Career archivePatient journeys
Record 21Career record

Kaiser Permanente: technology-mediated social support

Connected wireless glucose information with patient-selected supporters and behaviorally informed engagement.

Period
2009–2011 research and publication period
Kevin’s role
Co-investigator and digital engagement collaborator
Kaiser Permanentemotivational interviewingbehavioral sciencesocial supportfamily supportpatient engagementFQHCco-investigatorhealth literacy

The research question

The Kaiser collaboration examined how wireless technology and a supporter selected by the patient could make self-management support more timely and useful. Kevin’s CV identifies work from August 2009 to April 2010 on the Diabetes Social Support Feasibility Pilot Study. A related abstract appeared in Clinical Medicine & Research in 2010.

The design brought people around the patient into the intervention. It considered how glucose information, communication, and social support could work together, rather than treating engagement as a sequence of generic reminders.

Kevin’s responsibilities

Kevin served as a co-investigator and worked with the behavioral research team to recruit, train, and engage participants from a Kaiser facility and a federally qualified health center serving a low-income population. His responsibilities connected the wireless tools and patient/supporter workflow to the study’s feasibility and usability questions.

His approved career record describes implementation of motivational-interviewing-based digital engagement in the Kaiser work. He translated concepts such as readiness, autonomy, relevance, and sustained participation into patient-facing digital workflows.

Published and public context

The 2010 pilot abstract includes Kevin McMahon among the authors. Douglas Roblin’s 2011 Journal of Health Communication article discusses cellular technology and social networks in chronic-disease self-management. An AHRQ-hosted presentation describes the use of mobile information and communications technology for social support.

These are complementary sources. Kevin’s author credit is attached to the pilot abstract; the Roblin article and presentation provide collaboration and design context. They are not all labeled as works authored by Kevin.

Operational significance

The work connects patient-generated data to a real support relationship. A data point may be useful because it prompts an informed family member, peer, or care professional to respond at a meaningful time. The design therefore includes the message, the recipient, the relationship, and the participant’s willingness to continue.

This experience is relevant to patient-journey innovation, family engagement, behavioral product design, activation, retention, and AI personalization that needs to respect human context. It demonstrates applied collaboration with behavioral researchers.

Sources and record basis

  1. Conference abstractClinical Medicine & Research · 2010 journal issue and pilot abstract

    Contains the Diabetes Social Support Feasibility Pilot Study abstract, including Kevin McMahon in the author group. The link opens the journal issue.

  2. Research contextJournal of Health Communication · Cellular technology and social support

    Douglas Roblin’s account of the cellular technology and social-support intervention provides research context for the Kaiser collaboration.

  3. Research presentationAHRQ · Using Mobile ICT to Enable Social Support in Chronic Care Management

    A presentation describing the design and practical lessons of technology-mediated social support. This is collaboration context, not a claim that Kevin authored the presentation.