Anael Barberan-Garcia

Prehabilitation has shown its potential for most intra-cavity surgery patients on enhancing preoperative functional capacity and postoperative outcomes. However, its large-scale implementation is limited by several constrictions, such as: i) unsolved practicalities of the service workflow, ii) challenges associated to change management in collaborative care; iii) insufficient access to prehabilitation; iv) relevant percentage of program drop-outs; v) need for program personalization; and, vi) economical sustainability. Transferability of prehabilitation programs from the hospital setting to the community would potentially provide a new scenario with greater accessibility, as well as offer an opportunity to effectively address the aforementioned issues and, thus, optimize healthcare value generation. A core aspect to take into account for an optimal management of prehabilitation programs is to use proper technological tools enabling: i) customizable and interoperable integrated care pathways facilitating personalization of the service and effective engagement among stakeholders; ii) remote monitoring (i.e. physical activity, physiological signs and patient-reported outcomes and experience measures) to support patient adherence to the program and empowerment for self-management; and, iii) use of health risk assessment supporting decision making for personalized service selection. The current manuscript details a proposal to bring digital innovation to community-based prehabilitation programs. Moreover, this approach has the potential to be adopted by programs supporting long-term management of cancer patients, chronic patients and prevention of multimorbidity in subjects at risk.

Background: Home-based noninvasive ventilation has proven cost-effective. But, adherence to therapy still constitutes a common clinical problem. We hypothesized that a behavioral intervention supported by a mobile health (mHealth) app could enhance patient self-efficacy. It is widely accepted that mHealth-supported services can enhance productive interactions among the stakeholders involved in home-based respiratory therapies. Objective: This study aimed to measure changes in self-efficacy in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to diverse etiologies during a 3-month follow-up period after the intervention. Ancillary objectives were assessment of usability and acceptability of the mobile app as well as its potential contribution to collaborative work among stakeholders. Methods: A single-blind, single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted between February 2019 and June 2019 with 67 adult patients with chronic respiratory failure undergoing home-based noninvasive ventilation. In the intervention group, a psychologist delivered a face-to-face motivational intervention. Follow-up was supported by a mobile app that allowed patients to report the number of hours of daily noninvasive ventilation use and problems with the therapy. Advice was automatically delivered by the mobile app in case of a reported problem. The control group received usual care. The primary outcome was the change in the Self Efficacy in Sleep Apnea questionnaire score. Secondary outcomes included app usability, app acceptability, continuity of care, person-centered care, and ventilatory parameters. Results: Self-efficacy was not significantly different in the intervention group after the intervention (before: mean 3.4, SD 0.6; after: mean 3.4, SD 0.5, P=.51). No changes were observed in adherence to therapy nor quality of life. Overall, the mHealth tool had a good usability score (mean 78 points) and high acceptance rate (mean score of 7.5/10 on a Likert scale). It was considered user-friendly (mean score of 8.2/10 on a Likert scale) and easy to use without assistance (mean score of 8.5/10 on a Likert scale). Patients also scored the perception of continuity of care and person-centered care as high. Conclusions: The integrated care intervention supported by the mobile app did not improve patient self-management. However, the high acceptance of the mobile app might indicate potential for enhanced communication among stakeholders. The study identified key elements required for mHealth tools to provide effective support to collaborative work and personalized care. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03932175; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03932175

Background: Multimodal prehabilitation is a preoperative intervention with the objective to enhance cancer patients’ functional status which has been showed to reduce both postoperative morbidity and hospital length of stay in digestive oncologic surgery. However, in lung cancer surgery patients further studies with higher methodological quality are needed to clarify the benefits of prehabilitation. The main aim of the current protocol is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a multimodal prehabilitation program supported by information and communication technologies in moderate-to-high risk lung cancer patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Methods: A Quadruple Aim approach will be adopted, assessing the prehabilitation program at the following levels: i) Patients’ and professionals’ experience outcomes (by means of standardized questionnaires, focus groups and structured interviews); ii) Population health-based outcomes (e.g. hospital length of stay, number and severity of postoperative complications, peak oxygen uptake and levels of systemic inflammation); and, iii) Healthcare costs. Discussion: This study protocol should contribute not only to increase the scientific basis on prehabilitation but also to detect the main factors modulating service adoption. Trial registration: NCT04052100 (August 9, 2019).

