1. Digital Interventions for Long Covid
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Digital Interventions for Long Covid

Optimizing healthcare for people affected by Long Covid through the design and integration of digital health interventions into the care process.

Factsheet

Situation

Approximately 4 percent of the population is affected by Long Covid. Healthcare is poorly prepared and networked to provide optimal treatment for people affected by Long Covid and their families. Studies indicate that additional structures and services are needed to provide adequate person-centered care for people affected by Long Covid and their families. Digital health interventions (e.g., apps, therapy platforms) can support access, networking, and care, as well as relieve the burden on healthcare providers. However, little is known about the existing digital services and their use by those affected and by healthcare professionals. The project therefore identifies and analyzes digital health interventions for people affected by Long Covid in terms of accessibility, acceptance, trust, safety, effectiveness, integration into the care process, usability, etc., as well as usage behavior, including promoting factors and barriers for people affected by Long Covid, their relatives, and healthcare professionals. The aim is to develop recommendations for the development of future digital interventions and, in subsequent steps, to optimize healthcare.

Course of action

This is a cross-sectional study with a mixed-methods design. Those affected and their relatives are recruited through the patient organization Long Covid Switzerland. The aim is to survey at least 10 healthcare professionals, 10 people affected by Long Covid, and 5 relatives throughout Switzerland, depending on saturation. The project consists of four sub-areas: 1. Identification and analysis of digital health interventions available in Switzerland for the treatment of Long Covid patients. (descriptive-exploratory evaluation) 2. Semi-standardized qualitative interviews with users, potential users, relatives, and healthcare professionals to gather information on needs, experiences, challenges, and best practices (evaluation using Mayring's content analysis). 3. Online survey using a questionnaire based on the interview results (statistical descriptive-exploratory evaluation). 4. Triangulation of all results and expert workshop (BFH staff, SIPBB, Spitex Thun, representatives of healthcare professions, and patients) to discuss the results and derive recommendations, best practices, and guidelines.

Result

Not yet available

Looking ahead

The use of digital health interventions can relieve the burden on the healthcare system and lead to greater cost efficiency. However, digital health interventions must be known and used for this to happen. Furthermore, developers of digital health interventions can benefit from recommendations on design and functionality. Data on Long Covid disease progression and patient-reported experience/outcome measures can also benefit from data collection in digital solutions for researching the clinical picture and disease progression. The project on digital health interventions for Long Covid could bring about long-term changes at the societal level in healthcare and in the way chronic diseases are treated. Treatment can be made more cost-effective. Shifting treatment to the home environment could relieve the burden on the healthcare system. New care models can be designed. Good practice for integrating digital health interventions into the Care@Home process can be developed

Contact

Prof. Dr. Mirjam Körner

  • Leiterin Kollaboration und Leadership
  • +41 31 848 52 55

This project contributes to the following SDGs

  • 3: Good health and well-being