77
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
0 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: not found

      Why Are Health Care Interventions Delivered Over the Internet? A Systematic Review of the Published Literature

      review-article
      , PhD, FRCGP 1 , , , PhD 1 , , PhD, MFPHM 1 , , PhD 2 , , PhD, FFPH 1
      (Reviewer)
      Journal of Medical Internet Research
      Gunther Eysenbach
      Internet, intervention studies, literature review

      Read this article at

      ScienceOpenPublisherPMC
      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Background

          As Internet use grows, health interventions are increasingly being delivered online. Pioneering researchers are using the networking potential of the Internet, and several of them have evaluated these interventions.

          Objective

          The objective was to review the reasons why health interventions have been delivered on the Internet and to reflect on the work of the pioneers in this field in order to inform future research.

          Methods

          We conducted a qualitative systematic review of peer-reviewed evaluations of health interventions delivered to a known client/patient group using networked features of the Internet. Papers were reviewed for the reasons given for using the Internet, and these reasons were categorized.

          Results

          We included studies evaluating 28 interventions plus 9 interventions that were evaluated in pilot studies. The interventions were aimed at a range of health conditions. Reasons for Internet delivery included low cost and resource implications due to the nature of the technology; reducing cost and increasing convenience for users; reduction of health service costs; overcoming isolation of users; the need for timely information; stigma reduction; and increased user and supplier control of the intervention. A small number of studies gave the existence of Internet interventions as the only reason for undertaking an evaluation of this mode of delivery.

          Conclusions

          One must remain alert for the unintended effects of Internet delivery of health interventions due to the potential for reinforcing the problems that the intervention was designed to help. Internet delivery overcomes isolation of time, mobility, and geography, but it may not be a substitute for face-to-face contact. Future evaluations need to incorporate the evaluation of cost, not only to the health service but also to users and their social networks. When researchers report the outcomes of Internet-delivered health care interventions, it is important that they clearly state why they chose to use the Internet, preferably backing up their decision with theoretical models and exploratory work. Evaluation of the effectiveness of a health care intervention delivered by the Internet needs to include comparison with more traditional modes of delivery to answer the following question: What are the added benefits or disadvantages of Internet use that are particular to this mode of delivery?

          Related collections

          Most cited references73

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          The Effectiveness of Web-Based vs. Non-Web-Based Interventions: A Meta-Analysis of Behavioral Change Outcomes

          Background A primary focus of self-care interventions for chronic illness is the encouragement of an individual's behavior change necessitating knowledge sharing, education, and understanding of the condition. The use of the Internet to deliver Web-based interventions to patients is increasing rapidly. In a 7-year period (1996 to 2003), there was a 12-fold increase in MEDLINE citations for “Web-based therapies.” The use and effectiveness of Web-based interventions to encourage an individual's change in behavior compared to non-Web-based interventions have not been substantially reviewed. Objective This meta-analysis was undertaken to provide further information on patient/client knowledge and behavioral change outcomes after Web-based interventions as compared to outcomes seen after implementation of non-Web-based interventions. Methods The MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ERIC, and PSYCHInfo databases were searched for relevant citations between the years 1996 and 2003. Identified articles were retrieved, reviewed, and assessed according to established criteria for quality and inclusion/exclusion in the study. Twenty-two articles were deemed appropriate for the study and selected for analysis. Effect sizes were calculated to ascertain a standardized difference between the intervention (Web-based) and control (non-Web-based) groups by applying the appropriate meta-analytic technique. Homogeneity analysis, forest plot review, and sensitivity analyses were performed to ascertain the comparability of the studies. Results Aggregation of participant data revealed a total of 11,754 participants (5,841 women and 5,729 men). The average age of participants was 41.5 years. In those studies reporting attrition rates, the average drop out rate was 21% for both the intervention and control groups. For the five Web-based studies that reported usage statistics, time spent/session/person ranged from 4.5 to 45 minutes. Session logons/person/week ranged from 2.6 logons/person over 32 weeks to 1008 logons/person over 36 weeks. The intervention designs included one-time Web-participant health outcome studies compared to non-Web participant health outcomes, self-paced interventions, and longitudinal, repeated measure intervention studies. Longitudinal studies ranged from 3 weeks to 78 weeks in duration. The effect sizes for the studied outcomes ranged from -.01 to .75. Broad variability in the focus of the studied outcomes precluded the calculation of an overall effect size for the compared outcome variables in the Web-based compared to the non-Web-based interventions. Homogeneity statistic estimation also revealed widely differing study parameters (Qw16 = 49.993, P ≤ .001). There was no significant difference between study length and effect size. Sixteen of the 17 studied effect outcomes revealed improved knowledge and/or improved behavioral outcomes for participants using the Web-based interventions. Five studies provided group information to compare the validity of Web-based vs. non-Web-based instruments using one-time cross-sectional studies. These studies revealed effect sizes ranging from -.25 to +.29. Homogeneity statistic estimation again revealed widely differing study parameters (Qw4 = 18.238, P ≤ .001). Conclusions The effect size comparisons in the use of Web-based interventions compared to non-Web-based interventions showed an improvement in outcomes for individuals using Web-based interventions to achieve the specified knowledge and/or behavior change for the studied outcome variables. These outcomes included increased exercise time, increased knowledge of nutritional status, increased knowledge of asthma treatment, increased participation in healthcare, slower health decline, improved body shape perception, and 18-month weight loss maintenance.
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: not found

            Delivering interventions for depression by using the internet: randomised controlled trial.

