Travel medicine and mHealth technology: a study using smartphones to collect health data during travel

• DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taw056
• Publication Date: 2016-09-05T00:38:42Z
• Authors: Andrea Farnham; Ulf Blanke; Emily Stone; Milo A. Puhan; Christoph Hatz
• Keywords: Travel medicine; mHealth

Background: mHealth methodology such as smartphone applications offers new opportunities to capture the full range of health risks during travel in real time. Our study aims widen scope research tropical and subtropical destinations by using a application collect detailed information on behaviours, clinical symptoms, accidents environmental factors travel. Methods: We enrolled clinic clients Zurich Basel ≥18 years age travelling Thailand for <5 weeks. Sociodemographic, risk behaviour was collected pre-travel. Participants were equipped with an that (1) actively administers daily self-report questionnaire risks, behaviours symptoms traveller encountered, (2) passively collects traveller's location conditions transformation raw GPS data. Results: A prospective cohort 101 travellers planning between January June 2015 recruited. Of travellers, 75 (74.3%) answered at least one travel, 10 (9.9%) had technical difficulties 16 (15.8%) dropped out. Those who completed questionnaires median 27.0 old (range 18–57). Travellers filled out 12.0 their trip 1–30), corresponding completion rate 85.0% days The typical example healthy female shows many diverse issues arise clusters certain days. rich data local environment may be used explain occurrence clustering issues. Conclusions: Use app is technically feasible acceptable amongst population, minimizes recall bias greatly increases quality quantity technology great potential innovation medicine.