Telemedicine

This research aims to evaluate whether creating dedicated HIV teams in hospitals across ten European countries can increase HIV testing rates among patients showing signs of HIV-related conditions. The study uses a stepped-wedge design, where hospitals switch from routine care to the new intervention in sequence. This approach compares outcomes before and after the teams are in place, helping to understand the impact of the intervention across various locations and medical specialties. The intervention involves establishing local HIV teams led by specialists and supported by nurses and data experts. These teams identify patients needing HIV tests through electronic health records, provide feedback to doctors to encourage testing, offer education to healthcare staff about HIV, reduce stigma, and improve connections to prevention and care services. This program integrates smoothly into regular hospital routines and aims to close gaps in HIV diagnosis. Participants HIV testing rates will be monitored by reviewing records before and after the intervention. Researchers will also assess new HIV diagnoses, changes in testing patterns by country and specialty, and healthcare professionals knowledge and attitudes toward HIV. The study includes ongoing evaluation of how well the teams operate, resource use, and cost-effectiveness. Data collection extends up to several years to observe long-term effects, with continuous monitoring of care access and prevention services.

Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern linked to serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and mental health challenges. Researchers are evaluating a digital support system called Evira to help improve treatment outcomes for children with obesity. This randomized controlled study aims to assess the effects of adding Evira to the usual lifestyle treatment for childhood obesity in children aged 4 to 17 years. The study compares two groups one receiving Evira Care combined with standard lifestyle treatment, and the other receiving standard lifestyle care alone. Evira Care involves daily weight monitoring at home using a special scale connected to a mobile app and website, allowing parents and clinicians to track weight changes and communicate easily. The intervention group will receive guidance on how to use the system and make feasible lifestyle changes, with weight targets set for the first three months. The control group continues with standard care without restrictions on visits or clinical support. Participants will be involved for 12 months, undergoing clinical exams including puberty assessment, cardio-respiratory, thyroid, skin, and abdominal checks, along with measurements of weight, height, and blood pressure. Blood tests may be done as needed. All participants will complete questionnaires about quality of life, eating disorders, and treatment satisfaction. Researchers will monitor weight change as the primary outcome, along with treatment compliance and psychosocial health measures, while collecting information on any side effects.

This research aims to evaluate if the WE BEAT program, a 5-week online group-based wellbeing and skill-building program, helps teens aged 12 to 17 with moderate to severe congenital heart disease CHD improve their ability to handle stress and become more resilient. The study compares participants who receive the WE BEAT program to those who receive usual care, looking at resilience and quality of life. It also explores connections between self-reported psychosocial data and clinical outcomes. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the WE BEAT telemedicine intervention or usual care. After completing the 5-week program, those in the intervention group will be further randomized to either receive a single booster session at week 18 or no booster session. The booster session reviews all skills introduced in the program. The study lasts about 6 months for all participants. During the study, participants complete four sets of online surveys and provide three hair or saliva samples at different times. Some may also give optional blood and urine samples. Researchers will measure resilience using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and assess various psychosocial and biological markers related to stress and wellbeing. Safety and participant experience are monitored throughout the study period.

Researchers are evaluating whether an ambient artificial intelligence AI scribe called Voa Health can reduce the time and effort physicians spend documenting outpatient clinic visits and improve both physician well-being and patient experience. This randomized controlled trial compares usual documentation methods without AI to documentation assisted by the AI scribe, focusing on adult patients and their physicians in various outpatient specialties. The study aims to gather evidence to guide safe and effective use of ambient AI scribes in everyday clinical practice. The trial randomly assigns individual outpatient consultations to either usual documentation or AI-assisted documentation. In the AI group, the Voa Health system records the consultation audio and produces a structured draft clinical note based on specialty-specific templates. Physicians then review, edit, and finalize the note in the electronic medical record. In the control group, documentation is done by physicians using their regular methods without AI support, though audio recording may still occur for study purposes. Both physicians and patients complete brief questionnaires immediately after each consultation. Participants are involved by having their outpatient visits recorded and completing short questionnaires about workload, well-being, communication, empathy, and satisfaction right after the visit. Physicians also complete questionnaires assessing professional fulfillment, burnout, documentation burden, and note quality. Researchers measure physician documentation workload and well-being as primary outcomes, along with patient experience and satisfaction, documentation quality, time spent on notes, and potential AI-related documentation errors. Data are securely stored and monitored for quality and safety throughout the study, which runs until September 2026.

Increasing heat exposure caused by climate change is affecting communities worldwide, especially those living in poor housing conditions such as informal settlements and low-income households. This research aims to study the impact of applying sunlight-reflecting cool roof coatings on indoor temperatures and overall health. The trial is a global, multi-center, cluster-randomized controlled study conducted in five urban climate hotspots across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania, where heat exposure and vulnerable housing conditions pose significant health risks. The study compares households that receive a cool roof coating, which reflects sunlight and reduces indoor heat, with those that keep their original roofs. The cool roof coating works by reflecting ultraviolet and visible sunlight and radiating absorbed heat, thus lowering indoor temperatures and energy use. The trial will run over a 12-month period, including the hottest months of the year, to measure the effects on health, indoor environment, and economic outcomes. Participants will undergo repeated measurements including resting heart rate, blood glucose control, depression symptoms, and various health and environmental factors over the course of the study. Data will be collected at baseline and multiple times during the hottest months and alternate months. Researchers will monitor indoor air temperature, humidity, heat index, and household energy use continuously. The study seeks to provide evidence on whether cool roofs can improve physical, mental, and social wellbeing in vulnerable populations facing extreme heat.