            To evaluate the efficacy of two internet interventions for community-dwelling individuals with symptoms of depression--a psychoeducation website offering information about depression and an interactive website offering cognitive behaviour therapy. Randomised controlled trial. Internet users in the community, in Canberra, Australia. 525 individuals with increased depressive symptoms recruited by survey and randomly allocated to a website offering information about depression (n = 166) or a cognitive behaviour therapy website (n = 182), or a control intervention using an attention placebo (n = 178). Change in depression, dysfunctional thoughts; knowledge of medical, psychological, and lifestyle treatments; and knowledge of cognitive behaviour therapy. Intention to treat analyses indicated that information about depression and interventions that used cognitive behaviour therapy and were delivered via the internet were more effective than a credible control intervention in reducing symptoms of depression in a community sample. For the intervention that delivered cognitive behaviour therapy the reduction in score on the depression scale of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies was 3.2 (95% confidence interval 0.9 to 5.4). For the "depression literacy" site (BluePages), the reduction was 3.0 (95% confidence interval 0.6 to 5.2). Cognitive behaviour therapy (MoodGYM) reduced dysfunctional thinking and increased knowledge of cognitive behaviour therapy. Depression literacy (BluePages) significantly improved participants' understanding of effective evidence based treatments for depression (P < 0.05). Both cognitive behaviour therapy and psychoeducation delivered via the internet are effective in reducing symptoms of depression.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              Effects of Internet behavioral counseling on weight loss in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial.

              Weight loss programs on the Internet appear promising for short-term weight loss but have not been studied for weight loss in individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes; thus, the longer-term efficacy is unknown. To compare the effects of an Internet weight loss program alone vs with the addition of behavioral counseling via e-mail provided for 1 year to individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes. A single-center randomized controlled trial conducted from September 2001 to September 2002 in Providence, RI, of 92 overweight adults whose mean (SD) age was 48.5 (9.4) years and body mass index, 33.1 (3.8). Participants were randomized to a basic Internet (n = 46) or to an Internet plus behavioral e-counseling program (n = 46). Both groups received 1 face-to-face counseling session and the same core Internet programs and were instructed to submit weekly weights. Participants in e-counseling submitted calorie and exercise information and received weekly e-mail behavioral counseling and feedback from a counselor. Measured weight and waist circumference at 0 and 12 months. Intent-to-treat analyses showed the behavioral e-counseling group lost more mean (SD) weight at 12 months than the basic Internet group (-4.4 [6.2] vs -2.0 [5.7] kg; P =.04), and had greater decreases in percentage of initial body weight (4.8% vs 2.2%; P =.03), body mass index (-1.6 [2.2] vs -0.8 [2.1]; P =.03), and waist circumference (-7.2 [7.5] vs -4.4 [5.7] cm; P =.05). Adding e-mail counseling to a basic Internet weight loss intervention program significantly improved weight loss in adults at risk of diabetes.
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Center for Primary Health Care Studies , Warwick Medical School , University of Warwick , Coventry, UK CV4 7AL , +0044 24 7652 2534 , +0044 24 7672 8375 , f.e.griffiths@warwick.ac.uk
                Journal
                J Med Internet Res
                JMIR
                Journal of Medical Internet Research
                Gunther Eysenbach (Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, Toronto, Canada )
                1438-8871
                Apr-Jun 2006
                23 June 2006
                : 8
                : 2
                : e10
                Affiliations
                [2] 2simpleAston University Aston TriangleBirminghamUK
                [1] 1simpleHealth Sciences Research Institute simpleWarwick Medical School simpleUniversity of Warwick CoventryUK
                Article
                v8i2e10
                10.2196/jmir.8.2.e10
                1550698
                16867965
                b07e1f49-df42-4078-a94d-ccb925969e02
                © Frances Griffiths, Antje Lindenmeyer, John Powell, Margaret Thorogood. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 23.06.2006. Except where otherwise noted, articles published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, including full bibliographic details and the URL (see "please cite as" above), and this statement is included.
                History
                : 20 December 2005
                : 10 January 2006
                : 23 February 2006
                : 07 March 2006
                Categories
                Review

                Medicine
                internet,intervention studies,literature review
                Medicine
                internet, intervention studies, literature review

                Comments

                Comment on this article