Effects of the use of mobile phone on postural and locomotor tasks: a scoping review

BackgroundUsing a mobile phone while performing a postural and locomotor tasks is a common, daily situation. Conversing or sending messages (SMS) while walking account for a significant share of accidental injuries. Therefore, understanding the consequences of using a mobile phone on balance and walking is important, all the more so when these postural and locomotor tasks are aggravated by a disease.Research questionOur objective was to conduct a scoping review on the influence of a dual-task situation – generated by the use of mobile phone – on users' postural and/or locomotor tasks.MethodsThe literature search was conducted in English on PubMed/Medline and CINHAL databases, using keywords associated with postural and locomotor tasks and with the use of mobile phone. Study location, population, number of subjects, experimental design, types of phone use, evaluated postural-locomotor tasks and expected effects were then analyzed.Results and significance46 studies were included in this work, 24 of which came from North America. All studies compared postural and locomotor tasks with and without the use of a smartphone. Ten studies also compared at least 2 groups with different characteristics. Only 4 studies included pathological subjects. Various modalities were tested, and most studies focused on walking. Results show that the use of smartphones slows down movement and induces a systematic imbalance, except when listening to music. The dual task of "using the smartphone during a postural or locomotor tasks" induces systematic disturbances of balance and movement, which must be taken into account in the rehabilitation approach. Future studies will have to extend the knowledge regarding pathological situations.     

Pharmacy in transition: A work sampling study of community pharmacists using smartphone technology

Introduction

The nature of community pharmacy is changing, shifting from the preparation and distribution of medicines to the provision of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS); however, often the provision of traditional services leaves little time for innovative services. This study investigated the time community pharmacists spend on the tasks and activities of daily practice and to what extent they are able to implement CPS-related services in daily practice.

Reliability and validity of a smartphone-based assessment of gait parameters across walking speed and smartphone locations: Body,bag, belt,hand, and pocket

The assessment of spatiotemporal gait parameters is a useful clinical indicator of health status. Unfortunately, most assessment tools require controlled laboratory environments which can be expensive and time consuming. As smartphones with embedded sensors are becoming ubiquitous, this technology can provide a cost-effective, easily deployable method for assessing gait. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of a smartphone-based accelerometer in quantifying spatiotemporal gait parameters when attached to the body or in a bag, belt, hand, and pocket. Thirty-four healthy adults were asked to walk at self-selected comfortable, slow, and fast speeds over a 10-m walkway while carrying a smartphone. Step length, step time, gait velocity, and cadence were computed from smartphone-based accelerometers and validated with GAITRite. Across all walking speeds, smartphone data had excellent reliability (ICC_2,1 ≥ 0.90) for the body and belt locations, with bag, hand, and pocket locations having good to excellent reliability (ICC_2,1 ≥ 0.69). Correlations between the smartphone-based and GAITRite-based systems were very high for the body (r = 0.89, 0.98, 0.96, and 0.87 for step length, step time, gait velocity, and cadence, respectively). Similarly, Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated that the bias approached zero, particularly in the body, bag, and belt conditions under comfortable and fast speeds. Thus, smartphone-based assessments of gait are most valid when placed on the body, in a bag, or on a belt. The use of a smartphone to assess gait can provide relevant data to clinicians without encumbering the user and allow for data collection in the free-living environment.     

