Article Title: Health guidance for prevention of lifestyle-related diseases using health-related mobile

applications
Lifestyle-related diseases, formerly known as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has affected
more people in the world especially to those who have sedentary lifestyle. This type of diseases includes
cardiovascular diseases (CVD), stroke, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer, with CVDs and stroke
accounting for 17.7 million deaths every year (Tabish, 2017). With this, Tamura et. al (2020) stressed that
lifestyle modifications are essential for the prevention and control of such diseases and that healthcare
providers in Japan are actually required to use information and communications technologies (ICT) in
health guidance.
In their study, Tamura et. al (2020) explored on the purpose of using health-related mobile
applications (mHealth apps) and if it has a significant difference in the effect of using them instead of face-
to-face communication. It was then found out the mHealth apps are used to enhance convenience and to
improve or modify the lifestyle of the human population, wherein this includes self-monitoring, providing
knowledge to patients, typing health information, sharing information, providing positive reinforcement,
and modifying action plans. The review, then showed that the frequency of typing information about diet
and exercise appeared to be related to the prevention of primary lifestyle-related diseases and the
improvement of self-management behavior (Tamura et. al, 2020).
Reading through the preview of the article, I am reminded of the things I’ve learned in Nursing
Informatics and how mHealth can actually help us in our daily living. As stated by McCormik & Saba
(2017), taking into mind the considerations for mHealth planning, patients newly discharged from the
hospitals can still be taken care by the nurses through mHealth and this can help the nurses monitor wound
healing and address family concerns. They also stated that with mHealth, early interventions of patients
with chronic diseases like those belonging in the lifestyle-related diseases can be done since caregivers can
be alerted without going to the hospital for admission. This can most especially help monitor patients who
are in the rural areas which are hard to go into.
With the continuous developing technology evolving in today’s time and due to the global health
crisis that we are facing right now, telehealth has been one of the most convenient ways that people with
health conditions opt to consult to their physicians/healthcare providers. I believe that with the help of
telehealth, in the likes of mHealth that belongs to ICTs, those persons with lifestyle-related diseases and
especially those with immediate health care needs can be attended to directly without going to the hospitals
or clinics for consultations. These patients, I believe can be monitored and guided remotely with their health
conditions and treatment in the comfort of their homes. Also, I believe that because of mHealth and other
ICTs, clinical manifestations of life-threatening conditions can be addressed to immediately in the way that
caregivers and healthcare providers can be contacted faster in today’s time than in the past due to this
technologies being handed down to us.
As we go through the global health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and our other personal health
conditions, may we not be discouraged but be encouraged to seek consultation, even if it’s through
telehealth and with the use of mHealth applications. May we be able to prevent and control lifestyle-related
diseases through this development in the healthcare setting.
Reference:
S. Tamura, S. Haruyama, A. Ogami, A. Yokoyama, T. Okuno, Y. Kubono, K. Takakura, & S. Esumi.
(2020). Health guidance for prevention of lifestyle-related diseases using health-related mobile
applications. European Journal of Public Health. 30 - Issue supplement.
https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.582
Article Title: Developing an interpersonal communication material for primary health-care workers
for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: experience from a case in Manila,
Philippines
Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) still prevail as a global health concern which claim at least 41
million lives worldwide every year (WHO, 2020) and these include diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular
diseases (CVD), and chronic respiratory diseases. These diseases share a common set of risk factors that
are linked to the human lifestyle – unhealthy diet, tobacco use, physical inactivity, uncontrolled
consumption of alcohol, and many more. This type of disease is pretty relevant to our country, the
Philippines wherein there are about 67% total deaths recorded in connection to the health conditions stated.
Lifestyle modifications has been one of the challenges people face, and this is the same with making
environments which supports adaptation of healthy behaviors and management of NCDs (Guevarra et. Al,
2021). With the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of other communicable diseases are going around,
the statistics of NCDs here in the country continues to rise and these actually put the Filipino lives in
jeopardy.
As of today, providing preventive and promotive health services aimed at NCDs including the
PhilPEN implementation in the Philippines is given in many means and one of it is through the barangay
or village health workers hired by the local government units (LGU). With this, Guevarra et al. (2021)
aimed to present the systematic process in developing interpersonal communication (IPC) job aid,
specifically flipcharts for the prevention and control of NCDs as part of the PhilPEN implementation. It
was then found out in their study that in the City of Manila, most health communication materials available
are in the form of brochures, leaflets, and posters and in connection to NCDs, the majority of these materials
focus on the risk factors that may contribute to the said diseases. BHWs were also asked on the features of
the flipchart that they wanted to use in their activities in the communities and that they refer to have all
materials in their local language with adequate pictures or illustrations, containing contents that are easy to
comprehend, and materials that are portable so that they can fit it in their bags and bring them anywhere.
Also, they expressed that in these materials, there is a need to explain each of the NCDs, their common
management practices, follow up check-ups, and other relevant contents in connection to these diseases. To
summarize the rest of the results, Guevarra et al. (2021) stated that the seven-step systematic process to
develop an IPC material served as a useful guide in coming up with a material that is acceptable to the
target end-users in which the process followed an iterative, multistakeholder approach in order to ensure
that all important insights are obtained and that the final material is contextualized to the local scenario,
easily communicated and culturally appropriate. It is important that the context and culture in integration
of the IPC is appropriate and it is also important to take note that the health workers’ experience of IPC
material usage is easily documented for future reference. Guevarra et al. (2021) also stated that the
evaluation may focus on the impacts of using the said health communication material in addressing NCDs
in the Philippines.
When I was reading their study, I was thinking about the program review that we are currently
doing. Our health education plan would actually include the use of infographics so that our respondents
may be able to read and see graphics in relation to the lifestyle-related diseases. It may not be a flipchart as
what the study talked about, but it’s near to that. The use of these interpersonal communication job aids can
really help in giving health education to the community, especially to those who don’t have any idea on
how to prevent and control lifestyle-related diseases. I just hope that these materials are really used correctly
and properly by the healthworkers, and that the community actually take the time to read and
comprehensively understand what’s on the materials for them to help themselves manage their lifestyle and
treatment.
Reference:
Guevarra, J.P., Zuñiga, Y.M.H., Uezono, D.R., Go, J.J.L., Granada, C.N. & Manese, D.T. (2021),
"Developing an interpersonal communication material for primary health-care workers for the
prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: experience from a case in Manila,
Philippines", Journal of Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHR-07-2020-0283