The Effectiveness of the Digital Care Platform CMyLife for Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Patient-Preference Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Verweij ◽  
Geneviève ICG Ector ◽  
Yolba Smit ◽  
Bas van Vlijmen ◽  
Bert A van der Reijden ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The two most important factors determining treatment success in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are adequate medication compliance and molecular monitoring, but both are still suboptimal. The CMyLife platform is an eHealth innovation, co-created with and for CML patients. CMyLife aims to provide these patients with tools and knowledge to have more control over their disease process and improve medication compliance and molecular monitoring. This could eventually lead to an increased quality of life and the opportunity of hospital-free care. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of CMyLife in terms of information provision, patient empowerment, medication compliance, molecular monitoring, and quality of life. METHODS The effectiveness of CMyLife was explored using a patient-preference trial. Participants received a written baseline questionnaire by mail. Upon completion of the baseline questionnaire, participants actively used (intervention group) or did not actively use (questionnaire group) the CMyLife platform for at least six months, after which they completed the post-intervention questionnaire. The scores between the intervention group and the questionnaire group were compared with regard to the within-subject change between baseline and post-measurement using Generalized Estimating Equation models. RESULTS At baseline, 33 patients were enrolled in the questionnaire group and 75 in the intervention group. After six months, 29 patients filled in the post-intervention questionnaire in the questionnaire group and 57 patients filled in the post-intervention questionnaire in the intervention group. Online health information knowledge improved significantly when actively using CMyLife and patients felt more empowered. No significant improvements were found regarding medication compliance and molecular monitoring, which were already outstanding. However, self-reported effectiveness showed that patients experienced that using CMyLife improved their medication compliance and helped them to oversee their molecular monitoring. Patients using CMyLife reported more symptoms but were better able to manage these. CONCLUSIONS In the future, an iterative process of assessing patients’ needs and further adjustment of CMyLife is required, to keep care patient-centered and put patients in lead of their disease process. Since hospital-free care has shown to be feasible in time of the COVID-19 pandemic, eHealth-based innovations such as CMyLife could be a solution to maintain the quality of care and make current oncological health care services more sustainable. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04595955

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-544
Author(s):  
Petra Pohl ◽  
Ewa Wressle ◽  
Fredrik Lundin ◽  
Paul Enthoven ◽  
Nil Dizdar

Objective: To evaluate a group-based music intervention in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Design: Parallel group randomized controlled trial with qualitative triangulation. Setting: Neurorehabilitation in primary care. Subjects: Forty-six patients with Parkinson’s disease were randomized into intervention group ( n = 26), which received training with the music-based intervention, and control group ( n = 20) without training. Interventions: The intervention was delivered twice weekly for 12 weeks. Main measures: Primary outcome was Timed-Up-and-Go subtracting serial 7’s (dual-task ability). Secondary outcomes were cognition, balance, concerns about falling, freezing of gait, and quality of life. All outcomes were evaluated at baseline, post-intervention, and three months post-intervention. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with the intervention group and with the delivering physiotherapists. Results: No between-group differences were observed for dual-task ability. Between-group differences were observed for Falls Efficacy Scale (mean difference (MD) = 6.5 points; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.0 to 10.0, P = 0.001) and for Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39 items (MD = 8.3; 95% CI = 2.7 to 13.8, P = 0.005) when compared to the control group post-intervention, but these were not maintained at three months post-intervention. Three themes were derived from the interviews: Expectations versus Results, Perspectives on Treatment Contents, and Key Factors for Success. Conclusion: Patient-reported outcomes and interviews suggest that the group-based music intervention adds value to mood, alertness, and quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The study does not support the efficacy in producing immediate or lasting gains in dual-tasking, cognition, balance, or freezing of gait.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 030006052110167
Author(s):  
Anna Ruiz-Comellas ◽  
Glòria Sauch Valmaña ◽  
Jacobo Mendioroz Peña ◽  
Pere Roura Poch ◽  
Anna Sabata Carrera ◽  
...  

