Background Patients who undergo primary Total Knee Replacement surgery (TKR) are often discharged within 1-3 days after surgery. With this relatively short length of hospital stay, a patient’s self-management is a crucial factor in optimizing the outcome of their treatment. In the case of TKR, self-management primarily involves adequate pain management, followed by physiotherapy exercises and daily self-care activities. Patients are educated on all these topics by hospital staff upon discharge from the hospital but often struggle to comprehend this information due to its quantity, complexity, and the passive mode of communication used to convey it. Objective This study primarily aims to determine whether actively educating TKR patients with timely, day-to-day postoperative care information through an app could lead to a decrease in their level of pain compared to those who only receive standard information about their recovery through the app. In addition, physical functioning, quality of life, ability to perform physiotherapy exercises and daily self-care activities, satisfaction with information, perceived involvement by the hospital, and health care consumption were also assessed. Methods A multicenter randomized controlled trial was performed in five Dutch hospitals. In total, 213 patients who had undergone elective, primary, unilateral TKR participated. All patients had access to an app for their smartphone and tablet to guide them after discharge. The intervention group could unlock day-to-day information by entering a personal code. The control group only received weekly, basic information. Primary (level of pain) and secondary outcomes (physical functioning, quality of life, ability to perform physiotherapy exercises and activities of daily self-care, satisfaction with information, perceived involvement by the hospital, and health care consumption) were measured using self-reported online questionnaires. All outcomes were measured weekly in the four weeks after discharge, except for physical functioning and quality of life, which were measured at baseline and at four weeks after discharge. Data was analyzed using Student t tests, chi-square tests, and linear mixed models for repeated measures. Results In total, 114 patients were enrolled in the intervention group (IG) and 99 in the control group (CG). Four weeks after discharge, patients in the IG performed significantly better than patients in the CG on all dimensions of pain: pain at rest (mean 3.45 vs mean 4.59; P=.001), pain during activity (mean 3.99 vs mean 5.08; P<.001) and pain at night (mean 4.18 vs mean 5.21; P=.003). Additionally, significant differences were demonstrated in favor of the intervention group for all secondary outcomes. Conclusions In the four weeks following TKR, the active and day-to-day education of patients via the app significantly decreased their level of pain and improved their physical functioning, quality of life, ability to perform physiotherapy exercises and activities of daily self-care, satisfaction with information, perceived involvement by the hospital, and health care consumption compared to standard patient education. Given the rising number of TKR patients and the increased emphasis on self-management, we suggest using an app with timely postoperative care education as a standard part of care. Trial Registration Netherlands Trial Register NTR7182; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6992

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation demands a lot from citizens, health care providers, and governmental institutions. Citizens need to cope with guidelines on social interaction, work, home isolation, and symptom recognition. Additionally, health care providers and policy makers have to cope with unprecedented and unpredictable pressure on the health care system they need to manage. By providing citizens with an app, they always have access to the latest information and can assess their own health. This data could be used to support policy makers and health care providers to get valuable insights in the regional distribution of infection load and health care consumption. Objective The aim of this observational study is to assess people’s use of an app to support them with COVID-19 education, self-assessment, and monitoring of their own health for a 7-day period. In addition, we aim to assess the usability of this data for health care providers and policy makers by applying it to an interactive map and combining it with hospital data. The secondary outcomes of the study were user’s satisfaction with the information provided in the app, perceived usefulness of the app, health care providers they contacted, and the follow-up actions from this contact. Methods This observational cohort study was carried out at the nonacademic teaching hospital “Elisabeth Twee Steden” (ETZ) in Tilburg, Netherlands. From April 1, 2020, onwards ETZ offered the COVID-19 education, self-assessment, and symptom tracking diary to their already existing app for patient education and monitoring. Results Between April 1 and April 20, 2020, a total of 6194 people downloaded the app. The self-assessment functionality was used abundantly to check one’s health status. In total, 5104 people responded to the question about severe symptoms, from which 242 indicated to suffer from severe symptoms. A total of 4929 people responded to the question about mild symptoms, from which 3248 indicated to suffer from these. The data was successfully applied to an interactive map, displaying user demographics and health status. Furthermore, the data was linked to clinical data. App users were satisfied with the information in the app and appreciated the symptom diary functionality. In total, 102 users reached out to a health care provider, leading to 91 contacts. Conclusions Our study demonstrated the successful implementation and use of an app with COVID-19 education, self-assessment, and a 7-day symptom diary. Data collected with the app were successfully applied to an interactive map. In addition, we were able to link the data to COVID-19 screening results from the hospital’s microbiology laboratory. This data could be used to support policy makers and health care providers to get valuable insights in the regional distribution of infection load and health care consumption. Trial Registration Netherlands Trial Register NL8501; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8501

