Hirten Robert P, Danieletto Matteo, Landell Kyle, Zweig Micol, Golden Eddye, Orlov Georgy, Rodrigues Jovita, Alleva Eugenia, Ensari Ipek, Bottinger Erwin, Nadkarni Girish N, Fuchs Thomas J, Fayad Zahi A
Henry D Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Nov 16;12:e49204. doi: 10.2196/49204.
The increasing use of smartphones, wearables, and connected devices has enabled the increasing application of digital technologies for research. Remote digital study platforms comprise a patient-interfacing digital application that enables multimodal data collection from a mobile app and connected sources. They offer an opportunity to recruit at scale, acquire data longitudinally at a high frequency, and engage study participants at any time of the day in any place. Few published descriptions of centralized digital research platforms provide a framework for their development.
This study aims to serve as a road map for those seeking to develop a centralized digital research platform. We describe the technical and functional aspects of the ehive app, the centralized digital research platform of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York. We then provide information about ongoing studies hosted on ehive, including usership statistics and data infrastructure. Finally, we discuss our experience with ehive in the broader context of the current landscape of digital health research platforms.
The ehive app is a multifaceted and patient-facing central digital research platform that permits the collection of e-consent for digital health studies. An overview of its development, its e-consent process, and the tools it uses for participant recruitment and retention are provided. Data integration with the platform and the infrastructure supporting its operations are discussed; furthermore, a description of its participant- and researcher-facing dashboard interfaces and the e-consent architecture is provided.
The ehive platform was launched in 2020 and has successfully hosted 8 studies, namely 6 observational studies and 2 clinical trials. Approximately 1484 participants downloaded the app across 36 states in the United States. The use of recruitment methods such as bulk messaging through the EPIC electronic health records and standard email portals enables broad recruitment. Light-touch engagement methods, used in an automated fashion through the platform, maintain high degrees of engagement and retention. The ehive platform demonstrates the successful deployment of a central digital research platform that can be modified across study designs.
Centralized digital research platforms such as ehive provide a novel tool that allows investigators to expand their research beyond their institution, engage in large-scale longitudinal studies, and combine multimodal data streams. The ehive platform serves as a model for groups seeking to develop similar digital health research programs.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/49204.
智能手机、可穿戴设备和联网设备的使用日益增加，使得数字技术在研究中的应用也越来越广泛。远程数字研究平台包括一个面向患者的数字应用程序，可实现从移动应用程序和联网数据源进行多模式数据收集。它们提供了大规模招募、高频纵向获取数据以及在一天中的任何时间、任何地点让研究参与者参与研究的机会。很少有已发表的关于集中式数字研究平台的描述为其开发提供框架。
本研究旨在为那些寻求开发集中式数字研究平台的人提供一份路线图。我们描述了ehive应用程序的技术和功能方面，ehive是纽约西奈山医院哈索·普拉特纳数字健康研究所的集中式数字研究平台。然后，我们提供了关于ehive上正在进行的研究的信息，包括用户统计数据和数据基础设施。最后，我们在当前数字健康研究平台格局的更广泛背景下讨论了我们使用ehive的经验。
ehive应用程序是一个多方面且面向患者的中央数字研究平台，允许为数字健康研究收集电子知情同意书。提供了其开发概述、电子知情同意流程以及用于参与者招募和留存的工具。讨论了与该平台的数据集成以及支持其运营的基础设施；此外，还提供了其面向参与者和研究人员的仪表板界面以及电子知情同意架构的描述。
ehive平台于2020年推出，已成功开展了8项研究，即6项观察性研究和2项临床试验。在美国36个州，约有1484名参与者下载了该应用程序。通过EPIC电子健康记录和标准电子邮件门户等批量消息传递等招募方法能够实现广泛招募。通过平台以自动化方式使用的轻度参与方法可保持高度的参与度和留存率。ehive平台展示了一个可在不同研究设计中进行修改的中央数字研究平台的成功部署。
诸如ehive这样的集中式数字研究平台提供了一种新颖的工具，使研究人员能够将其研究扩展到机构之外，开展大规模纵向研究，并整合多模式数据流。ehive平台为寻求开发类似数字健康研究项目的团队提供了一个模型。
国际注册报告标识符（IRRID）：DERR1-10.2196/49204。
