The goal of this observational study is to evaluate an app to improve communication andinformation flows for persons suffering from Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). The mainquestions 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 thebeginning and end of the study.
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.
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
University Hospital Cologne
Cologne, Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany
Investigator: Clara Lehmann, MD
Contact: +49221 4784433
clara.lehmann@uk-koeln.de
Clara Lehmann, MD
+49221 4784433
clara.lehmann@uk-koeln.de
Cristina Polidori, MD
+49221 47832753
maria.polidori-nelles@uk-koeln.de
Not Provided