Masterarbeiten und Dissertationen

Strengthening Health and Relationships: Exploring Collaborative Health Technologies to Promote Physical Activity in Cohabiting Couples

Krah, Eva-Maria
Masterarbeit

Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg und Fachhochschule Salzburg (Joint Master Programme on Human-Computer Interaction), 02.12.2024

Betreuerin: Dr. Daniela Wurhofer, Dr. Mascha Beuthel

Abstract:

The global prevalence of physical inactivity represents a significant public health concern. Although previous research suggests that family relationships, particularly couple relationships, can motivate healthy behaviors, health technologies supporting couples in adopting health behaviors remain understudied.

Therefore, this thesis employed a Research through Design approach to explore health technologies for cohabiting couples and their potential to promote physical activity. A comprehensive literature review informed the development of a research prototype. To investigate couples‘ interactions and experiences with this prototype and explore its effects on physical activity awareness and behavior, a four-week technology probe study was conducted with seven couples (14 individuals). Following their participation in the technology probe study, couples contributed their ideas for health technologies promoting physical activity in couples in a workshop-like setting.

The findings revealed that participants appreciated the collaborative nature of the research prototype. Moreover, it improved physical activity awareness and significantly increased step counts throughout the study period. The insights obtained align with prior work suggesting that cooperative health technologies facilitating joint reflection as well as mutual support and understanding can promote healthy behaviors in a family context.

Furthermore, the results suggest that collaborative health technologies for couples should provide options for self-monitoring and that couples may benefit from additional competitive features. Health technologies could also help couples negotiate the right level of data sharing and support the reflection process. Moreover, this research demonstrated that an ambient display could stimulate discussions about physical activity, highlighting the potential for shared family spaces to foster reflection on health-related topics.

Participants ideated technologies to support couples in joint physical activity planning and monitoring, serve as a motivational third party, and allow couples to compete with other couples. These ideas, the developed research prototype, and the insights gained from engaging participants in its use and observing its effects make a valuable contribution to the advancement of health technologies for physical activity promotion in couples.

A comparison of haptic and visual support for navigation in an audio-based city game

Tkacz, Jakub
Masterarbeit

Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta – Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences; Tampere University, 2024

Betreuer an der Universität Tampere:  Dr. Ahmed Farooq und Prof. Mark van Gils
Betreuer am LBI-DHP: Jan Smeddinck, Devender Kumar

Abstract:

Navigation is a fundamental aspect of human life, yet current solutions are designed for vehicles, leaving pedestrian navigation as a derivative of its car equivalent. This thesis investigates a novel approach to pedestrian navigation, using haptic feedback to provide directional hints. Three methods were compared within navigation in an active city game: a haptic belt equipped with 16 vibrators, a smartwatch used as a haptic compass, and a smartphone with a compass displayed on the screen used as a baseline. A user study was used to evaluate these devices on four dimensions – comfort, performance, intuitiveness, and preference, gathering data via questionnaires, interviews, and logs from the devices. The results indicate that the visual compass, outperformed other methods in most dimensions, offering familiar experience and precise directions. Moreover, it was least prone to GPS inaccuracies by offering constant feedback. The haptic devices, even though showing lower results, were offering the highest environmental awareness, which may be beneficial in different scenarios or locations. Based on the experience from the user study, the multi-modal StageNav framework was introduced. It divides navigation into five distinct stages, recommending different feedback methods for each phase. This framework offers flexibility for designers and ensures that navigation offers the highest performance. The primary goal of the framework is to enhance the experience and safety of pedestrian navigation.

A Digital Talk Test for Assessing Exercise Intensity of Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

Geiger, Laura
Masterarbeit

Universität Innsbruck (Department of Computer Science), 04.03.2024

Betreuer (UIBK): Ass.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Clemens Sauerwein, PhD
Co-Betreuer:innen (LBI DHP): Mag. Dr. Daniela Wurhofer, Bakk. techn., Dr. Devender Kumar, Dr.-Ing. Jan David Smeddinck, BSc, MSc

Abstract

Addressing cardiovascular diseases as a significant global health concern requires innovative approaches to enhance patient care and rehabilitation. One of these approaches is the development of a digital version of the Talk Test which enables patients to self-assess their intensity through speech during workouts. Furthermore, the automated assessment of exercise intensity through speech related to the Talk Test offers a compelling and engaging research area. Currently, no publicly available machine learning approaches address the automated exercise intensity estimation.

In this thesis a prototype of the Digital Talk Test, called aktivtalk, is created and used in a comparative study to collect self-assessed voice samples. The usability of the aktivtalk application achieves a higher user satisfaction compared to the non digital approach in the study. Furthermore, an initial machine learning model is created to predict the exercise intensity zone without the need for self-assessment. The performance of the model with the self-assessed labels even slightly outper-

formed a traditional age and pulse based labeling approach. In summary, this thesis emphasizes the potential of the Digital Talk Test as a valuable tool for assessing and managing exercise intensity in patients with cardiovascular diseases, highlighting its reliability, usability, and potential for future development in digital healthcare.

