An mHealth-based Healthcare Professional-Lay Health Worker Partnership Program (mHLPP)

Summary

The project aimed at training female food delivery workers from Food Angel to perform basic health checks for older adults living alone in the community.

After undergoing training, the female delivery workers will be equipped with basic health knowledge and the ability to measure physical vital signs, including blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, and pulse and pain indices, for around 100 older adults when they visit them to deliver meals. The health data collected by the delivery workers will be uploaded to the mHealth monitoring platform developed by Prof. Arkers Wong's research team. Registered nurses (RNs) will be given access to the platform to evaluate the health status of the older adults. When needed, an RN will give in-depth personal care and interventions via the mHealth app to the older adults. Referrals to allied health professionals or social workers can also be made by the RNs for early interventions.

The team hope that this first-of-its-kind grassroots community health model, undertaken in combination with the Health-Social Partnership, will provide scientific research evidence for the Hong Kong government to consider introducing the mHealth app and the service model to the community as a way to strengthen primary healthcare.

The mHealth app is a pilot health management mobile app with an interactive nurse support function. The app enables nurses to monitor the health status of users and allow users to communicate with nurses when they have health concerns. Research findings released by the team in March 2023 showed that older adults' use of the app for 3 to 6 months resulted in a significant increase in self-efficacy, a significant decrease in depression levels, a reduction in the use of medical services, and an improvement in quality of life.

Conditions

• Impoverished Population
• Older Adults (60 - 85 Years Old)

Interventions

OTHER

mHealth-Based Healthcare Professional-Lay Health Worker Partnership Program (mHLPP)

The participants are able to receive the services offered by this program. During the six-month program, the lay health workers deliver the free meal provided by Food Angel at the participants' home and measure the participants' vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, and pain level (if any), and they upload the results to the mHealth app subsequently. During the 6-month program, the participants receive eleven home visits from a nurse. During the first month, the nurse visit the participants weekly. The nurse visit the participants twice a week for two and three months. The nurse only visit the participants once a month between the fourth and sixth month. The nurse conduct a comprehensive health assessment and establish some health goals with the participants during the home visit. She formulate an individual care plan, and record them on the app for the lay health worker to follow-up.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Li Ka Shing Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-04-05

Primary Completion

2026-11-30

Completion

2028-11-30

Countries

• Hong Kong

Study Locations