International Workshop on New Computationally-Enabled Theoretical Models to Support Health Behavior Change and Maintenance

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

This workshop is organized to bring together leaders and scientists in a variety of different disciplines with complementary expertise including experts in behavior change theory, health and wellness systems, behavior measurement and measurement technology, engineering, computer science, and various types of "persuasive" interventions. The main objective of the workshop is to identify challenges in using computing and networking and information technology in support of behavioral change that would enable healthcare to be more proactive and preventive. The proposed workshop plans to address a number of open fundamental issues at the intersection of networking, information technology and behavior modification. The workshop is striving to identify the fundamental barriers that currently hamper the use of networking and information technology, how they can be used to mediate processes enabling behavioral change, as well as new methods for the real-time assessment and modeling of behavior, affective states, and the environments in which these behaviors occur. Reactionary "sick-care" systems that fail to prevent disease have become financially unsustainable. It is a global imperative that healthcare is transformed to a preemptive model that advances health "up front." The global burden of disease is tightly related to conditions that are preventable and treatable through promoting changes in key human behaviors. The ability to change behaviors on a population scale, in an economically feasible way, is therefore likely to have a major impact on the cost of healthcare. In addition, healthy behaviors are typically associated with better quality of life and wellbeing.