DHI401: Digital Health and Informatic

DHI401: Digital Health and Informatics – Evaluation Report
~2 minutes
Assignment Task

Learning Outcomes

The Subject Learning Outcomes demonstrated by successful completion of the task below include:

a) Critically analyse digital health and informatics applications in an Australian context

b) Classify the innovative use of digital health including e-health, telehealth, m-health, IoT and social media tools/techniques for population health and interpret disease surveillance, risk communication, disaster management and emergency response

c) Investigate and compare legal frameworks and global guidelines for digital health application in Australia with insights into social equity principles and diversity

d) Investigate the effectiveness of a digital health intervention in digital health

Task Summary

For Assessment 1, you will be required to evaluate two digital health tools/interventions. You will need to examine its applicability in a professional context within Australia, considering infrastructural, legal and ethical concerns.

Task Instructions

Step 1: Go to this link for Reachout.com

You will find a series of mobile apps and tools for health and well-being in the Australian context.

Step 2: Select TWO of the interventions that are active for your evaluation.

Step 3: Conduct an evaluation for each tool/intervention

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Step 1: Introduction
Digital health tools/interventions have been playing a significant role in the healthcare sector in Australia. The Reachout.com website offers several mobile apps and tools for health and well-being in the Australian context. This report will evaluate two of the active interventions offered by Reachout.com and their applicability in a professional context within Australia, considering infrastructural, legal, and ethical concerns.

Step 2: Selection of Interventions
The two interventions selected for this evaluation are:

ReachOut Breathe: A mobile app for controlled breathing exercises to manage stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.

ReachOut WorryTime: A mobile app for setting aside worry time and scheduling time to manage worries.

Step 3: Evaluation

ReachOut Breathe:
Applicability: The ReachOut Breathe app is applicable in a professional context in Australia, as it provides a practical tool for managing stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. It can be used by healthcare professionals to recommend to their patients and clients as a complementary therapy to traditional treatments.
Infrastructural Concerns: The app requires a smartphone to function correctly. It may not be accessible to people who do not have a smartphone or have limited access to the internet.

Legal Concerns: The app is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, ensuring that it meets safety and effectiveness standards.

Ethical Concerns: The app is designed for general use and does not collect personally identifiable information. However, the privacy policy should be reviewed to ensure that users’ information is protected.

Effectiveness: ReachOut Breathe has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels in users. A randomized controlled trial conducted in 2018 found that using the app for eight weeks resulted in significant reductions in symptoms of stress and anxiety.

ReachOut WorryTime:
Applicability: The ReachOut WorryTime app is applicable in a professional context in Australia as it provides a tool for individuals to manage their worries and anxiety