Social activities online – integrating social elements in a digital health app to support a heart-healthy lifestyle

Kolosovskaia, Daria
Masterarbeit

Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg und Fachhochschule Salzburg (Joint Master Programme on Human-Computer Interaction), 01.02.2024

Betreuerin: Dr. Daniela Wurhofer

Towards a warning system for inaccuracies in PPG-based heart rate measurements on smartwatches : a supervised deep learning approach

Brunner, Marlene
Masterarbeit

Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg, Fakultät für Digitale und Analytische Wissenschaften, 14.09.2023

Betreuer:innen: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Arne Bathke, Dr.-Ing. Jan Smeddinck BSc, MSc, Dr. Devender Kumar

Abstract:

Wearable devices that measure Heart Rate (HR) using Photoplethysmography (PPG), such as smartwatches or fitness bands, have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, the accuracy of PPG-based HR measurements can be affected by a number of factors. This thesis investigates the accuracy and validity of PPG-based HR measurements in comparison to gold standard Elektrocardiogram (ECG) readings. First background literature is summarized to investigate the current state of the art in PPG-based HR measurement. Then, a real world data set is analyzed to assess the accuracy of PPG-based HR measurements in a real-world setting. The first part of the thesis shows that PPG-based HR measurements can be inaccurate, particularly at high exercise intensities. To address this issue, a Linear Regression model and two Deep Learning models have been developed to predict the measurement errors that occur based on the data stream from the wearable alone. The results show that a Deep Learning model based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) outperforms the other models. The model is able to reliably detect large measurement errors and therefore it is possible to develop a warning system to inform the end user of the wearable when those large deviations from the gold standard occur.

Implementation and evaluation of an application that suggests physical exercises to bridge waiting times in everyday life

Maislinger, Magdalena
Masterarbeit

Fachhochschule Salzburg (Multi Media Technology), Puch bei Hallein, September 2022

Betreuerin: Dr. Daniela Wurhofer

Einsatz digitaler Technologien in der kardiologischen Rehabilitation aus der Sicht österreichischer Gesundheitsexpert:innen – Entwicklung einer Onlinebefragung

Lunz, Luisa
Masterarbeit

Paris Lodron University Salzburg (Sport- und Bewegungswissenschaft), Salzburg, April 2022

Betreuerin: Assoz. Prof. Dr. Sabine Würth
Ko-Betreuer: Dr. Tino Kulnik

Technology as bridge between health professionals and patients

Neunteufel, Julia
Masterarbeit

Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg and Fachhochschule Salzburg (Joint Master Programme on Human-Computer Interaction), Salzburg, 05.09.2021

Betreuer:innen: Dr. Daniela Wurhofer & Dr. Bernhard Maurer

Zusammenfassung:

Ziel: Der Zweck dieser Studie ist es, zu erforschen, ob und wie Technologie zur gemeinsamen Rehabilitationsplanung durch medizinisches Fachpersonal und PatientInnen beitragen kann.
Hintergrund: Weltweit stellen Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen unverändert die häufigste Todesursache dar und sind somit eine Herausforderung für das Gesundheitswesen in Bezug auf Personal und Kosten. Rehabilitation und die Unterstützung der PatientInnen, langfristig aktiver zu werden, sind in diesem Zusammenhang wichtige Aspekte. Technologie findet hier verstärkt Anwendung. Die Gestaltung einer solchen Technologie ist noch in der Erforschung. Die Verwendung eines personenzentrierten Ansatzes in Verbindung mit Theorien aus dem digitalen Gesundheitsbereich kann für das Thema von Nutzen sein.
Herangehensweise: In dieser Studie nahmen fünf RehabilitationsexpertInnen und sieben PatientInnen teil. Dabei wurden semi-strukturierte Interviews, Beobachtungen und eine 14-tägige Tagebuchphase durchgeführt, um die Bedeutung von Technologie im Kontext der Rehabilitationsplanung zu untersuchen. Zur Auswertung der Daten wurde eine thematische Analyse verwendet.
Ergebnisse und Diskussion: Es konnten mehrere Faktoren, die die Einhaltung der vorgeschriebenen Aktivitäten beeinflussen, festgestellt werden. Vor allem die Motivation, die Ziele und der körperliche Zustand der PatientInnen konnten als solche Faktoren definiert werden. Die Technologie half bei der Erstellung maßgeschneiderter Trainingspläne und positive Auswirkungen auf das Gesundheitsverhalten der Teilnehmenden konnten festgestellt werden. Bei der Umsetzung des Trainings selbst wurde das digitale Tool als wenig unterstützend empfunden. In dieser Studie hat sich herausgestellt, dass Automatisierung, wie etwa das automatische Aufzeichnen der Aktivitäten durch andere Geräte, für die BenutzerInnen wünschenswert ist. Darüber hinaus schien es wichtig zu sein, sich realistische Ziele zu setzen, was durch eine passende Abbildung der Ziele in einer digitalen Anwendung unterstützt werden kann.
Fazit: Die Implementierung von mHealth im klinischen Umfeld birgt das Potenzial für eine effiziente und personenzentrierte Behandlungsplanung. Die Verwendung geeigneter Theorien aus Disziplinen wie der Psychologie sollte einer der treibenden Bestandteile in der Entwurfsphase eines solchen Produkts sein. Darüber hinaus ist aber auch ein geeignetes Konzept für die Implementierung der Technologie in die Organisation wichtig. Des Weiteren können das Setzen passender Ziele und das automatische Aufzeichnen der sportlichen Aktivitäten den Erfolg von mHealth Produkten steigern. Die Rückmeldung über die Aktivitäten der PatientInnen durch die Fachkräfte in der App, aber auch persönlich, ist wichtig für das Engagement der PatientInnen für ihre Behandlung.
Schlüsselwörter: medizinische Informatik, personen-zentrierte Medizin, gemeinsame Entscheidungsfindung, persuasive technology, Verhaltensänderung, mHealth, Ethnographie, HCI im Designen von mHealth