The aim of diploma thesis is description and application of new product in life insurance area. This product is based on insured body parameters and physical activity monitoring with the assistance of wearables. Based on analysis of the data obtained by the insurance company, it can be setting appropriate and fair price of life insurance. Introduction describes principle of Internet of Things, which idea is reflected in next part described eHealth and telemedicine industries, where will be defined the possibilities of use information and communication technologies in these industries. One from the technologies using in these industries are already mentioned wearables, which can be used into the basic monitoring of individuals health condition. Except of health services is possible use these wearables in insurance industry too, where can monitor physical activity and selected body parameters of individuals and motivate them to exercise and healthy lifestyle in form of insurance discounts. The thesis points to current situation of using these devices at the local as well as global insurance market and possible principle of monitoring and analysis body parameters and lifestyle at Czech insurance market in the form of a new life insurance product.

Depuis la loi de l’hôpital, patient, santé et territoire (HSPT), les établissements de santé français ont montré de plus en plus d’intérêt à une meilleure offre de soin. L’utilisation des philosophies et des techniques d’amélioration de processus inspirée par le nouveau management public a été considérée comme un moyen d’augmenter la qualité des soins et de diminuer la durée d’hospitalisation. La télémédecine est une forme de pratique médicale à distance utilisant les technologies de l’information et de la communication et pouvant être considérée comme une innovation de processus dans le but d’améliorer le système de prestation de soins. Malgré l’intérêt apporté par les hôpitaux publics français à la mise en œuvre de la télémédecine, les facteurs de réussite et les obstacles influençant son implantation restent à développer. À travers cette thèse, nous tentons d’apporter les réponses à cette problématique par une recherche qualitative dans le secteur public de la santé. / Since the French law of the hospital, patients, health and territory (HSPT), the healthcare institutions have shown their interest for a better healthcare provision. The use of philosophies and process improvement techniques inspired by the new public management was seen as a way to increase the quality of care and reduce the length of hospital stays. Telemedicine is a kind of remote medical practice based on information technology and communication which can be considered as an innovation process in order to improve the healthcare delivery system. Despite the interest shown by the French public hospitals in implementing the telemedicine, success factors as well as barriers influencing its implementation need to be developed. By this work, we try to provide some answers to this problem by a qualitative research in the public healthcare sector.

Abstract The study is part of a project titled Self-motivated control of hypertension. The project is multidisciplinary, and the participants were from the Department of Nursing and Health Administration, University of Oulu, the Department of Internal Medicine, Oulu University Hospital, the health centers of the Liminka and Rantsila municipalities, Polar Electro Oy and The National Technology Agency (TEKES). The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the compliance and the blood pressure control of the intervention patients and the positive effect of the intervention on the compliance and the control of blood pressure. A further purpose was to develop a scale for measuring hypertensive patients' compliance and to test the reliability and validity of the scale. The intervention included the use of a multimedia-based computer program and a heart rate monitor, home measurements of blood pressure and two walking tests as a support of hypertension care. The study consisted of four phases. In the first phase, the patients in the intervention group (n = 21) were interviewed. The topics were: the patients' compliance and attitude towards hypertension and its care and the patients' attitude towards information technology and its use as a support of hypertension care. The material was analysed using the method of content analysis. In the second phase, the Compliance of Hypertensive Patients' Scale (= CHPS) was developed and its reliability and validity were assessed. Data were collected from five health centers (n = 103). Dimensionality was explored using principal component analysis and internal consistency was estimated according to a standard item analysis approach and Theta coefficient. Validity was assessed using face validity, content validity and criterion-related validity (through the use of concurrent validity). In the third phase, by using the CHPS, the compliance of the intervention (n = 14) and control patients (n = 21) was evaluated and the groups were compared. Data were analysed using Mann Whitney's U-test. The control of blood pressure of intervention (n = 16) and control (n = 18) groups was also evaluated and compared. Data were analysed using T-test. In the fourth phase, the patients were interviewed for an evaluation of how the intervention had improved their (n = 16) compliance. The material was analyzed using content analysis. The patients' attitude towards information technology as a support of hypertension care and their attitude towards hypertension and its care were more positive at the end than at the beginning of the intervention. The intervention improved the patients' compliance. They used less sodium (p = .014), exercised more effectively (p = .017) and needed fewer follow-up appointments with nurses than the patients in the control group. The most important part of the intervention consisted of the measurement of blood pressure at home, sending the readings to the health center and the use of a heart rate monitor to improve the effectiveness of exercise. The program illustrated and made more concrete the things connected with lifestyle. The patients who felt that hypertension was caused by stress did not find the setting of the goals and the use of the program meaningful. The variation of diastolic blood pressure at home was statistically almost significant (p = .057) at the end of the project and the blood pressure values were lower in the intervention group than in the control group. The blood pressure readings recorded at home were lower than the measurements recorded by the physician at the health center (SBP p = .000, DBP p = .003). / Tiivistelmä Tutkimus oli osa Omatoiminen verenpaineen hallinta -projektia (OVH-projekti). Projekti on monitieteinen, ja siihen ovat osallistuneet Oulun yliopiston hoitotieteen ja terveyshallinnon laitos, Oulun yliopistollisen sairaalan sisätautien klinikka, Limingan ja Rantsilan terveyskeskukset, Polar Electro Oy ja Tekes. Tutkimuksen päätarkoituksena oli arvioida interventioryhmän potilaiden hoitoon sitoutumista ja hoitotasapainoa sekä sitä, miten kyseinen interventio edisti hoitoon sitoutumista. Lisäksi tarkoituksena oli kehittää hoitoon sitoutumista arvioiva mittari ja testata sen luotettavuutta. Projektissa toteutettuun interventioon kuului kohonneen verenpaineen hoidon tueksi suunnitellun multimediapohjaisen tietokoneohjelman (OVH-ohjelma) ja sykemittarin käyttö, verenpaineen kotimittaukset sekä kaksi kävelytestiä. Tutkimus sisälsi neljä vaihetta. Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa interventioryhmän (n = 21) potilaat haastateltiin. Aiheina olivat potilaiden hoitoon sitoutuminen ja suhtautuminen kohonneeseen verenpaineeseen sekä suhtautuminen tietotekniikkaan ja sen käyttöön kohonneen verenpaineen hoidon tukena. Aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysillä. Toisessa vaiheessa kehitettiin hoitoon sitoutumista arvioiva mittari, jonka luotettavuutta testattiin viiden eri terveyskeskuksen verenpainepotilailla (n = 103). Luotettavuuden arvioinnissa käytettiin osioiden välisiä korrelaatiokertoimia, face-validiteettia, faktorianalyysiä, osioiden välisiä korjattuja korrelaatiokertoimia, theeta-arvoa ja Pearsonin tulomomenttikorrelaatiokerrointa. Kolmannessa vaiheessa arvioitiin ja verrattiin interventio- ja vertailuryhmän potilaiden hoitoon sitoutumista (n = 14, n = 21) kehitetyn mittarin avulla sekä hoitotasapainoa (n = 16, n = 18). Aineiston analyysissä käytettiin kuvailevia arvoja, Mann Whitneyn U-testiä ja T-testiä. Neljännessä vaiheessa arvioitiin haastattelujen avulla sitä, miten interventio edisti potilaiden (n = 16) hoitoon sitoutumista. Aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysillä. Potilaiden suhtautuminen tietotekniikkaan ja sen käyttöön kohonneen verenpaineen hoidon tukena sekä suhtautuminen kohonneeseen verenpaineeseen ja sen hoitoon oli intervention lopussa myönteisempää kuin sen alussa. Interventio edisti tutkittavien hoitoon sitoutumista. He käyttivät suolaa vähemmän (p = .014), liikkuivat tehokkaammin (p = .017) ja kävivät hoitajan vastaanotolla harvemmin (p = .000) kuin vertailuryhmän potilaat. Tärkeimmät intervention osa-alueet olivat verenpaineen mittaus kotona ja arvojen lähettäminen terveyskeskukseen sekä sykemittarin käyttö. Sykemittarin käyttö lisäsi liikunnan tehokkuutta. OVH-ohjelman käyttö havainnollisti ja konkretisoi elintapoihin liittyviä asioita. Potilaat, jotka pitivät stressiä kohonneen verenpaineen syynä, eivät kokeneet tavoitteiden asettamista eivätkä myöskään ohjelman käyttöä mielekkääksi. Interventioryhmän diastolisen verenpaineen muutos kotimittauksissa oli intervention lopussa tilastollisesti melkein merkitsevä (p = .057) ja verenpainearvot olivat matalammat kotimittauksissa kuin vertailuryhmän potilaiden arvot. Tutkittavien verenpainearvot olivat kotimittauksissa matalammat kuin lääkärin mittauksissa terveysasemalla (SVP p = .000, DVP p = .003).

Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally. Today's initiatives regarding prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease still have unmet needs and improvement potential. One important and relevant part for the health care is to adapt to today's living habits. Digitalization has become a natural part in society and integration in health care is ongoing through so called eHealth. mHealth, which provides health care and prevention remotely, is a part of eHealth. The development of mHealth in health care has intensified and with increasing demands, that it is evidence-based. Aim Through a literature study, investigate the evidence of mHealth and how mHealth can influence risk factors in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Method A descriptive literature study with a systematic approach that included 15 articles in total and all were randomized controlled trials. Results This literature study showed that motivational focused text message, by using mobile phone or smartphone, was the type of mHealth that was primarily used and was the most effective in influencing risk factors for cardiovascular disease. BMI, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise were the risk factors that were influenced primarily. Information about required resources for implementation of mHealth was not found. Conclusion mHealth as an integrated part of health care for cardiovascular disease provides advantages as it has shown effects on influential risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This, through text messages of motivational nature to a mobile phone or smartphone. mHealth should be considered in everything that is linked to health care and particularly within cardiovascular disease. / Bakgrund Kardiovaskulär sjukdom är den främsta dödsorsaken globalt sett. Dagens åtgärder avseende prevention och behandling av kardiovaskulär sjukdom har fortsatt stor utvecklings- och förbättringspotential. En viktig och aktuell del i förbättringsarbetet är att anpassa den till dagens levnadsvanor. Eftersom digitaliseringen har blivit en naturlig del i vårt samhälle pågår en integrering inom hälso- och sjukvården genom så kallad e-hälsa. M-hälsa innebär vård och hälsofrämjande stöd på distans och är en del av e-hälsa. Utvecklingen av m-hälsa inom vården är intensiv och med ökade krav på att den ska vara evidensbaserad. Syfte Att genom en litteraturstudie undersöka evidensen av m-hälsa och på vilket sätt m-hälsa kan påverka riskfaktorer vid behandling av kardiovaskulär sjukdom. Metod En beskrivande litteraturöversikt med systematisk ansats som innefattade 15 artiklar där samtliga var randomiserade kontrollerade studier. Resultat Denna litteraturstudie visade att textmeddelande med motiverande inriktning, genom användning av mobiltelefon eller smartphone, var den typ av m-hälsa som främst användes och hade tydligast effekt på påverkbara riskfaktorer för kardiovaskulär sjukdom. BMI, ohälsosam kost och brist på motion var de riskfaktorer som påverkades främst. Information om vilka resurser som krävs för implementering av m-hälsa var bristfällig. Slutsats M-hälsa som en integrerad del av hälso- och sjukvården inom kardiovaskulär sjukdom innebär fördelar då effekter på påverkbara riskfaktorer för kardiovaskulär sjukdom har påvisats, främst genom textmeddelande av motiverande karaktär till en mobiltelefon eller smartphone. M-hälsa bör därmed vara en självklar del i allt som är kopplat till hälso- och sjukvården och särskilt inom kardiovaskulär sjukdom.