Dynamic balance measurements: Reliability of smartphone attachment sites

IntroductionDynamic balance devices are costly and uncommon, requiring dedicated space for use. Thus, studies often utilize smartphones to measure dynamic balance by attaching them to body parts, as they are inexpensive, small, and readily available. However, little consideration has been given to determine which body part would yield the most reliable measurements.Methodː A total of 25 healthy college students consented to stand on a balance pad on their dominant leg for 30 s. The test and retests were performed at a one-week interval.Resultsː Agreement between the test and retest values was moderate for those obtained from the sternum and waist (0.50 ≤ ICC ≤ 0.74) and was good for those obtained from the shin (0.75 ≤ ICC ≤ 0.89). There were significant moderate positive correlations between the test and retest results for all the attachment sites (0.40 < r < 0.69, p < 0.05).DiscussionBased on a review of related literature and the experiment's results, this study determined the pros and cons of using a smartphone as a measuring tool and the various measurement locations in the body. Despite the smartphone being a low-cost measuring tool, greater care must be taken to ensure the validity of the interpreted data.Conclusionː Although quantifying balance is necessary for evidence-based medicine, clinics seldom use existing modern devices due to their costliness. This study's results suggest that a smartphone, which is a cheaper alternative, produces the most reliable results when attached to the shin.     

Smartphone-based inertial sensors technology – Validation of a new application to measure spatiotemporal gait metrics

BackgroundSmartphones are increasingly recognized as the future technology for clinical gait assessment.ResearchQuestion: To determine the concurrent validity of gait parameters obtained using the smartphone technology and application in a group of patients with musculoskeletal pathologies.MethodsPatients with knee, lower back, hip, or ankle pain were included in the study (n = 72). Spatiotemporal outcomes were derived from the walkway and the smartphone simultaneously. Pearson’s correlations and limits of agreement (LoA) determined the association between the two methods.ResultsCadence and gait cycle time showed excellent correlation and agreement between the smartphone and the walkway (cadence: r = 0.997, LoA=1.4%, gait cycle time: r = 0.996, LoA = 1.6%). Gait speed, double-limb support and left and right step length demonstrated strong correlations and moderate agreement between methods (gait speed: r = 0.914, LoA=15.4%, left step length: r = 0.842, LoA = 17.0%, right step length: r = 0.800, LoA=16.4%). The left and right measures of single-limb support and stance percent showed a consistent 4% bias across instruments, yielding moderate correlation and very good agreement between the smartphone and the walkway (r = 0.532, LoA = 9% and r = 0.460, LoA=9.8% for left and right single-limb support; r = 0.463, LoA = 5.1% and r = 0.533, LoA = 4.4% for left and right stance).Significance: The examined application appears to be a valid tool for gait analysis, providing clinically significant metrics for the assessment of patients with musculoskeletal pathologies. However, additional studies should examine the technology amongst patients with severe gait abnormalities.     

Feasibility and effects of home-based smartphone-delivered automated feedback training for gait in people with Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial

BackgroundInertial measurement units combined with a smartphone application (CuPiD-system) were developed to provide people with Parkinson's disease (PD) real-time feedback on gait performance. This study investigated the CuPiD-system's feasibility and effectiveness compared with conventional gait training when applied in the home environment.MethodsForty persons with PD undertook gait training for 30 min, three times per week for six weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to i) CuPiD, in which a smartphone application offered positive and corrective feedback on gait, or ii) an active control, in which personalized gait advice was provided. Gait, balance, endurance and quality of life were assessed before and after training and at four weeks follow-up using standardized tests.ResultsBoth groups improved significantly on the primary outcomes (single and dual task gait speed) at post-test and follow-up. The CuPiD group improved significantly more on balance (MiniBESTest) at post-test (from 24.8 to 26.1, SD∼5) and maintained quality of life (SF-36 physical health) at follow-up whereas the control group deteriorated (from 50.4 to 48.3, SD∼16). No other statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. The CuPiD system was well-tolerated and participants found the tool user-friendly.ConclusionCuPiD was feasible, well-accepted and seemed to be an effective approach to promote gait training, as participants improved equally to controls. This benefit may be ascribed to the real-time feedback, stimulating corrective actions and promoting self-efficacy to achieve optimal performance. Further optimization of the system and adequately-powered studies are warranted to corroborate these findings and determine cost-effectiveness.     

