Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Conditions
Keywords
Post-COVID-19 syndrome, Avatar, App development
Brief summary
The goal of this observational study is to evaluate an app to improve communication and information flows for persons suffering from Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). The main questions it aims to answer are: * How can custom virtual characters (avatars) help to collect more data for the diagnosis of PCS? * Can conversations with virtual (mobile) characters (avatars) and the presentation of health data help to improve the diagnosis and understanding of PCS? * How should these virtual characters (avatars) be designed for people with PCS and healthcare professionals to be useful in the long term? This concerns appearance, dialog, personality and functions. Participants will be asked to use and test the app and take part in two interviews at the beginning and end of the study.
Detailed description
The overarching goal of the HINT project is to develop an app that people affected by PCS can use on their own devices in a language of their choice (e.g. their native language) to increase their health and data literacy about PCS and to provide socially equitable access to PCS care. Multilingual avatars are used for independent data collection, as the embodiment of interaction systems offers advantages for health queries. The data collected during the survey and - if desired - data from wearables are combined with historical data from the participants, processed and visualized. This allows patients to communicate with their avatar as well as with medical staff about their illness and its progression without language barriers affecting treatment. The avatar can also inform patients about new research findings on PCS. To this end, the system's level of knowledge is constantly compared with the current state of science; new findings are prepared for the target group and added to the knowledge base. The project is aimed at all those affected by PCS, although the multilingualism and low-threshold health education are intended to appeal in particular to people who have previously had difficulty accessing adequate care. The project is aimed at all those affected by PCS, although the multilingualism and low-threshold health education are intended to appeal in particular to people who have previously had difficulty accessing adequate care. The participatory and iterative development of the system, which also involves medical staff, contributes to overarching issues relating to co-creation approaches in the healthcare sector.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
University of Applied Sciences Cologne
Humanizing Technologies GmbH
University Hospital of Cologne
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Existence of a declaration of consent * Stable clinical condition * Diagnosis of Post-COVID syndrome according to the World Health Organization (WHO): * Symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks * Duration: at least 2 months * Etiology: no alternative diagnosis * Progression: persistent, recurrent, fluctuating
Exclusion criteria
* Known psychiatric or somatic illness that can explain the symptoms
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Final evaluation of the application field tests | 24 months after initiation of the study | Following the successful completion of the field test (phase 2), a full evaluation will be carried out. The overall system and its use will be evaluated, taking into account both the perspective of those affected by PCS and that of the medical staff. |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
Primary ContactClara Lehmann, MD
Backup ContactCristina Polidori, MD
Outcome results
None listed