Introduction In Senegal, as in many countries, physicians are unevenly distributed. This situation leads to health inequalities, but the solutions adopted to distribute physicians equitably do not give satisfactory results. This situation pushes decision-makers and researchers to look for other solutions such as telemedicine. This technology-based solution is considered to be a good means to improve physician recruitment and retention in underserved areas, thus improving access to healthcare in these areas, but it is still underused in Senegalese health facilities. Objective This study aimed to identify the determinants of the use of telemedicine in Senegal. More specifically, it aimed to identify the individual (micro) and contextual (meso and macro) factors that influence the use of telemedicine in Senegal. Method The study involved mixed methods: a descriptive qualitative study involving individual interviews and a cross-sectional quantitative study involving questionnaires. The first method was used to study the individual (micro) factors such as physicians’ beliefs on the use of telemedicine and physicians’ perception of the impact of telemedicine on their recruitment and retention in underserved areas. It was also used to study the contextual meso (technical, organizational and ethical) and macro (financial, political, legal and socioeconomic) factors that influence the use of telemedicine. The second method was used to study participants’ intention to use telemedicine in their professional activities, another individual (micro) factor. This study included physicians working in public hospitals, those working in district health, and telemedicine projects managers. Qualitative data was collected through individual interviews, transcribed and imported into NVivo 10 where they were coded thematically. Quantitative data was collected by administering questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS 23. Results The results showed that telemedicine could contribute to, but could not guarantee the recruitment and retention of Senegalese physicians in underserved areas. It was found that physicians in Senegal have both positive and negative behavioural, normative and control beliefs that can encourage or discourage them from using telemedicine in their professional practice. The most salient behavioural beliefs were that telemedicine makes experts’ opinions accessible across distances (positive behavioural belief), but could lead to medical errors (negative behavioural belief). The most common normative beliefs were that their patients would most probably approve the use of telemedicine (positive normative belief) while their colleagues working in the public sector might disapprove of it (negative normative belief). The most reported control beliefs were that the use of telemedicine is easy (positive control belief), but could be time-consuming (negative control belief). For physicians in Senegal, the findings also demonstrate that the probability that they will use telemedicine in their professional activities is moderate and influenced by their perceived behavioural control which, in turn, is influenced by their positive and negative control beliefs. Finally, the results demonstrate that many contextual meso (technical, organizational and ethical) and macro (financial, political, legal and socioeconomic) factors influence the use of telemedicine in Senegal. Conclusion The results of this study can inform the choice of telemedicine development strategies. These strategies can help to promote the use of telemedicine in Senegal, which in turn can help to increase physician recruitment and retention in underserved areas, resulting in better access to healthcare and, and as a result improved population health.

The potential that telemedicine interventions may have in effectively delivering remote specialized cardiovascular care to large numbers of patients with heart diseases has recently come under question. In the first phase of this thesis, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to compare the impact of a basic form of telemedicine that is regular patient follow-up by telephone, with usual care for individuals with coronary artery disease following their discharge. In the second phase of this thesis, a network meta-analysis, using Bayesian methods for multiple treatment comparisons, was conducted to compare the more complex forms of telemedicine for patients with heart failure. In the third and final phase of this thesis, a randomized controlled trial was designed to compare the impact of two forms of telemedicine, identified in the earlier two phases as being the most promising, on clinical outcomes, cardiac risk factors and patient reported outcomes.