Objective To evaluate whether a 4-month physical activity (PA) group program and visits to sociocultural organizations improve emotional state, social support levels and health-related quality of life in elderly individuals with depression and/or anxiety and/or loneliness. Methods This will be a multicentre, randomized, two-group clinical trial with a 1-year follow-up. Participants will be 150 primary care patients aged >64 years allocated equally to a control group and an intervention group. Inclusion criteria are Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) score ≥14 and/or General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale score ≥10 and/or Duke-UNC-11 scale score ≥32. The intervention group will participate in a 4-month group PA program. The program will comprise two walks per week and a monthly visit to a sociocultural facility. Results Measured outcomes are clinical remission of depression (BDI-II score <14) and anxiety (GAD-7 scale score <10), improved social support (reduction in DUKE-UNC-11 score), improved quality of life and/or response to the intervention at 4 and 12 months post-intervention. Intervention satisfaction and adherence and post-intervention links with sociocultural organizations will also be assessed. Conclusion The findings could encourage the provision of activity-based community interventions for older individuals.


2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 286-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon A Gutman ◽  
Emily I Raphael-Greenfield

Introduction The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a housing transition program for homeless shelter residents with chronic mental illness and substance use. Method A two-group controlled study design was used to assess the program, with 10 participants in an intervention group and 10 in a control group. Goal attainment scaling and quality of life ratings were used pre- and post-intervention to determine if a statistically significant difference existed between groups at post-intervention. Results A statistically significant difference existed between intervention and control group goal attainment scaling scores ( U = 9.50, p < .03, d = 1.34), and on quality of life scores ( U = 10.50, p < .04, d = 1.30) at post-intervention. At a 6-month follow-up, 57.14% of intervention group participants had transitioned into supportive housing, while only 25% of control group participants had transitioned. Conclusion Findings suggest that intervention participants made greater progress toward desired housing goals and reported higher quality of life ratings than controls at post-intervention. This study provides support for the effectiveness of a housing program for homeless adults with chronic mental illness and substance use histories to achieve housing goals and higher quality of life ratings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Emirensiana Watu ◽  
Supargiyono ◽  
Haryani

Filariasis is a chronic infectious disease caused by filarial worms. Swelling in the legs in patients with filariasis can result in a significantly lower quality of life. The recommended treatments for patients who experience swelling or lymphoedema are lymphoedema exercises and foot elevation. This research is a quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design including pre- and posttreatment tests with a control group. This study used a cluster sampling method, which is a nonprobability sampling technique. The samples in this study were 48 respondents divided into two groups: 24 respondents from the Nebe Village comprising the intervention group and 24 respondents from the Bangkoor Village comprising the control group. The intervention group conducted lymphoedema exercises and foot elevation three times a week for 15–20 min for 1 month and measured their quality of life using the LFSQQ questionnaire. Measurements of pitting edema and ankle diameter were also carried out. Paired t-test revealed an improvement in the quality of life between pretest and posttest in the intervention and control groups (p=0.001). The quality of life in the pre-post intervention group improved from 67.42 to 81.58. In addition, the quality of life in the pre-post control group only improved from 62.50 to 72.58. The level of pitting edema decreased from severe (+++) to moderate (++) and from mild (+) to normal (0), and there was no difference in ankle diameter in each group (p=1.000). The quality of life improved before and after the administration of lymphoedema exercises and foot elevation for each group. Pitting edema decreased before and after lymphoedema exercises and foot elevation for each group. There was no decrease in ankle diameter after lymphoedema exercises and foot elevation in the intervention and control groups.


