<a href="http://breeholtz.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/msu-top-rankings-76.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-72 aligncenter" src="http://breeholtz.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/msu-top-rankings-76-e1483556814323-644x256.jpg" alt="msu-top-rankings-76" width="624" height="248" /></a>Dr. Holtz’s broad research interest centers around understanding the adoption of information communication technologies and its impact on health care access and delivery.

Her prior research has examined the use of mobile phones in asthma and diabetes management, online health literacy, adoption and utilization of telemedicine technologies in a health setting, and using innovative telecommunications technologies to improve access to health care.

Her current research interests include understanding the implementation and utilization of mHealth technologies while improving patient centered care.
<h3>Current Research Projects:</h3>
<h4>Using an mHealth app to transition care of Type-1 diabetes from parents to teens</h4>
<h5>American Diabetes Association Award</h5>
The team is developing and testing an innovative mobile phone app, called <em>MyT1D</em>, to connect adolescents with type-1 diabetes (T1D) with their parents to help support the transition to self-management.<img class=" wp-image-78 alignright" src="http://breeholtz.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/MyT1D-Hero-Gang-300x226.png" alt="myt1d-hero-gang" width="274" height="207" />

This mobile app is unique because it links parents and kids in a way that existing technologies do not by creating two separate apps (one for the parent and one for the child) that work together to manage the care of the child.  The main goal of this research is to aid in the successful transition to self-care for the kid and increase positive health
outcomes. This research will also help us to further understand what types of messages, reward systems, and technology cues can improve adherence.

This research is supported by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) grant #1-16-ICTS-045. For more information on the ADA please visit their website: <a href="http://diabetes.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://diabetes.org.</a>

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<h4>A parent portal for parents of children with type 1 diabetes</h4>
<h5>Science and Society at State (S3) Award</h5>
<a href="http://breeholtz.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/S3_logo_Jpeg-copy.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-79 alignleft" src="http://breeholtz.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/S3_logo_Jpeg-copy-234x300.jpg" alt="s3_logo_jpeg-copy" width="95" height="122" /></a>The objective of this project is to develop a web portal for parents of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to assess its impact on parents’ diabetes knowledge, health literacy, social support, self-efficacy, quality of life, as well as usability and acceptability of the portal. Our portal will have four key components, including: 1) information about how to educate and communicate with secondary caregivers (e.g. schools, coaches, etc.), and resources about allowable school accommodations; 2) a private and moderated Facebook group for parents of children with T1D; 3) current diabetes information, including current research, trusted websites, and resources on treatment options; and 4) information on positive parent communication and problem solving skills. Parents will have a unique username and password, which will enable tailoring of information. <img class=" wp-image-80 alignright" src="http://breeholtz.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2017-01-05-at-2.55.16-PM-300x199.png" alt="screen-shot-2017-01-05-at-2-55-16-pm" width="328" height="217" />Three focus group sessions, with a total of thirty parents of children (5-18 years old) with T1D, will help inform the design and suggest additional content. Once the portal is developed, we will conduct an 8-week study to assess the impact of its use on the parents. Participants will take a pretest survey to assess diabetes knowledge, health literacy, perceptions of social support, self-efficacy, diabetes caregiver quality of life, and parenting style. Participants will be randomized into two groups: the control group (n=20) will be given a brochure about T1D and communicating effectively with their child. The intervention group (n=20) will be given the same brochure and access to the portal, which they will be asked to use at least once per week. At the end of the intervention, participants will be asked to complete post-test measures and participate in an interview about usability and satisfaction.

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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GMvu1Z5dwRtYhejRXA9XbINKugSrOYxG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">P<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #3366ff; text-decoration: underline;">rovider Perceptions of Consumer Generated Health Data</span></span></a>