Past Research Projects

Past Research


health at you logo #Health@You
#Health@You supports communication between teens and parents, allows management of users’ illness symptoms, and provides mechanisms for constant reflection through active user participation. We use glanceable, text-based displays (e.g., : D for carbohydrates or bg for blood glucose) that utilize properties of social networking for fast and simple communication. In addition, these text-based displays can be easily parsed for quick updates to a Personal Health Record (PHR) that will provide users with the ability to engage in long-term reflection.  The PHR also facilitates better communication with providers. Our system provides users with increased health expert-informed, just-in-time feedback on their disease and the ability to reflect on teen-parent dyad communication patterns.
Funding: CU Innovative Seed Grant
Collaborators: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing

care tablet logo Colorado Care Tablet
Colorado Care Tablet (CO Care Tablet) is a Personal Health Record (PHR) Tablet PC application that helps older adults during transitions of care coordinate their care among multiple providers and caregivers and learn about the medication they are consuming. Medication errors are prevalent among older adults who are in transition between the hospital, home, or assisted living community. Co Care Tablet empowers older adults to learn about what medications to take when and care providers to understand all medications an older adult consumes.
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Collaborators: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

wio logo Walk It Out
This ongoing project explores developing a technology-based intervention to help change sedentary behavior in inactive adults. Modifying sedentary lifestyles has become a priority in many fields, as inactivity has been causally linked to many of the most common health conditions in America. Previous studies using technology-based activity motivation techniques have shown positive results, but further research is needed to look at the effectiveness of such interventions in different populations and settings. This study, while highly interdisciplinary, largely used concepts from persuasive technology, technology designed to promote behavior and attitude change. We followed a user-centered design process to develop a technology system for underserved populations most at-risk for sedentary behavior. The system has three interactive components designed using ideas from wearable and ambient technology, mobile development, and social networking. We will conduct a user needs analysis, gather reaction and feedback to the prototype design, and test using a real world evaluation of the prototype to tailor the system to the target population.
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Acknowledgements: Nwanua Elumeze and Aniomagic

avalon logo Avalon
Avalon is an open-source, publicly available Internet searching application to assist older adults effectively search the Internet for information. Older adults sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of information a simple search phrase produces on one screen (e.g., Google or Yahoo search results). In addition, once they select a website search result, they are not sure how to get back to the search engine website to modify their search phrase. These difficulties can be mostly attributed to cognitive declines of the aging population. We are looking at various ways to present information and navigate an Internet search application with reduced cognitive load. We believe that empowering such a large part of the global population to use the Internet will assist them to maintain social connectedness and increase knowledge for years to come.
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dima logo Dietary Intake Monitoring Application (DIMA)
The Dietary Intake Monitoring Application (DIMA) is a PDA application to assists end-state renal disease patients monitor their fluid and sodium intake. End-stage renal disease patients can only consume one liter of fluid and a couple of grams of sodium each day. Failure to comply can lead to severe health complications or death. DIMA will allow patients to quickly input food they consume via a barcode scanner or interface that does not require the ability to read or write and receive immediate feedback on their nutritional intake levels.
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