Approach to an Ontology-based Mobile Intervention for Patients with Hypertension

Lifestyle changes and the adoption of healthy behaviours are well established recommendations for the management of hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease. Mobile health interventions offer unique advantages and novel approaches to helping individuals make and maintain such behaviour changes; however, current interventions often lack theoretical and scientific grounding. The objective of this study is to effectively model the knowledge, concepts and relationships relevant to the management of a chronic illness like hypertension, and to implement this knowledge model within a mobile self-management application that can be used by patients. A behaviour modification approach based on COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour) Model and the associated Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) was developed. An ontology-based knowledge model was implemented to formally conceptualize relevant knowledge in hypertension clinical guidelines, behaviour change models and associated behaviour change strategies. In future work, a hypertension management decision support framework will be designed and implemented as a mobile phone application using the aforementioned model. The usability of this pilot application will be tested by patients with hypertension. This application which will create clinical and behavioural profiles of a user to provide them with personalized management strategies, rooted in established behaviour change theory, that will engage and empower them to manage their condition. Given the nature of ontological models, this approach can be easily modified to address a variety of chronic illnesses.