of £120 billion, the adoption of an integrated, IT-driven healthcare system is seen as an important move, enabling the introduction of new services, saving time (and money) and providing more efficient operations and better informed decision making.
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