Background. A demanda por cuidados médicos especializados vem aumentando em todo o mundo. Analisamos uma iniciativa de telemedicina para reduzir o tempo entre encaminhamento e consulta especializada e o número de pacientes na fila de espera. Métodos. Um estudo retrospectivo com controles contemporâneos foi realizado entre junho de 2014 a julho de 2016. As especialidades selecionadas foram incluídas em uma intervenção de telemedicina e comparadas com as especialidades controle reguladas de forma padrão. Os pacientes de intervenção foram combinados com um conjunto aleatório de controles (proporção 1: 1) por semestre e ano de inclusão na lista de espera e pelo índice de demanda e oferta de consultas especializadas (número de pacientes na fila de espera em junho de 2014 dividido pela média de consultas médicas especializadas disponibilizadas durante os 25 meses que compõem o período de análise). A intervenção de telemedicina incluiu o desenvolvimento de protocolos de referência e classificação de risco de pacientes na fila de espera. O tempo de espera para a consulta presencial e a magnitude da diminuição do número de pacientes na fila no final da observação foram os desfechos primários. Resultados. Nefrologia, pneumologia, urologia, neurologia, neurocirurgia e reumatologia foram selecionados para a intervenção, para um total de 50.185 pacientes (idade média: 51,5 anos) versus 50,124 pacientes controles (idade média: 52,2 anos). O tempo médio para o agendamento de consultas foi de 583,5 dias no grupo de intervenção versus 599,8 dias nos controles (p <0,001). O volume da lista de espera diminuiu 61,4% no grupo de intervenção e 53,2% no grupo controle 13 (<0,001). Para pacientes de alto risco (grupo de intervenção apenas), o tempo médio entre encaminhamento e consultas foi de 235,43 dias. Conclusões. A intervenção de telemedicina foi eficaz para diminuir o tempo de espera, especialmente para indivíduos de alto risco, e número de pacientes em espera para consultas médicas especializadas, o que sinaliza um efeito positivo sobre a eficiência do sistema de saúde, com redução de tempo e custos de deslocamentos, além de potencializar a prevenção quaternária ao prevenir consultas desnecessárias com médicos especilaistas, por meio do melhor manejo dos médicos de atenção primária. / Background. The demand for specialist care is increasing worldwide. We tested a telemedicine initiative to reduce the time between referral and specialist appointment and the number of waitlisted patients. Methods. A retrospective trial with contemporaneous controls was conducted between June 2014-July 2016. Selected specialties were included in a telemedicine intervention and compared to control specialties covered by the usual gatekeeping program. Intervention patients were matched to a random set of controls (1:1 ratio) by semester and year of inclusion in the waiting list and by the specialty demand to supply ratio (number of waitlisted patients in June 2014 divided by the mean number of appointment slots during the 25 months comprising the period of analysis). The telemedicine intervention encompassed development of referral protocols and risk classification of waitlisted patients. Waiting time to face-to-face consultation and magnitude of decrease in the number of waitlisted patients at the end of the observation were defined as primary outcomes. Results. Nephrology, pulmonology, urology, neurology, neurosurgery, and rheumatology were selected for the intervention, for a total 50,185 patients (mean age: 51.5 years) vs. 50,124 patients controls (mean age: 52.2 years). Mean referralto- appointment time was 583.5 days in the intervention group vs. 599.8 days in controls (p<0.001). Waitlist volume decreased 61.4% in the intervention group and 53.2% in the control group (<0.001). For high-risk patients (intervention group only), mean time between referral and appointments was 235.43 days. 15 Conclusions. The telemedicine intervention was effective to decrease wait time, especially for high-risk individuals, and number of waitlisted patients, which signal a positive effect of e-consultations on the knowledge of primary care physicians, reducing time and travel costs and enhancing a quaternary prevention and avoiding unnecessary consultations. / Telemedicina

Bakgrund: Vårdandet av barn med akuta och kroniska sjukdomar i hemmet samt vid palliativ vård har ökat under de sista årtiondena. Detta är i enlighet med Barnkonventionen och Nordisk Förening för Sjuka Barns Behov (NOBAB) som förespråkar att barn ska få den bästa möjliga sjukvården samt inte skiljas från sina föräldrar.  Det finns internationell forskning som visar att hemsjukvård för barn kan minska vårdtiden på sjukhuset samt antal inläggningar. Vidare visar forskning även föräldrarnas och sjuksköterskors upplevelse av hemsjukvård för barn med specifika diagnoser eller palliativ vård. I Sverige är tillgången till hemsjukvård för barn samt hur den är utformad beroende på var barnet bor i landet, samt vilken diagnos eller åkomma det har. Den utförs antingen inom kommunen eller utifrån ett sjukhus, alltså av regionerna. Det finns svensk forskning som visar att föräldrar föredrar att barnet erhåller sjukvård i hemmet och att det är en kostnadseffektiv lösning i de tätbefolkade delarna av landet. Motiv: Det fattas forskning som belyser föräldrars erfarenheter av hemsjukvård för barn i den svenska glesbygden, och hur behovet av stöttning möjligtvis kan förändras under tiden. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva föräldrars behov och erfarenheter av sjukvårdsinsatser i hemmet - från övergången av vård på sjukhus till långvarig hemsjukvård. Metod: Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med föräldrar till barn som erhåller hemsjukvård. Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysen av insamlad data resulterade i fyra kategorier Att uppleva kompetent hjälp, Att uppleva otillräcklig hjälp, Att önska mer familjevänliga lösningar och Att använda telemedicin.   Konklusion: Studien ökar förståelse och ödmjukhet för den situation familjer befinner sig i när ett långvarigt sjukt barn erhåller hemsjukvård. Det framkommer att det behövs en förbättring av hemsjukvårdsverksamheten för att minska påfrestningen och hitta mer familjevänliga lösningar, som gynnar både familjer och samhället. / Background: During the last decade, home care services (HCS) for children with acute and chronic diseases as well as home based palliative care for children increased notably. This conforms with UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and NOBAB standards requiring the most excellent care for a sick child while not being separated from its parents. International studies suggest that HCS for children decreases the average length of hospital stays and readmissions rates. Furthermore, there are studies exploring both parents’ and nurses’ experiences of HCS for children with specific diagnoses and for children receiving palliative care.  In Sweden, both access to paediatric HCS and how these services are organized largely depends on where the child lives and its diagnosis. HCS for children are either community-based or hospital-based. Swedish studies point out that parents prefer HCS over hospital care for their child and that HCS is cost-effective in the more densely populated parts of Sweden. Motive: There is a lack of studies researching parents’ experiences of HCS for sick children in the more sparsely populated parts of Sweden and how the need for support might change over time.   Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe parents’ needs and experiences of home nursing services for children – transitioning from hospital care to HCS. Methods: Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with parents receiving HCS for sick children. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Analysis of the interviews resulted in four categories: Experiencing competent help, Experiencing insufficient support, Wishing more family-friendly solutions and Usage of telemedicine.  Conclusion: This study creates an understanding of families’ experiences receiving HCS for a chronically sick child. There is a need for improving the HCS-organisation to decrease stress on families and to find more family-friendly solutions, benefiting both families and society.

