Research

Scientific contributions to digital health

This section showcases Dr. Guido Giunti’s scientific contributions to digital health, focusing on topics such as gamification, AI in healthcare, and patient-centered design.

Emerging Personalization Elements in Finnish Primary Healthcare

We explored how healthcare professionals in Finnish primary healthcare integrate personalization into their practices, focusing on the role of information technology (IT). Through semi-structured interviews, we identified three themes: enablers such as electronic health records and clinical guidelines, service delivery practices like baseline assessment and progress monitoring, and the incorporation of patient characteristics, including habits, life situations, and motivation. Our...

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Personalizing Physiotherapy Through Data-Driven Posture Scanning

We investigated how digital posture scanning data can enhance and personalize physiotherapy services. Through a case study of a posture scan recording system (PSRS), we identified three key roles of posture scanning: diagnosing conditions, visualizing data for shared decision-making, and evaluating treatment impact. These findings illustrate how integrating digital tools into care pathways can empower both patients and professionals in...

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Detecting Gamification in Breast Cancer Apps: An Automated Screening Tool

We developed a predictive model to automatically detect gamification elements in breast cancer mobile apps, addressing the lack of scalable methods for analyzing large datasets. Using titles and descriptions from app stores, our model achieved high accuracy (85% ROC) in identifying gamified apps. This tool enables researchers to efficiently screen apps for gamification, supporting further exploration of its role in...

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Long-Term Adoption of Connected Health Platforms: Informal Caregivers’ Perspectives

We investigated the experiences and compliance of informal caregivers using a connected health platform to support people with dementia (PwD) in a real-world home care setting. Over six months, caregivers shared their perceptions of the platform’s usability, usefulness, and challenges. Although the platform initially inspired optimism, long-term use revealed gaps in addressing caregivers' specific needs and low compliance rates. Our...

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Motivating mHealth Design for Chronic Conditions: The 3MD Model

I developed the Model for Motivational Mobile-health Design (3MD), a conceptual framework to guide the creation of gamified mHealth solutions for chronic conditions. By integrating condition-specific insights, motivational strategies, and technological capabilities, 3MD provides designers with a structured approach and illustrative design questions to enhance user engagement and health outcomes. (more…)

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Serious Games in Healthcare: Bridging Play and Purpose

We explored the concept of "Serious Games," video games designed to promote health-related knowledge, behaviors, and skills beyond entertainment. Our review highlights their application in areas like patient education, behavior change, and medical training. By integrating user-centered design principles with behavioral science, Serious Games represent a promising tool for engaging users and addressing healthcare challenges. (more…)

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Designing Chatbots for Depression Screening: Lessons from Research and Practice

We explored the design of chatbots for depression screening, leveraging advancements in natural language processing and artificial intelligence. Using a research-through-design approach, we developed a chatbot prototype that integrates the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a validated depression screening tool. Our findings emphasize the importance of ethical considerations, tailored personality design, effective conversational flow, and predictability to ensure safety and user...

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Abortion Access in the EU and UK

We explored the challenges and policy changes affecting abortion access during the COVID-19 pandemic across the European Union and the United Kingdom. While some countries implemented measures to facilitate access, such as telemedicine and extended guidelines for early medical abortion, others restricted services or failed to consider abortion as essential healthcare. These findings underscore disparities in abortion policy and access,...

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Exploring Mobile Apps for Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review

We conducted a systematic review of mobile applications for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) to understand the current landscape of these digital tools. Searching major app stores, we identified 25 relevant apps from over 1,600 initial results. Most apps focused on providing information about MS and its treatments, with limited features supporting disease management or patient support. Our findings highlight...

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Standardizing Kidney Donor Education: A Digital Solution

We evaluated the Living Donor Digital Care Path (LD-dcp), an interactive health technology tool designed to standardize the informed consent process for living kidney donors. Over three years, the tool demonstrated high usability and engagement, effectively educating donors about the medical, psychological, and procedural aspects of kidney donation. While it supported standardized information delivery, its role in influencing donor decisions...

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