BackgroundModern health care focuses on shared decision making (SDM) because of its positive effects on patient satisfaction, therapy compliance, and outcomes. Patients’ knowledge about their illness and available treatment options, gained through medical education, is one of the key drivers for SDM. Current patient education relies heavily on medical consultation and is known to be ineffective.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine whether providing patients with information in a subdivided, categorized, and interactive manner via an educational app for smartphone or tablet might increase the knowledge of their illness.MethodsA surgeon-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted with 213 patients who were referred to 1 of the 6 Dutch hospitals by their general practitioner owing to knee complaints that were indicative of knee osteoarthritis. An interactive app that, in addition to standard care, actively sends informative and pertinent content to patients about their illness on a daily basis by means of push notifications in the week before their consultation. The primary outcome was the level of perceived and actual knowledge that patients had about their knee complaints and the relevant treatment options after the intervention.ResultsIn total, 122 patients were enrolled in the control group and 91 in the intervention group. After the intervention, the level of actual knowledge (measured on a 0-36 scale) was 52% higher in the app group (26.4 vs 17.4, P<.001). Moreover, within the app group, the level of perceived knowledge (measured on a 0-25 scale) increased by 22% during the week within the app group (from 13.5 to 16.5, P<.001), compared with no gain in the control group.ConclusionsActively offering patients information in a subdivided (per day), categorized (per theme), and interactive (video and quiz questions) manner significantly increases the level of perceived knowledge and demonstrates a higher level of actual knowledge, compared with standard care educational practices.Trial RegistrationInternational Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN98629372; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN98629372 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/73F5trZbb)

Background Patient education is a crucial element within health care. It is a known predictor for increased engagement in shared decision making, improved medication and treatment adherence, higher levels of satisfaction, and even better treatment outcomes. Unfortunately, often patients only remember a very limited amount of medical information. An important reason is that most patients are simply not capable of processing large amounts of new medical information in a short time. Apps for smartphones and tablets have the potential to actively educate patients by providing them with timely information through the use of push notifications. Objective The objective of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the effects of using smartphone and tablet apps to educate patients with timely education. Within this review, we focused on patients that receive their care in a hospital setting. We assessed the effects of the interventions on outcomes, such as patients’ knowledge about their illness and treatment, adherence to treatment instructions and to medication usage, and satisfaction with the care they received. Methods A comprehensive search of MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), Embase, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Web of Science was conducted. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 2015 and November 2019 were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently searched and screened articles, assessed study quality and risk of bias, and extracted the data. Due to the heterogeneity of populations, interventions, and outcomes, a meta-analysis was not deemed appropriate. Instead, a narrative synthesis is presented. Results A total of 21 RCTs with 4106 participants were included. Compared to usual care, overall effectiveness of the interventions was demonstrated in 69% of the outcomes. Effectiveness increased to 82% when the intervention had a duration shorter than one month and increased to 78% when the intervention provided at least one push notification per week. The interventions showed the highest effects on satisfaction with information, adherence to treatment instructions and to medication usage, clinical outcomes, and knowledge. Conclusions This review demonstrates that educating patients with timely medical information through their smartphones or tablets improves their levels of knowledge, medication or treatment adherence, satisfaction, and clinical outcomes, as well as having a positive effect on health care economics. These effects are most pronounced in interventions with a short duration (ie, less than a month) and with a high frequency of messages to patients (ie, once per week or more). With the knowledge that patient education is a predictor for improved outcomes and the fact that patients have obvious difficulties processing large amounts of new medical information, we suggest incorporating the delivery of timely information through smartphone and tablet apps within current medical practices.

