Mobile Health (mHealth) Services and Online Health Educators

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Mobile technology facilitates the expansion of healthcare services, enabling mobile health (mHealth) initiatives.
• mHealth empowers patients by increasing their involvement in personal healthcare management and interaction with providers.
• The integration of mHealth necessitates new roles for effective service supervision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate the role of an online health educator (OHE) in supervising mHealth services.
• To investigate the impact of OHEs on patient experience within mHealth environments.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of OHEs in Brunei and Indonesia.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted in Brunei and Indonesia to identify the roles of OHEs in managing mHealth services.
• Focus group discussions were held with participants who engaged with OHEs in a live online health scenario.
• Qualitative and quantitative data analysis was employed to interpret findings.

Main Results:

• The study identified specific roles and responsibilities for the online health educator (OHE) in mHealth.
• Data indicated that OHEs significantly improve patients' confidence in utilizing mHealth services.
• Patient satisfaction with healthcare services was positively impacted by the presence and interaction with OHEs.

Conclusions:

• The online health educator (OHE) is a viable and beneficial role for supervising mHealth services.
• Implementing OHEs can enhance the quality and accessibility of digital healthcare.
• mHealth, supported by trained OHEs, holds significant potential for patient empowerment and improved health outcomes.