This diploma thesis is devoted to segmentation of ECG signal based on its quality and compression of quality segments suitable for diagnostics (in telemedicine). A completely new approach is to use accelerometer data to estimate ECG signal quality. This is possible thanks to the Bittium Faros mobile recorder. It records both the ECG signal motion – accelerometric data. A total of 34 features were extracted from accelerometric data. Using these features the predictive model was taught to classify the ECG signal into 3 quality groups according to the level of noise. Quality segments were compressed. The wavelet transform in combination with high-frequency bands zeroing and length encoding was used as a compression method.

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and the number of patients with comorbidities like hypertension, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases are increasing worldwide. Evidence-based medicine uses the best available evidence from systematic research to make decisions about the care of individual patients. The systematisation and appraisal of evidence are done in care guidelines, which in turn aim to guide the application of effective diabetes prevention and care interventions in different age groups and settings. Patients with T2D need continuous and individualised care. They are therefore seen as the ideal target group for the use of digital health interventions like telemedicine. However, heterogeneous patient populations, telemedicine phenotypes and settings hamper the evaluation of digital health interventions. Comparing study results to provide evidence-based recommendations is further complicated by the diversity of applied study designs. Therefore, there is a need for a systematic review of the current state of research while considering the described variability. In line with this aim five research studies were conducted. Objective: The overall objective of this thesis was, to identify current needs of patients with diabetes (publication 1), to systematically analyse the effectiveness of different diabetes prevention and care interventions (publications 2+3) and to evaluate digital diabetes prevention and care interventions (publications 4+5). Material und Method: To analyse current needs of patients with diabetes, three substudies were conducted in the beginning (publication 1). They consisted of a standardised survey of experts to analyse existing chronic care programs, an expert workshop to identify patients’ needs and an online survey to prioritise the categorised needs dimensions seen from the perspective of patients and health care providers. Two literature overviews were performed to analyse the best available evidence in diabetes prevention and care. An umbrella review analysed the available evidence to identify effective interventions of blood sugar regulation on cardiovascular risk (publication 2). Study quality was assessed using OQAQ (Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire). Afterwards, a literature overview aimed to identify effective measures of population-based prevention and communication strategies to provide recommendations for policy makers on how to prevent diabetes in different age groups and settings (publication 3). In a next step, digital diabetes prevention and care interventions were summarised. To evaluate digital health interventions with more than one active function, a study protocol was developed. It describes the evaluation of a hypothetical gamification-based smartphone application for weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents (publication 4). As a last step, an umbrella review (publication 5) systematically analysed the effectiveness of telemedicine interventions in diabetes, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. Potentially relevant records had to analyse the effectiveness of telemedicine on clinical outcomes under real-life conditions in patients with one of the defined target diseases using either a systematic review or meta-analysis based on RCTs. Results of meta-analyses and their subgroup analyses were used to identify effective components or other characteristics (e.g. intensity or frequency of feedback). Overall certainty of outcomes was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Results and Implications: The standardised survey on current care models indicated that a lack of national guidelines, cost-ineffective and non-individualised health care as well as long waiting periods were criticised. Education of patients, communication within the team and with the patient, prevention and health promotion as well as the accessibility of services were significantly more important to patients when compared to health care providers. The identified differences in priorities support the early assessment of these preferences. The umbrella review on the potential of blood sugar regulation for the reduction of cardiovascular risk identified 44 records which were of good quality (OQAQ-median = 17). The results suggest that pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have the potential to improve cardiovascular outcomes. When deciding for a certain intervention as well as its intensity, baseline