Background Since the introduction of assisted reproductive technologies in 1978, over 2 million in vitro fertilization (IVF) babies have been born worldwide. Patients play a vital role in the success of this treatment. They are required to take fertility medication (hormone injections) to activate the ovaries to produce a sufficient number of oocytes. Later, they need to take medication to increase the chance of the embryo surviving inside the uterus. Patients are educated during an intake consultation at the start of the treatment to minimize the emotional burden and reduce noncompliance. The consultation lasts about 30 to 45 minutes and covers all essential subjects. Even though ample time and energy is spent on patient education, patients still feel anxious, unknowledgeable, and unsupported. As such, electronic health utilizing a smartphone or tablet app can offer additional support, as it allows health care professionals to provide their patients with the correct information at the right time by using push notifications. Objective This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the capacity of an app to support IVF patients throughout the different phases of their treatment and assess its effectiveness. The study's primary outcome was to determine the patients’ level of satisfaction with the information provided. The secondary outcomes included their level of knowledge, ability to administer the medication, overall experienced quality of the treatment, health care consumption, and app usage. Methods This study was performed at a specialized fertility clinic of the nonacademic teaching hospital Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis in Tilburg, the Netherlands. Patients who were scheduled for IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatments between April 2018 and August 2019 were invited to participate in a physician-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Results In total, 54 patients participated (intervention group: n=29). Patients in the intervention group demonstrated a higher level of satisfaction on a 0 to 10 scale (mean 8.43, SD 1.03 vs mean 7.70, SD 0.66; P=.004). In addition, they were more knowledgeable about the different elements of the treatment on a 7 to 35 scale (mean 27.29, SD 2.94 vs mean 23.05, SD 2.76; P<.001). However, the difference disappeared over time. There were no differences between the two patient groups on the other outcomes. In total, 25 patients in the intervention group used the app 1425 times, an average of 57 times per patient. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that, in comparison with standard patient education, using an app to provide patients with timely information increases their level of satisfaction. Furthermore, using the app leads to a higher level of knowledge about the steps and procedures of IVF treatment. Finally, the app’s usage statistics demonstrate patients’ informational needs and their willingness to use an electronic health application as part of their treatment. Trial Registration Netherlands Trial Register (NTR) 6959; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6959

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation demands a lot from citizens, health care providers, and governmental institutions. Citizens need to cope with guidelines on social interaction, work, home isolation, and symptom recognition. Additionally, health care providers and policy makers have to cope with unprecedented and unpredictable pressure on the health care system they need to manage. By providing citizens with an app, they always have access to the latest information and can assess their own health. This data could be used to support policy makers and health care providers to get valuable insights in the regional distribution of infection load and health care consumption. OBJECTIVE The aim of this observational study is to assess people’s use of an app to support them with COVID-19 education, self-assessment, and monitoring of their own health for a 7-day period. In addition, we aim to assess the usability of this data for health care providers and policy makers by applying it to an interactive map and combining it with hospital data. The secondary outcomes of the study were user’s satisfaction with the information provided in the app, perceived usefulness of the app, health care providers they contacted, and the follow-up actions from this contact. METHODS This observational cohort study was carried out at the nonacademic teaching hospital “Elisabeth Twee Steden” (ETZ) in Tilburg, Netherlands. From April 1, 2020, onwards ETZ offered the COVID-19 education, self-assessment, and symptom tracking diary to their already existing app for patient education and monitoring. RESULTS Between April 1 and April 20, 2020, a total of 6194 people downloaded the app. The self-assessment functionality was used abundantly to check one’s health status. In total, 5104 people responded to the question about severe symptoms, from which 242 indicated to suffer from severe symptoms. A total of 4929 people responded to the question about mild symptoms, from which 3248 indicated to suffer from these. The data was successfully applied to an interactive map, displaying user demographics and health status. Furthermore, the data was linked to clinical data. App users were satisfied with the information in the app and appreciated the symptom diary functionality. In total, 102 users reached out to a health care provider, leading to 91 contacts. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated the successful implementation and use of an app with COVID-19 education, self-assessment, and a 7-day symptom diary. Data collected with the app were successfully applied to an interactive map. In addition, we were able to link the data to COVID-19 screening results from the hospital’s microbiology laboratory. This data could be used to support policy makers and health care providers to get valuable insights in the regional distribution of infection load and health care consumption. CLINICALTRIAL Netherlands Trial Register NL8501; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8501