The influence of smartphone use on spinal posture – A laboratory study

BackgroundSmartphones have become increasingly more popular and complicated tasks can be performed with these devices. However, the increasing use is associated with shoulder and neck pain, as well as with psychological addiction.Research questionDo different smartphone tasks lead to changes in spinal posture and pelvic position? Is there a relationship between smartphone addiction and changes in posture?MethodsA cross-sectional study including 50 participants was performed. Test subjects completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale and the SF-36 health questionnaire. Subjects spinal posture and pelvic position during different smartphone tasks were measured through a surface topography system. The different tasks were: standing in an upright position, simulating a phone call, texting with one or two hands during standing or while walking on a treadmill. Paired T-tests and ANOVA tests were performed to evaluate differences. The Kendall rank test was used to investigate the association between clinical scores and changes in spinal posture.ResultsAll smartphone tasks lead to a significant increase in thoracic kyphosis and trunk inclination during standing and while walking. A significant increased lumbar lordosis was also found. Texting with one or two hands correlated with increased surface rotation. No associations between smartphone addiction and changes of the spinal posture were reported.SignificanceThis represents the first surface topography study that investigated the influence of different smartphone tasks on the spinal posture and pelvic position during standing and while walking. With the results of this study we demonstrated that smartphone use leads to significant changes of sagittal and frontal spine parameters. Further research should focus on the evaluation of possible detrimental effects of long-term smartphone use on the spinal posture and on the development of preventive measures.     

Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Based Music Therapy in Korean Adolescents with Smartphone and Internet Addiction

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding music therapy (MT) to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on symptoms of smartphone/internet addiction and psychiatric comorbidities. Methods Overall, 155 patients diagnosed with addiction were assigned to either the CBT-MT group or CBT group. Both groups received CBT for 8 weeks, while the CBT-MT group received additional MT. The intervention was completed by 67 and 71 participants in the CBT-MT and CBT groups, respectively. Results The total scores of Young Internet Addiction Scale (YIAT) and Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) decreased significantly (p<0.001 for both) in both groups, while the total scores of State Anxiety Inventory for Children (SAIC) (p<0.001), Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (TAIC) (p<0.001), Conners-Wells’ Adolescent Self-Report Scale-Short form (CASS(S)) (p=0.048), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) (p<0.001) decreased only in the CBT-MT group. The decrements in YIAT (p=0.025), SAIC (p=0.043), TAIC (p=0.011), and BIS-11 (p=0.012) in the CBT-MT group were significantly greater than those in the CBT group. Conclusion Combined MT and CBT improved the symptoms of smartphone/internet addiction, anxiety, and impulsivity in adolescents. This combination could therefore be an effective treatment of smartphone or internet addiction along with behavioral disorders such as anxiety and impulsivity.     

胃癌移动医疗应用程序可用性评价的文献研究

目的通过检索国内外胃癌移动医疗应用程序的相关文献,了解该领域的研究现状和发展动态,并对可用性评价进行重点分析,以期为今后相关研究提供参考。方法检索2010年1月至2020年4月发表的胃癌移动医疗应用程序相关的中、英文文献,检索的中文数据库包括中国知网、万方、重庆维普数据库和中国生物医学文献数据库,英文数据库包括Web of Science、Pub Med、Embase、Medline、ScienceDirect、Springer Link及Cochrane Library等。结果经过文献筛选,本研究共纳入15篇英文文献。胃癌移动医疗应用程序的功能以自我监测、疼痛管理、健康教育、营养咨询和监测以及加强体育锻炼为主。应用程序的可用性评价以量性评价为主,评价方法多采用问卷调查的方式进行,评价对象大多针对目标患者用户,评价持续时间差异较大,可用性评价要素以可用性、可行性、有效性和满意度为主。结论胃癌移动医疗应用程序相关研究呈持续性增加趋势,仅适用于胃癌患者的移动医疗应用程序相对不足。应用程序设计时应在尽可能考虑胃癌患者全面需求的同时注重个性化服务,应用程序的可用性评价应贯穿应用程序研发的全过程,且如何规范实施移动医疗应用程序可用性评价应受到相关研究人员的重视。