blood pressure and cardiovascular risks of the patient should be considered. Guidelines on cardiovascular prevention should take into account pathophysiological mechanisms as well as individual lifestyle interventions. While effective measures for individual level prevention including physical activity and diet programs were found, available evidence for population-based intervention was scarce and insufficient. The literature overview conducted afterwards identified evidence-based interventions for population-based prevention, including taxation of unhealthy products and specific prevention strategies in certain settings (e.g. kindergartens, schools). These strategies may contribute to the development of policies and governmental regulations for the prevention of diabetes in different age groups and settings. To evaluate a digital mobile health intervention consisting of more than one component, a study protocol for a single-centre, two-arm, triple-blinded, randomised controlled trial following the CONSORT recommendations was developed. The intervention consists of a smartphone application that provides both tracking and gamification elements for lifestyle change. The control group uses an identically designed application, which solely features the tracking of health information. It appears favourable to use RCTs for proof of concept assessments, to evaluate the effectiveness of an app or specific components in controlled settings. The fifth publication of this thesis shows that telemedicine may lead to significant and clinically relevant reductions of HbA1c (≤ -0,5 %) in patients with T2D. The identified reduction rates are comparable to those of non-pharmacological and even some pharmacological interventions. Extracted subgroup analyses showed that certain population and intervention characteristics seem to be associated with improved clinical benefits. This applies to interventions with a rather short duration (< 6 months) and those with frequent or intensive feedback. Age (< 55 years), time since diagnosis (< 8,5 years) and baseline HbA1c (> 8,0 %) were identified as population characteristics favourable for clinically relevant improvements of HbA1c. In addition to the characteristics, future updates of guidelines should carefully consider the low levels of certainty as indicated by the low GRADE results. The present thesis provides a systematic overview of effective measures in diabetes prevention and care. Overall, there is a potential for the early and structured assessment of patients’ preferences. The systematisation and appraisal of the best available evidence on the effectiveness of telemedicine in patients with diabetes and associated comorbidities revealed areas for the update of present guidelines. There is a need for methodologically robust studies on the effectiveness of telemedicine in specific populations and in consideration of combined digital health components. The results and identified research needs have the potential to motivate future studies.:Inhaltsverzeichnis I Abkürzungsverzeichnis III Abbildungsverzeichnis VI Tabellenverzeichnis VII Liste der entstandenen Publikationen VIII 1 Einführung in die Thematik 1 1.1 Diabetes 1 1.1.1 Epidemiologie 1 1.1.2 Krankheitstypen, Krankheitsstadien und Begleiterkrankungen 2 1.1.3 Diabetesprävention 5 1.1.4 Diabetesversorgung 6 1.2 Evidenzbasierte Medizin 9 1.3 Digitalisierung 14 1.4 Stand der Forschung 15 1.4.1 Unterstützungs- und Versorgungsprobleme 15 1.4.2 Individuelle und populationsbasierte Maßnahmen zur Diabetesprävention 16 1.4.3 Herausforderungen digitaler Diabetesprävention und -versorgung 22 1.5 Zieldefinition und Fragestellung 25 2 Thematischer Zusammenhang und Methodenüberblick 26 3 Individualising Chronic Care Management by Analysing Patients’ Needs – A Mixed Method Approach 28 4 Blood Sugar Regulation for Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 31 5 What should governments be doing to prevent diabetes throughout the life course? 34 6 Efficacy of gamification-based smartphone application for weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents: study protocol for a phase II randomized controlled trial 36 7 Mapping the Evidence on the Effectiveness of Telemedicine Interventions in Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, and Hypertension: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 38 8 Diskussion und Ausblick 41 8.1 Einordnung der Ergebnisse 41 8.2 Limitationen und Methodenkritik 49 8.3 Wissenschaftliche Kontribution und Ausblick 50 9 Schlussfolgerung 51 10 Zusammenfassung 53 11 Summary 57 12 Literaturverzeichnis 60 13 Anhang 110 13.1 Wissenschaftliche Kontribution der Publikationen 110 13.2 Details zu Publikationen als Erstautor 112 13.3 Volltexte der entstandenen Veröffentlichungen 117 13.4 Curriculum Vitae 198 13.5 Danksagung 199 Anlage 1 200 Anlage 2 202 / Hintergrund: Die Häufigkeit des Typ-2-Diabetes mellitus (T2D) sowie die Zahl von Patienten mit Begleiterkrankungen wie Hypertonie, Lipidstoffwechselstörungen und kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen sind weltweit ansteigend. Die evidenzbasierte Medizin nutzt die beste verfügbare Evidenz aus systematischer Forschung um Entscheidungen für