2021 ◽  
pp. 174-182
Author(s):  
Linda C Odikpo ◽  
Edith N Chiejina

Background: Lifestyle modification like exercise is an essential rehabilitation measure that improves the quality of life (QoL) of women with breast cancer and helps in preventing cancer related complications. This study assessed the practice and outcome of exercise interventions on breast cancer-specific quality of life of survivors in Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: Experimental design was applied with intervention (47) and control (47) groups. This design involved a pre-test, an intervention, and a post-test. Exercise intervention (aerobic, resistance and flexibility exercises, including warm-up with Swiss ball and dance, climbing of stairs, treadmill, stationary exercise bicycle, shoulder, and arm exercises) was administered to the intervention group for twelve weeks. The assessment of breast cancer survivors' specific quality of life in the two groups was done with the English version of The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ- EORTC-BR23) before and after the exercise intervention. Results: The overall pre and post-intervention breast cancer-specific functional quality of life was 65.4±22.7 (intervention group); 71.3±23.4 (control group) and 75.05 ±10.4 (intervention group); 58.65±12.9 (control group) while the pre and post breast cancer-specific symptoms QoL was 22.2±6.2 (intervention group); 24.1±9.6 (control group) and 11.8±13.0 (intervention group); 30.9±21.2 (control group), respectively. All the women in the intervention group practiced exercise only at mild/moderate intensity and no notable side effects were observed during the practice by many of them (n=39). Significant differences existed in the overall post-intervention breast cancer-specific functional and symptoms QoL between the two groups (p<0.001) and no significant differences were observed among most of the specific QoL scales in relation to age, duration of diagnosis, and stage of the cancer diagnosis. Conclusion: Exercise remains beneficial to women with breast cancer and has proven to be one of the necessary means to improve their overall well-being. Therefore, healthcare providers that manage these patients in different hospitals should always counsel and support them to initiate the recommended exercises for cancer survivors to enhance their survival.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1424-1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myrla Sales ◽  
Remco Polman ◽  
Keith D. Hill ◽  
Pazit Levinger

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, effectiveness, and short-term effects of an exercise intervention using a novel exercise park in improving seniors’ balance, physical function, and quality of life. Method: Randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-intervention design (baseline and 18-week intervention) was used. Outcome measures included measures of balance, strength, and function, as well as quality of life and fear of falling. MANCOVA was used to assess differences between groups (control and exercise intervention) over time. Results: Intervention group showed significant improvement on single leg stance ( p = .02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [−8.35, −0.549]), knee strength ( p < .01, 95% CI = [−29.14, −5.86]), 2-min walk ( p = 0.02, 95% CI = [−19.13, −0.859]), and timed sit to stand ( p = .03, 95% CI = [−2.26, −0.143]) tests. Discussion: The exercise park program improved physical function and had high adherence and participation rate. Such intervention has been shown to be safe and therefore might enhance participation in exercise programs for older adults.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
Melba Sheila D'Souza ◽  
Eilean Lazarus Rathinasamy

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of education and exercise on the quality of life among adults with chronic renal disease (CRD) on hemodialysis post-intervention (4 and 8 weeks). Methods: An evaluative true intervention approach was used. An ethical approval was obtained from the institutional ethics committee. A random sample of 150 patients (75 in intervention and 75 in control group) with CRD receiving dialysis was selected based on the inclusion criteria. The intervention group received interactive education and supervised exercises. RAND health-related kidney disease QOL (KDQOL) questionnaire was used. Results: Mean scores for the Kidney Disease and general QOL sub-scales among the intervention group were higher and statistically significant (p<0.01) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Education and exercise was shown to have a positive effect on the physical and mental health among the adults.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markos Klonizakis ◽  
Maria G. Grammatikopoulou ◽  
Xenophon Theodoridis ◽  
Marianne Milner ◽  
Yingshan Liu ◽  
...  

The beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and improving CVD-related physiological indices have been well-documented. However, the exact MD adherence duration needed for these effects to occur is under-researched. The aim of the present, two-arm, two-site study clinical trial was to assess the effects of long- vs. short-term MD adherence on the skin microvascular circulation, and quality of life. Two groups were recruited, one being long-term MD adherers (>5 years; from Greece; control group), and one of the non-adherers (from the UK), with the latter participating in a four-week MD intervention (intervention group). Our main outcome was skin microvascular function assessed by cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC). Secondary outcomes included quality of life, dietary intake, blood pressure and lipidemic profile. At the end of the intervention, both groups had high MD adherence. For the intervention group, significantly improved post-intervention CVC values were noted concerning the initial peak phase (2.0 ± 0.6 vs. 2.8 ± 0.8; p < 0.05). CVC values of the control group, were however higher at the plateau phase in comparison to the intervention group (intervention end; 3.8 ± 0.8 vs. 3.1 ± 1.2; p < 0.05). As per QoL, the physical domain was improved post-intervention (13.7 ± 1.2 vs. 15.9 ± 1.2; p < 0.05). No differences were observed in the lipidemic profile between groups, or between the baseline and final intervention phases. The findings indicate that although short-term MD adherence is effective in improving certain microvascular physiological properties and QoL domains, there is room for additional improvement, observed in long-term adherers. Our findings are important in the design of future, MD-based, lifestyle interventions, with the advisable durations differing between target groups.


