Dance4Healing: a feasibility study to reduce health disparity and increase engagement of an intergenerational telehealth program for minority diabetes patients and their care partners. - 37.3 M Americans have Diabetes Mellitus (DM), with a total estimated cost of $412.9 billion; 68% of those aged>65 will die from cardiovascular disease, which disproportionately affects minorities. Currently, there is a lack of data on effective lifestyle recommendations for normal-weight diabetics (NWD), accounting for 1 in 5 Type II DM patients. NWD is especially prevalent in Asian populations, and older adults, facing higher mortality rates than obese diabetics4. Research shows dance improves DM and reduces cardiovascular deaths by 46%. However, most prior research was in person; recent research showed that A&H could be delivered online, yet many challenges were reported with current technology. Most live video tools and in-home exercise programs are NOT attuned to culture/varied mobility. Moreover, dance is underutilized in healthcare, especially in the US, which falls behind other countries. Hence, an urgent need exists for an easy-to-use telehealth platform enticing patients to dance from home. Dance4Healing is an award-winning, patented Artificial Intelligence (AI) Telehealth Live Video Platform. Guided by The NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework, this Phase I project will replicate our prior Stanford cancer program successes and improve health disparities. It will test the feasibility of improving the adoption/engagement of our Platform with multilevel tracking and a Culturally Sensitive AI for three groups: 1) Minorities with DM, 2) their in-home caregivers, and 3) intergenerational buddies (IB). All groups will participate in an 8-week telehealth program; adoption, engagement, and performance will be accessed through interviews, usability testing, and multilevel tracking data. Our multidisciplinary expert team in behavioral sciences, DM/Cardiovascular Research, Health Disparity, Dance Therapy, and AI/Data will pursue these aims: AIM 1: User research on tailoring the D4H telehealth platform to varied mobility, accessibility needs, potential language barriers, providing fall prevention education, and identifying effective behavior prompts. Milestones: 12 qualitative 1-hour user interviews for feedback on the current program and UI design. AIM 2: Build and test the feasibility of biosensor integration (Garmin Vivosmart 4, OMRON Scale) through an 8-week Mindful Movement Telehealth Program. Milestones: Successful use of platform biosensors by at least 80% of participants. AIM 3: Develop a culturally sensitive Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm. Test its feasibility with personalized recommendations and buddy matching tailored to users’ preferences, abilities, and mobility/accessibility needs. Milestones: 1) Develop data collection and integration methods for preference and self-reported data with EHR data. 2) Develop an AI algorithm based on this data. Phase I will advance scientific knowledge, technical capability, and clinical practice. It will pave the way for Phase II, a multicenter trial with the American Heart Association, explore translation integration/voice user interface/sentiment analysis, and evaluate D4H’s effect on QoL & cognition. Both Phases will improve health disparities, reduce costs/care burden, and accelerate competitiveness & commercialization.