die individuelle Patientenversorgung zu treffen. Die Aufarbeitung und Bewertung der Evidenz erfolgt in Versorgungsleitlinien, welche wiederum zur Verwendung wirksamer Maßnahmen der Diabetesprävention und -versorgung in verschiedenen Altersgruppen und Settings anleiten können. Patienten mit T2D bedürfen der kontinuierlichen und individualisierten Versorgung. Sie gelten daher als ideale Patientengruppe, um digitale Versorgungsformen wie Telemedizin zu nutzen. Heterogene Patientenpopulationen, Telemedizinanwendungen und Settings erschweren jedoch die Evaluation digitaler Gesundheitsanwendungen. Zusätzlich wird durch die Diversität der angewandten Studiendesigns ein Vergleich der Studienergebnisse, mit dem Ziel evidenzbasierte Empfehlungen zu formulieren, verkompliziert. Es fehlt daher an einer systematischen Aufarbeitung des Forschungsstands unter Berücksichtigung der geschilderten Variabilität. Mit diesem Ziel wurden fünf Forschungsarbeiten angefertigt. Fragestellung: Übergeordnetes Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, bestehende Unterstützungs- und Versorgungsprobleme von Patienten mit Diabetes zu identifizieren (Publikation 1), die Wirksamkeit verschiedener Maßnahmen der Prävention und Versorgung des Diabetes systematisch aufzubereiten (Publikationen 2+3) und digitale Diabetespräventions- und –versorgungsstrategien zu bewerten (Publikationen 4+5). Material und Methode: Mit dem Ziel, bestehende Unterstützungs- und Versorgungsprobleme von Patienten mit Diabetes zu analysieren, wurden zu Beginn drei Teilstudien durchgeführt (Publikation 1). Diese beinhalteten eine standardisierte Expertenbefragung zu bestehenden Versorgungsmodellen, einen Workshop zur Identifikation von Versorgungs- und Unterstützungsproblemen und die Durchführung einer mehrsprachigen Online-Befragung zur Priorisierung der kategorisierten Problembereiche aus Sicht der Patienten und Leistungserbringer. Zur Analyse der besten verfügbaren Evidenz zur Diabetesprävention und –versorgung wurden zwei Übersichtsarbeiten durchgeführt. Ein Umbrella Review untersuchte die verfügbare Evidenz effektiver Maßnahmen der Blutzuckerregulation auf das kardiovaskuläre Risiko (Publikation 2). Die Studienqualität wurde durch OQAQ (Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire) bewertet. Im Anschluss hatte eine Literaturübersicht das Ziel, wirksame Maßnahmen der Verhältnisprävention sowie Kommunikations-strategien zu identifizieren, um Handlungsempfehlungen abzuleiten, wie politische Entscheidungsträger in verschiedenen Altersgruppen und Settings Diabetes verhindern können (Publikation 3). In einem nächsten Schritt wurden Ansätze der digitalen Diabetesprävention und –versorgung aufgearbeitet. Zur Evaluation von digitalen Interventionen mit mehr als einer aktiven Funktion wurde ein Studienprotokoll entwickelt. Dieses beschreibt die Evaluation einer (hypothetischen) spielbasierten mobilen Applikation zur Gewichtsreduzierung bei übergewichtigen und adipösen Jugendlichen (Publikation 4). Im letzten Schritt wurde ein Umbrella Review (Publikation 5) durchgeführt, um die Wirksamkeit von Telemedizin bei Patienten mit Diabetes, Lipidstoffwechselstörungen und Hypertonie systematisch zu erheben. Potentiell relevante Forschungsarbeiten mussten die Wirksamkeit (effectiveness) von Telemedizin auf klinische Outcomeparameter unter realweltlichen Bedingungen bei mindestens einer der definierten Erkrankungen in Form von systematischen Übersichtsarbeiten und Meta-Analysen auf Basis von RCTs untersucht haben. Ergebnisse von Meta-Analysen und deren Subgruppenanalysen wurden herangezogen, um effektive Funktionen oder andere Charakteristika (z.B. Intensität oder Häufigkeit von Feedback) zu identifizieren. Um das Vertrauen in den Effektschätzer der Subgruppenanalysen zu bewerten, wurde das GRADE-Schema (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) angewandt. Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen: Die standardisierte Befragung zu verfügbaren Versorgungsmodellen von Patienten mit Diabetes ergab, dass das Fehlen nationaler Versorgungsleitlinien, nicht kosteneffektive und nicht-individualisierte Versorgung sowie lange Wartezeiten häufig bemängelt wurden. Für die befragten Patienten waren im Vergleich zu den befragten Leistungserbringern die Patientenschulung, Kommunikation im Behandlungsteam und mit dem Patienten, die Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung, sowie die Verfügbarkeit der Versorgungsdienstleistungen signifikant wichtiger. Die identifizierten unterschiedlichen Prioritäten zwischen den an der Versorgung beteiligten Akteuren legen nahe, diese Präferenzen frühzeitig zu erfassen. Der Umbrella Review zum Potential der Blutzuckerregulation für Verbesserungen kardiovaskulärer Risiken identifizierte 44 Übersichtsarbeiten mit mehrheitlich guter Qualität (OQAQ-Median = 17). Unter Berücksichtigung unterschiedlicher Endpunkte legen die Erkenntnisse nahe, dass sowohl pharmakologische als auch nicht-pharmakologische Interventionen kardiovaskuläre Endpunkte verbessern können. Die Entscheidung für eine Intervention und ihre Intensität sollte neben dem Blutdruck auch das bestehende kardiovaskuläre Risiko zu Beginn der Behandlung berücksichtigen. Leitlinien im