Purpose Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) plays an essential role in health outcomes and quality of life. However, it is often not assessed nor estimated. Objective CRF assessment is costly, labour intensive and not widely available. Patient-reported outcome measures estimate CRF more cost-efficiently, but current questionnaires lack accuracy. The aim of this study is to develop a new self-reported questionnaire to estimate CRF. Materials and Methods The FitMáx©-questionnaire, consisting of only three questions assessing walking, stair climbing, and cycling capacity, was compared with the commonly used Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) and Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire (VSAQ). These questionnaires were compared to peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ) as measured with cardiopulmonary exercise testing. This study included 759 cardiac, pulmonary and oncologic patients and healthy persons aged 18‒90. Results FitMáx© strongly correlated (r = 0.94 (0.92‒0.95) SEE = 4.14 mL∙kg −1 ∙min −1 ) with measured VO 2peak . Bias between predicted and measured VO 2peak was −0.24 (−9.23‒8.75; 95% limits of agreement) mL·kg −1 ·min −1 . The FitMáx© scored superiorly on correlation and SEE compared with the DASI and VSAQ, r = 0.75 (0.68‒0.80) SEE = 4.62 mL∙kg −1 ∙min −1 and r = 0.87 (0.83‒0.90) SEE = 6.75 mL∙kg −1 ∙min −1 , respectively. Conclusion FitMáx© is a valid and accessible questionnaire to estimate CRF expressed as VO 2peak in clinical practice and shows substantial improvement compared to currently used questionnaires.

BACKGROUND Since the introduction of assisted reproductive technologies in 1978, over 2 million IVF (in vitro fertilization) babies have been born worldwide. Patients play a vital role in the chances of success for this treatment. They are required to take fertility medication (hormone injections) to activate the ovaries to produce a sufficient number of oocytes. Later on, they need to take medication to increase the chance of the embryo surviving inside the uterus. To minimize emotional burden and to reduce the risk of being non-compliant, patients are educated during an intake consultation at the start of the treatment. The consultation lasts about 30 to 45 minutes and covers all important subjects. Even though ample time and energy is spent on patient education, patients still feel anxious, unknowledgeable and unsupported. This is where electronic health (eHealth) by means of an app for smartphone or tablet comes in, as it allows healthcare professionals to provide their patients with the right information at the right time by using push-notifications. OBJECTIVE The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate an app to support IVF and ICSI patients throughout the different phases of their treatment, and to assess its effectiveness. The primary outcome of the study is patients’ level of satisfaction with the information they were provided with. The secondary outcomes were their level of knowledge, ability to administer the medication, overall experienced quality of the treatment and healthcare consumption. METHODS This study was performed at specialized fertility clinic of the non-academic teaching hospital Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis (ETZ) in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Between April 2018 and August 2019, patients who were scheduled for IVF or ICSI treatment were invited to participate in a physician-blinded, randomized controlled trial. RESULTS In total, 54 patients participated (intervention group n=29). At the first measurement, patients in the intervention group demonstrated a higher level of satisfaction. In addition, they reported to be more knowledgeable about the different elements of the treatment. Over time, this difference disappeared. There were no differences between patients on the other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that, in comparison with standard patient education, using an app to provide patients with timely information, increases their level of satisfaction. Furthermore, using the app leads to a higher level of knowledge about the steps and procedures during the IVF treatment. The app’s usage statistics clearly display patients’ information needs, and their willingness to use an eHealth application as part of their treatment. CLINICALTRIAL Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): 6959; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6959