Houston Methodist Academic Institute Viewbook

Page 22

FROM DISCOVERY TO CLINIC

Outcomes Research Roberta Schwartz, PhD, chief innovation officer of Houston Methodist Hospital, led an observational study of patients and concluded that the use of mobile health technology (mHealth) has shown significant improvement in clinical outcomes among patients. The investigators found that patients who used mHealth technology averaged shorter hospital stays and lower post-surgical readmission rates. Breast cancer patients often gain weight during treatment, and that is a concern because obesity is a factor in the recurrence of the cancer. The Methodist Hospital Cancer Health Application, or the MOCHA app, was developed by Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD, and his informatics development team to help cancer patients make healthy lifestyle choices. A pilot study showed that 56% of enrolled patients who used the app lost an average of 3.5 pounds and that frequency of app use was positively linked with weight loss.

Breast Cancer Survivors Find a Way to

Maintain Healthy Lifestyles and Lose Weight on Their Phones Breast cancer treatment often leads to unintentional weight gain, which is concerning because obesity is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and a higher rate of hospital readmissions. Renee Stubbins, PhD

Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD

While weight management tools are among the most frequently accessed health apps, most are not tailored to the specific needs of cancer survivors. Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD, John S. Dunn Presidential Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering, and his informatics development team designed a mobile app called the Methodist Hospital Cancer Health Application, or MOCHA, to be an interactive resource that helps post-treatment cancer survivors to make healthy lifestyle choices, including weight loss. A four-week pilot study of the MOCHA app revealed that 56% of enrolled patients lost an average of 3.5 pounds and that frequency of app use was positively linked with weight loss. The complete results are available in the journal JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics. The next phase of this study will involve 12 weeks of intervention and one year of follow-up. While the app is currently accessible only to study participants, the goal is to broaden its use and focus on changing long-term behaviors to reduce health issues most common in cancer survivors.

Maintaining a healthy weight is difficult enough for the average person, let alone for breast cancer survivors. With MOCHA, we can track multiple patients at once, identify those who need additional support or intervention and communicate with them via real-time messaging to help them stay motivated. This is a tremendous improvement from the typical six-month clinic visit schedule for breast cancer survivors, between which patients can lose motivation and experience weight gain.

– R enee Stubbins, PhD Assistant Clinical Member Houston Methodist


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

Faculty and Research Development

0
page 51

Graduate Medical Education

4min
pages 52-56

Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration (NeuralCODR) Training Program

1min
page 50

Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIESM

1min
page 42

Houston Methodist Hospital’s New Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower Offers the Most Advanced Treatments and Innovations Available

1min
page 45

Can Devices Provide A New Treatment Option for Glioblastoma?

2min
page 44

Engineering Medicine (EnMed

1min
page 49

Novel Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Halts Tumor Growth in Deadly Ovarian and Pancreatic Cancers

2min
pages 40-41

Siemens Healthineers and Houston Methodist Imaging Innovation Hub Empowers Researchers to Push Boundaries

3min
pages 38-39

Dissolvable Implants Enhance the Body’s Ability to Heal Broken Bones

1min
pages 28-29

Expanding the RNAcore to Encompass the Entire Cycle of a Cure

3min
pages 36-37

Non-invasive Spinal Stimulation Enables Paralyzed People to Stand Unassisted

1min
pages 26-27

Devising a Novel Combination Treatment for Aggressive Double-hit Lymphoma

0
page 35

Houston Methodist and Rice University Launch Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces

4min
pages 24-25

The Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics

1min
page 8

Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III

2min
pages 12-13

Mobile App Improves Joint Replacement Surgery Outcomes

1min
page 23

Houston Methodist Researchers Step Up and Face the Challenges of COVID-19 Virus

4min
pages 18-19

The Fondren Food & Health Alliance and The Fondren Inflammation Collaboration

1min
page 9

Breast Cancer Survivors Find a Way to Maintain Healthy Lifestyles and Lose Weight on Their Phones

2min
page 22

COVID-19 Spotlights Social Determinants of Health

3min
pages 16-17

Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research

2min
pages 14-15
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.