mHealth Research Affinity Group Research Overview

The ubiquitous use of mHealth for disease management requires rigorous research to develop and deploy evidence-based mHealth interventions and platforms. Research is needed to better understand who benefits from mHealth, under what conditions and situations mHealth is needed, which technologies are best suited to use with mHealth, and how those technologies are accepted. Nearly 100 CHOP investigators are engaged in research developing and testing mHealth technology to improve the care of patients.

mHealth Research Affinity Group (RAG) membership includes those on the front lines of this research, such as CHOP-based and other local researchers interested in or conducting mHealth research, as well as other stakeholders such as information services, the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics Bioinformatics group, digital health administration, and project leaders and coordinators.

Membership from multiple disciplines and roles reflects the necessity of agile team science to develop, deploy, and test mobile technologies for improving health outcomes. To coalesce researchers and stakeholders to advance mHealth science, the RAG provides a forum for educational and networking opportunities to enhance knowledge of mHealth and develop potential collaborations both within and outside the CHOP and University of Pennsylvania campuses. In addition, the mHealth RAG serves as a critical liaison with the CHOP Research Institute and hospital administration on the prioritization of resources to enhance and expand mHealth research and its implementation in clinical practice.