Leader: Guido Iaccarino (UNINA); Other collaborator(s): Alessandra Cuomo
Lifestyles changes and in particular physical activity are difficult to be achieved in the general population. The analysis of the obstacles to healthy lifestyles complex and includes physical, clinical, as well social and psychological costrains. Based on such analysis it is possible to elaborate tailored programs of physical activity that can be prescribed. Adherence to this prescription can be monitored, enhanced and potentiated by innovative, olistic, multidisciplinary approaches, using technology, social inclusion. Such integrative appropaches can be realized through means of training and re-training of new professionals, caregeivers, and patients
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results: The main goal is to promote a healthier lifestyle in patients with chronic conditions, by creating adapted physical activity programs in patients affected by chronic diseases, such as chronic kidney failure, morbid obesity, diabetes or breast cancer patients. To facilitate higher adherence rate in these patients, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has been applied in this field. Patients are evaluated on different aspects of their daily life and activity level, such as endurance to exercise, physical flexibility, upper and lower limbs strength. After the initial evaluation patients are provided with ICT to monitor daily steps, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and with tools able to monitor their activity levels. In the past months all the required ICT have been acquired and we started enrolling patients with different characteristics (i.e. patients affected by chronic kidney disease, breast cancer or obesity), providing them with ICT and prescribing adapted physical activity programs.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications: Considering the policy standpoint, this project supports the adoption of different technological tools in the subset of healthy ageing. In particular, the implementation of ICT in the management of chronically ill patients might have an important impact in facilitating access to health facilities for these patients and thus their daily management. Furthermore, it seems that daily exercise ameliorates survival and reduces hospitalization in such patients. From the industrial standpoint, expanding the knowledge and need for such technologies in medicine might be a spur for the industries to invest and develop novel and more advanced tools able to respond to the growing needs of chronically ill patients. Finally, scientifically, with the aging of the world population, clinicians are more challenged with comorbid elderly patients. Promoting a better lifestyle throughout all phases of life seems to be a promising tool to facilitate healthier aging, thus reducing the medical and economic burden.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results: In this phase we are proceeding with patients’ enrollment, mostly patients affected by breast cancer on adjuvant antineoplastic treatment. Also, we are seeing the for the 3-months follow-ups patients enrolled in the previous phase of the study.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications: In this phase we are seeing the first glance of effects of the adapted physical activity program in patients affected by chronic conditions. From the industrial standpoint, we are proving the effectiveness of the ICT in this contest, also working on eventual aspects of improvement. Scientifically, we are collecting the first data regarding follow-up and, despite having still not enough patients to draw any conclusions, seeing the first trends of amelioration.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results: In this phase we are proceeding with patients’ enrollment, mostly patients affected by breast cancer on adjuvant antineoplastic treatment. Also, we are seeing the for the 6-months follow-ups patients enrolled in the previous phase of the study.
After the approval of the , local ethical committee, we started enrolling also obese patients and patients with end-stage kidney disease that are now receiving the ICT tools for home monitoring and starting the physical exercise programs.
Novel technologies have been added to our protocols and have been ordered, to further ameliorate our training program.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications: we are proceeding with the enrollment of patients, strengthening the positive effects of adapted physical activity observed in the previous phase. From the industrial standpoint, based on our observations collected so far, we are improving the home-monitoring systems. Scientifically, we continue to collect data regarding follow-ups in different settings of chronic diseases, seeing the general trends of amelioration.