Bereich der kardiovaskulären Prävention sollten sowohl pathophysiologische Mechanismen als auch individuelle verhaltensorientierte Präventionsmaßnahmen einbeziehen. Während im Bereich der Verhaltensprävention wirksame Strategien, wie die Steigerung der körperlichen Aktivität und die Anpassung der Ernährungsgewohnheiten, identifiziert wurden, war die verfügbare Evidenz von populationsbasierten Maßnahmen der Verhältnisprävention im durchgeführten Umbrella Review begrenzt und nicht belastbar. Die im Anschluss durchgeführte Literaturübersicht konnte jedoch belastbare Evidenz zur Verhältnisprävention, wie die Besteuerung ungesunder Nahrungsmittel und spezifische Präventionsmaßnahmen in Settings (z.B. Kindergarten, Schule etc.), identifizieren. Diese Ansätze können dazu beitragen, regulatorische Maßnahmen zur Diabetesprävention in verschiedenen Altersgruppen und Settings zu entwickeln. Zur Evaluation einer mobilen digitalen Gesundheitsanwendung mit mehreren Funktionen wurde ein CONSORT-konformes Studienprotokoll für eine monozentrische, zweiarmige, dreifach verblindete, randomisierte, kontrollierte Studie entwickelt. Die Intervention bestand aus einer Smartphone-Applikation, die „Tracking“ und spielerische Anregungen zur Lebensstiländerung verbindet. Die Kontrollgruppe erhielt eine Smartphone-Applikation mit identischem Design, die jedoch ausschließlich Tracking von Gesundheitsinformationen anbietet. Im Rahmen des frühen Wirksamkeitsnachweises scheinen RCTs hilfreich, um die Wirksamkeit einer App bzw. ausgewählter Funktionen klinisch kontrolliert zu testen. Die fünfte Publikation der vorliegenden Dissertation zeigt, dass Telemedizin den HbA1c bei Patienten mit T2D klinisch relevant (≤ -0,5 %) reduzieren kann. Die identifizierten Reduktionsraten sind mit jenen von etablierten lebensstilmodifizierenden und selbst einigen pharmakologischen Interventionen vergleichbar. Extrahierte Subgruppenanalysen legen nahe, dass bestimmte Populations- und Interventionscharakteristika mit einer gesteigerten Wirksamkeit assoziiert sind. Hierzu gehören Interventionen mit relativ kurzer Dauer (< 6 Monate) und jene mit häufigem oder intensivem Feedback. Das Alter (< 55 Jahre), die Zeit seit Diagnosestellung (< 8,5 Jahre) und der Baseline HbA1c (> 8,0 %) wurden als Patientencharakteristika identifiziert, bei denen Telemedizin zu klinisch relevanten und signifikanten Verbesserungen des HbA1c führte. Neben diesen Charakteristika sollten zukünftige Leitlinienupdates das geringe Vertrauen in die Effektschätzer, in Form der schlechten GRADE Bewertungen, berücksichtigen. Die vorliegende kumulative Dissertation liefert einen Beitrag zur systematischen Übersicht über wirksame Ansätze der Diabetesprävention und –versorgung. In der Gesamtschau zeigt sich ein Potential für die frühzeitige und strukturierte Berücksichtigung von Patientenpräferenzen. Durch die Aufbereitung und methodische Bewertung der verfügbaren Evidenz zur Wirksamkeit von Telemedizin bei Diabetes und assoziierten Begleiterkrankungen wurden Ansätze für die gezielte Aktualisierung bestehender Leitlinien identifiziert. Es besteht ein Bedarf für methodisch robuste Studien zur Wirksamkeit von Telemedizin in spezifischen Populationen und unter Berücksichtigung der Kombination digitaler Interventionsfunktionen. Die Ergebnisse und identifizierten Forschungsbedarfe haben das Potential, zukünftige Studien zu motivieren.:Inhaltsverzeichnis I Abkürzungsverzeichnis III Abbildungsverzeichnis VI Tabellenverzeichnis VII Liste der entstandenen Publikationen VIII 1 Einführung in die Thematik 1 1.1 Diabetes 1 1.1.1 Epidemiologie 1 1.1.2 Krankheitstypen, Krankheitsstadien und Begleiterkrankungen 2 1.1.3 Diabetesprävention 5 1.1.4 Diabetesversorgung 6 1.2 Evidenzbasierte Medizin 9 1.3 Digitalisierung 14 1.4 Stand der Forschung 15 1.4.1 Unterstützungs- und Versorgungsprobleme 15 1.4.2 Individuelle und populationsbasierte Maßnahmen zur Diabetesprävention 16 1.4.3 Herausforderungen digitaler Diabetesprävention und -versorgung 22 1.5 Zieldefinition und Fragestellung 25 2 Thematischer Zusammenhang und Methodenüberblick 26 3 Individualising Chronic Care Management by Analysing Patients’ Needs – A Mixed Method Approach 28 4 Blood Sugar Regulation for Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 31 5 What should governments be doing to prevent diabetes throughout the life course? 34 6 Efficacy of gamification-based smartphone application for weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents: study protocol for a phase II randomized controlled trial 36 7 Mapping the Evidence on the Effectiveness of Telemedicine Interventions in Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, and Hypertension: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 38 8 Diskussion und Ausblick 41 8.1 Einordnung der Ergebnisse 41 8.2 Limitationen und Methodenkritik 49 8.3 Wissenschaftliche Kontribution und Ausblick 50 9 Schlussfolgerung 51 10 Zusammenfassung 53 11 Summary 57 12 Literaturverzeichnis 60 13 Anhang 110 13.1 Wissenschaftliche Kontribution der Publikationen 110 13.2 Details zu Publikationen als Erstautor 112 13.3 Volltexte der entstandenen Veröffentlichungen 117 13.4 Curriculum Vitae 198 13.5 Danksagung 199 Anlage 1 200 Anlage 2 202