BACKGROUND Home-based noninvasive ventilation has proven cost-effective. But, adherence to therapy still constitutes a common clinical problem. We hypothesized that a behavioral intervention supported by a mobile health (mHealth) app could enhance patient self-efficacy. It is widely accepted that mHealth-supported services can enhance productive interactions among the stakeholders involved in home-based respiratory therapies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to measure changes in self-efficacy in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to diverse etiologies during a 3-month follow-up period after the intervention. Ancillary objectives were assessment of usability and acceptability of the mobile app as well as its potential contribution to collaborative work among stakeholders. METHODS A single-blind, single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted between February 2019 and June 2019 with 67 adult patients with chronic respiratory failure undergoing home-based noninvasive ventilation. In the intervention group, a psychologist delivered a face-to-face motivational intervention. Follow-up was supported by a mobile app that allowed patients to report the number of hours of daily noninvasive ventilation use and problems with the therapy. Advice was automatically delivered by the mobile app in case of a reported problem. The control group received usual care. The primary outcome was the change in the Self Efficacy in Sleep Apnea questionnaire score. Secondary outcomes included app usability, app acceptability, continuity of care, person-centered care, and ventilatory parameters. RESULTS Self-efficacy was not significantly different in the intervention group after the intervention (before: mean 3.4, SD 0.6; after: mean 3.4, SD 0.5, P=.51). No changes were observed in adherence to therapy nor quality of life. Overall, the mHealth tool had a good usability score (mean 78 points) and high acceptance rate (mean score of 7.5/10 on a Likert scale). It was considered user-friendly (mean score of 8.2/10 on a Likert scale) and easy to use without assistance (mean score of 8.5/10 on a Likert scale). Patients also scored the perception of continuity of care and person-centered care as high. CONCLUSIONS The integrated care intervention supported by the mobile app did not improve patient self-management. However, the high acceptance of the mobile app might indicate potential for enhanced communication among stakeholders. The study identified key elements required for mHealth tools to provide effective support to collaborative work and personalized care. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03932175; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03932175

Aim We hypothesize that training-induced changes in muscle oxygen saturation (StO(2)) assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during constant work rate cycling exercise (CWRE) may be a useful marker of the effects of training at 'vastus medialis' of the quadriceps in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Incremental exercise [peak oxygen uptake (VO2)] and CWRE at 70% pretraining peak VO2, before and after 8-w training, were done in 10 healthy age-matched subjects (H) [80% men, 65(11) years, FEV1 105(14)%] and 16 COPD patients [94% men, 70(5) years, FEV1 46(11) %] encompassing the entire spectrum of disease severity, recruited in the outpatient clinics. NIRS was used to assess StO(2) in the 'vastus medialis' of the left quadriceps. Results Pretraining CWRE decreased StO(2) (P<0 center dot 05) and generated marked StO(2) rebound (P<0 center dot 001) after unloading in the two groups. After training, VO2 peak increased in H [253(204) ml min(-1)] (P<0 center dot 01) and in COPD [180(183) ml center dot min(-1)] (P = 0 center dot 01) and blood lactate fell [-4 center dot 4 (2 center dot 7) and -1 center dot 6(2 center dot 3) mmol center dot m(-1)] (P<0 center dot 05 each). Training generated a further fall in StO(2) during CWRE [-10(12)% and -10(10)%, P<0 center dot 05] and increased StO(2) rebound after unloading [8(7)% and 5(9)%, PCWRE, similarly in both groups, likely due to training-induced enhancement of muscle O-2 transfer and utilization. Training-induced StO(2) fall during CWRE may be useful individual marker for non-invasive assessment of enhanced muscle aerobic post-training function.

There is a need to increase and maintain physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed 12-month efficacy and effectiveness of the Urban Training intervention on physical activity in COPD patients.This randomised controlled trial (NCT01897298) allocated 407 COPD patients from primary and hospital settings 1:1 to usual care (n=205) or Urban Training (n=202). Urban Training consisted of a baseline motivational interview, advice to walk on urban trails designed for COPD patients in outdoor public spaces and other optional components for feedback, motivation, information and support (pedometer, calendar, physical activity brochure, website, phone text messages, walking groups and a phone number). The primary outcome was 12-month change in steps·day⁻¹ measured by accelerometer.Efficacy analysis (with per-protocol analysis set, n=233 classified as adherent to the assigned intervention) showed adjusted (95% CI) 12-month difference +957 (184–1731) steps·day⁻¹ between Urban Training and usual care. Effectiveness analysis (with intention-to-treat analysis set, n=280 patients completing the study at 12 months including unwilling and self-reported non-adherent patients) showed no differences between groups. Leg muscle pain during walks was more frequently reported in Urban Training than usual care, without differences in any of the other adverse events.Urban Training, combining behavioural strategies with unsupervised outdoor walking, was efficacious in increasing physical activity after 12 months in COPD patients, with few safety concerns. However, it was ineffective in the full population including unwilling and self-reported non-adherent patients.

Chronic diseases are generating a major health and societal burden worldwide. Healthy lifestyles, including physical activity (PA), have proven efficacy in the prevention and treatment of many chronic conditions. But, so far, national PA surveillance systems, as well as strategies for promotion of PA, have shown low impact. We hypothesize that personalized modular PA services, aligned with healthcare, addressing the needs of a broad spectrum of individual profiles may show cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The current manuscript describes the protocol for regional implementation of collaborative self-management services to promote PA in Catalonia (7.5 M habitants) during the period 2017–2019. The protocols of three implementation studies encompassing a broad spectrum of individual needs are reported. They have a quasi-experimental design. That is, a non-randomized intervention group is compared to a control group (usual care) using propensity score methods wherein age, gender and population-based health risk assessment are main matching variables. The principal innovations of the PA program are: i) Implementation of well-structured modular interventions promoting PA; ii) Information and communication technologies (ICT) to facilitate patient accessibility, support collaborative management of individual care plans and reduce costs; and iii) Assessment strategies based on the Triple Aim approach during and beyond the program deployment. The manuscript reports a precise roadmap for large scale deployment of community-based ICT-supported integrated care services to promote healthy lifestyles with high potential for comparability and transferability to other sites. This study protocol has been registered at ClinicalTrials.org ( NCT02976064 ). Registered November 24th, 2016.