Author(s):  
Adeleh Sadeghloo ◽  
Parna Shamsaee ◽  
Elham Hesari ◽  
Golbanhar Akhondzadeh ◽  
Hamid Hojjati

Abstract Introduction Thalassemia, as the most common chronic hereditary blood disorder in humans, can impose many adverse effects on parents and their affected children. On the other hand, positive thinking is the method or the result of a positive focus on a constructive issue, so by teaching positive thinking, we can improve physical and social function, and promote emotional health and overall quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of positive thinking training on the quality of life of parents of adolescents with thalassemia. Methods This quasi-experimental study was performed on 52 parents of adolescents with thalassemia who attended Taleghani Hospital in Golestan province, Iran in 2017. Samples were randomly assigned into two groups of intervention and control. The positive thinking training (based on the theory of Martin Seligman) was carried out in the intervention group in 10 (45–60 min) sessions over a 5-week period. Data collection tools in this study were the World Health Organization (WHO) quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and a demographic information questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS-16 software using independent t-test, the paired t-test and a covariance test. Results The results of paired t-test showed a significant difference in the score of quality of life in intervention group before and after the intervention (p < 0.001). However, this test did not show any significant difference in the control group (p = 0.11). The covariance test, after removing the pre-test score, showed a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of the score of quality of life, so that 13% of the changes after the intervention were due to the intervention (p = 0.009, η = 0.13). Conclusion The positive thinking training increased the quality of life of parents of adolescents with thalassemia. Therefore, using this program can be an effective way of improving the quality of life of parents. Thus, positive thinking training is suggested to be used as an effective strategy for increasing the quality of life of parents with ill children.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengyu Wang ◽  
Wen Fu ◽  
Lingcui Meng ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
Lihua Wu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a high-incidence disease in young men that interferes with patients’ physical and mental wellbeing and overall quality of life (QoL). It is often accompanied by arthralgia, stiffness, and limited lumbar flexibility. Acupuncture is safe and effective for reducing the symptoms of AS, but the underlying mechanisms by which it does so are not fully understood. Therefore, to objectively assess acupuncture efficacy, which is critical for patients making informed decisions about appropriate treatments, we will use shear-wave elastography (SWE) and superb microvascular imaging (SMI) ultrasound techniques to evaluate elasticity of lumbar paraspinal muscles and blood flow to the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) in AS. Methods We will recruit a total of 60 participants diagnosed with AS and 30 healthy subjects. Participants will be randomly allocated 1:1 to either an acupuncture group or a sham control acupuncture group. Primary-outcome measures will be musculoskeletal ultrasound, Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Scale (ASQoL), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain. Secondary outcome measures will be the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index (BASFI), and Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14). We will monitor the effect of acupuncture or sham acupuncture on blood flow and SIJ inflammation using SMI, lumbar-muscle stiffness using SWE and the lumbar paraspinal-muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) using a two-dimensional (2D) grayscale imaging. QoL, physical function, and fatigue will be assessed using an evaluation scale or questionnaire developed for this study, with outcomes measured by the ASQoL, BASMI, BASDAI, BASFI, and FS-14. Healthy subjects will not receive acupuncture but undergo only musculoskeletal ultrasound at baseline. Acupuncture and sham control acupuncture interventions will be conducted for 30 min, 2–3 times/week for 12 weeks. Musculoskeletal ultrasound will be conducted at baseline and post-intervention, while other outcomes will be measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and post-intervention. The statistician, outcome assessor, and participants will be blinded to treatment allocation. Discussion The results of this single-blinded, randomized trial with sham controls could help demonstrate the efficacy of acupuncture and clarify whether musculoskeletal ultrasound could be used to evaluate AS. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2000031476. Registered 3 April 2020.


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