Researchers are investigating how physical activity and sedentary behavior relate to the development of additional chronic diseases and complications in patients with long-term health conditions. This study aims to identify a specific activity pattern or digital signature that could predict new health issues before they appear. The focus is on patients with various chronic diseases including inflammatory rheumatic diseases, osteoarthritis, major depressive and bipolar disorders, type 2 diabetes, obesity, COPD, and chronic pain. The study involves 700 patients followed over 4 years in a monocentric prospective cohort design. Participants will wear accelerometers three times a year for 5 days to precisely measure their movements and sedentary time. Annual visits will collect clinical data, assess physical capacity through tests like the 6-minute walk and hand grip, and involve questionnaires about pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and other factors. Additional disease-specific data will also be gathered. Throughout the study, researchers will monitor the occurrence of new comorbidities yearly, correlating these with the recorded physical activity patterns. Electronic patient-reported outcomes will be collected every 4 months to assess health status, lifestyle, and psychological well-being. The main outcomes include identifying the digital signature of activity and sedentary lifestyle linked to new comorbidities after 4 years. Safety and ongoing health status will be regularly evaluated during the follow-up period.

Researchers are evaluating BloodTrackR, a novel home-based blood collection device and mobile app, for people with rheumatoid arthritis. This study aims to determine how easy the device and app are to use, whether participants can collect high-quality blood samples at home, and how the results compare to standard blood samples taken by a phlebotomist. The goal is to reduce dependence on NHS phlebotomy services and improve remote monitoring. Participants will receive the BloodTrackR device by post and receive remote training on its use through Microsoft Teams. They will collect finger-prick blood samples at home and complete symptom assessments via the app. Samples will be returned by mail for comparison with venous blood drawn by a qualified phlebotomist visiting the participants home. Feedback on usability will be collected through questionnaires and interviews. Additionally, a health economic analysis will assess potential cost and workload savings for the NHS. Participants will be monitored for usability, sample quality, and concordance with standard blood tests. Assessments include questionnaires completed immediately after device use, interviews up to one month later, and comparison of C-reactive protein levels between sample types. The study will also measure time and workload savings and estimate costs associated with blood collection. Participation involves remote training, home sampling, sample return by post, and scheduled interviews, with the entire study expected to conclude by December 2026.

Researchers are evaluating SHAReClinic, a national virtual Sexual Health and Rehabilitation eClinic designed to support prostate cancer patients and their partners. This observational study aims to assess SHAReClinics impact on improving sexual function, satisfaction, relational intimacy, and overall sexual health after prostate cancer treatment. The goal is to determine SHAReClinics effectiveness across multiple cancer centers and its role in supporting long-term sexual well-being for patients and couples. Participants will have access to guided education modules and sexual health counseling through SHAReClinic as part of their usual care. The program includes a bio-medical component focused on erectile rehabilitation and a psychological component to maintain or restore intimacy. The study follows patients from before treatment through 12 months post-treatment, with virtual clinic visits scheduled at key recovery milestones, including 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment. Participants will complete questionnaires at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months to assess sexual function, distress, intimacy, and quality of life. Each virtual clinic visit lasts about 30 minutes and involves a sexual health coach who provides support via phone or video calls. Patients can also engage with a Q&A platform and request additional check-in calls. Researchers will monitor patient satisfaction, enrollment, adherence, and data quality throughout the study, which facilitates ongoing evaluation of SHAReClinics role in sexual health rehabilitation.

This research aims to evaluate a remote-patient-monitoring system RPM integrated within an electronic health record EHR for about 12,000 people with diabetes receiving outpatient care. The study focuses on whether glycemic outcomes over two years after integrating the RPM system into the EHR are not worse than outcomes before a care restructuring that began in October 2024. It includes a wide range of patients with type 1, complicated type 2, rare hereditary, and other diabetes types under routine care. The RPM system called Steno Detektor was introduced outside the EHR in October 2024 and will be integrated into the EHR system Sundhedsplatformen EPIC in 2026. The study compares health data before and up to two years after this integration. Patients remain in the study as long as they receive care at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen SDCC, where visits may be spaced up to two years apart based on individual needs. Participants contribute data collected through routine outpatient care, including continuous glucose monitoring for children and adults with type 1 diabetes, HbA1c for adults with type 2 diabetes, and other health markers like cardiometabolic complications, kidney function, hospitalizations, and blood pressure. The study uses real-world electronic health records to track these outcomes and assess how the RPM system supports personalized diabetes care in a large, diverse population over an extended period.

Researchers are evaluating the safety and performance of remote monitoring functions in ALIZEA, BOREA, and CELEA pacemakers for patients with bradycardia. This observational clinical investigation focuses on the devices Right Atrial Autothreshold RAAT, Right Ventricular Autothreshold RVAT, and remote alert features. The study aims to document these functions over time to better understand their reliability and safety. Participants will be included soon after pacemaker implantation and followed for 48 months. Follow-up visits occur both on-site and remotely at 1 to 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, and 48 months after inclusion. During these visits, the remote monitoring functions and the pacing systems performance will be measured, and safety will be continuously monitored throughout the study. Throughout the study, researchers will assess cardiac pacing thresholds, technical remote alerts, and the usability of the pacemaker and remote monitoring systems. Evaluations include Right Atrial and Right Ventricular pacing thresholds at multiple timepoints up to 48 months. Participants will undergo scheduled check-ins involving measurements, monitoring, and safety assessments, with the total study duration lasting four years after enrollment.