Rosa Arriaga’s Research Advances Tech Design for Continuous Chronic and Mental Health Management
In today’s healthcare landscape, continuity of care is often disrupted by fragmented systems, lack of engagement, and limited data integration between clinical visits. Dr. Rosa Arriaga, a researcher in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at Georgia Tech, is pioneering ways to bridge these gaps through innovative technology-driven solutions. Her work focuses on designing systems that foster engagement, self-advocacy, and seamless communication between patients and healthcare providers. Through her research on diabetic foot ulcer self-monitoring and sensor-captured data for PTSD therapy, she demonstrates how HCI can create meaningful, long-term improvements in patient care.
"Continuity of care is a core tenet of all my research," Arriaga states. "I aim to figure out how to bridge this in the health and wellness sector." Her work is deeply rooted in understanding how technology can support patients beyond the clinic, ensuring that care does not stop when a doctor’s visit ends.
(L-R) Maya Fayfman, Marcos Schecter, Rosa Arriaga, Gabriel Santamarina
Her research spans chronic care management and mental health interventions, two areas where patient engagement outside the clinical setting is crucial for long-term health outcomes. Whether it’s empowering older adults with diabetes to self-monitor foot ulcers or helping veterans with PTSD engage more effectively in therapy, her work seeks to optimize systems for patient wellness.
Self-Monitoring and Diabetes Management
One of Arriaga’s recent studies explores how mobile health (mHealth) applications can improve chronic disease management. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication of diabetes, disproportionately affecting older adults in under-resourced communities.
Her team developed and tested a mobile application for DFU self-monitoring, enabling patients to track their foot health using images, videos, and vibration-based sensory tests. However, the research found that many older adults face barriers to using digital tools due to low technology literacy and unintuitive design. By conducting usability studies with both older adults and tech-savvy university students, the research identified key design improvements needed to make mHealth tools more accessible. The findings emphasize that for continuity of care to be effective, technology must be inclusive, easy to navigate, and directly linked to patient education.
Enhancing PTSD Therapy with Sensor-Captured Data
In another study, Arriaga’s team examined how sensor-based tracking can enhance mental health treatment. PTSD therapy often involves between-session homework, such as guided exposure exercises, but clinicians traditionally rely on self-reported patient feedback, which can be subjective and inconsistent.
Image: Pierre Bamin/Unsplash
To address this, Arriaga’s team developed the Clinician Homework Review (CHR), an interface that integrates sensor data from smartphones and wearable devices to monitor patient engagement in therapeutic exercises. By tracking heart rate, physical activity, and ambient noise, clinicians gain objective insights into patient engagement and progress. This system allows for more data-driven decision-making in PTSD therapy, ensuring that patients receive tailored interventions based on their actual engagement levels.
A Future of Personalized, Adaptive Healthcare
The implications of Arriaga’s research extend beyond diabetes and PTSD, to the wellness space. Her broader goal is to develop adaptive health technologies that can evolve with the patient’s needs. She envisions systems that collect data and respond dynamically, much like an “adaptive Fitbit” that personalizes interventions based on behavioral patterns.
Arriaga’s work underscores a crucial shift in healthcare—one where HCI is not just about usability but about designing systems that integrate seamlessly into patient lives. Focusing on continuity of care, her research ensures that technology supports patients in the clinic and in their everyday lives, empowering them to take control of their health.
Arriaga’s research is a testament to how HCI can transform chronic care and mental health management, making healthcare more patient-centered, proactive, and inclusive. As her work continues, it sets the stage for a future where technology bridges the gaps in care, ensuring that every patient receives the support they need—when and where they need it.