December 15, 2017

Emojis for Medical Use?

By Karl Oestreich

KIMT
By Annalisa Pardo

Mayo Clinic researchers found using emojis instead of "traditional emotional scales" were helpful in assessing patients' quality of life. Using emojis over lengthy, "burdensome" KIMT LOGOquestionnaires could lead to more accurate reports by patients. Researchers say more accurate data could then lead to "determining the best treatment options." "Emojis are a near universal, popular form of communication, understandable by diverse populations, including those with low health literacy," Carrie Thompson, M.D., the study's lead author, said.

Reach: KIMT 3 serves the Mason City-Austin-Albert Lea-Rochester market.

Additional coverage: Healthcare Analytics News, Inverse, MobiHealthNewsDaily Mail

Context: In findings presented to the American Society of Hematology, Mayo Clinic researchers found that using emojis instead of traditional emotional scales were helpful in assessing patients’ physical, emotional and overall quality of life. Researchers found that using iPhones and Apple Watches were favored by patients, and the technology helped collect study data accurately and efficiently. The study, created using Apple’s ResearchKit framework, showed that Apple Watch provides objective, continuous activity data that correlates with established cancer patient-reported outcomes. “Cancer patients receive complex medical care, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and targeted agents that may result in physical, emotional, financial and spiritual consequences that can negatively impact quality of life and the ability to perform certain activities without help,” says lead author Carrie Thompson, M.D., a hematologist at Mayo Clinic. “These quality of life factors play an important role in predicting survival and determining the best treatment options.” You can read more about the study on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact:  Joe Dangor

Tags: American Society of Hematology, Apple Watch, Dr. Carrie Thompson, emojis, iPhone, KIMT, Uncategorized

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