Clinical Research Directory

Automated Titration for Home Oxygen Therapy

Patients with chronic respiratory disease may be prescribed oxygen therapy. Currently, the dose of oxygen flow is fixed (FixedO2) depending on activity level i.e. rest, physical activity and sleep. Automated Titration of Oxygen (AutoO2) is a closed-loop system in which the oxygen flow to the patient is continuously machine adjusted to meet the patient's immediate needs on the basis of signals from pulse oximetry (SpO2). The purpose of this study is to examine if automated oxygen control based on pulse oximetry provided to participants is superior to prescribed fixed oxygen flow in keeping SpO2 within the intended target interval of 92 to 96% arterial oxygen saturation.

Genesis Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT): A Preliminary Study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Genesis Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) imaging system for use in pediatric respiratory disease populations including neuromuscular and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, as well as in age and height matched controls. The EIT does not use radiation, and is read through electrodes.

AeviceMD for Detection of Wheeze in Pediatric and Adult Populations

Respiratory signs and symptoms consisting of wheeze, cough, and breathlessness are obtained in a manual fashion through history taking and physical examination by the healthcare professional. Auscultation of the lung assesses airflow through the trachea-bronchial tree and is helpful in diagnosing various respiratory disorders. AeviceMD is a wearable device that can acquire and process lung sounds, thus assisting in the detection of abnormal lung sounds. The primary objective of this study is to determine if AeviceMD can detect wheeze of pediatrics and adults as accurately as a physician through auscultation. The secondary objective is to investigate if AeviceMD can be used for remote auscultation of breath sounds.

The Benefits of Individualized Follow-up With a Sport-Health Professional in the Care of Patients With Chronic Respiratory Diseases

Pulmonary rehabilitation is an integral part of care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. It improves patients' physical capacities, quality of life and symptoms, at least in the short term. The hypothesis that patients receiving personalized support from a professional following pulmonary rehabilitation will maintain long-term benefits. This study concerns patients with a diagnosis of one or more chronic respiratory diseases. It is a multicenter, blinded, randomized controlled superiority trial in 2 parallel arms: * a group comparing follow-up and personalized support after a pulmonary rehabilitation program (experimental group) * a control group receiving only usual care

AeviceMD for Pediatric Asthma Management

A wearable remote patient monitor (AeviceMD) is to be used to monitor the respiratory health of pediatric asthma patients in this pilot study. Patients prescribed with AeviceMD should be able to gain better control over their disease during home management. Physicians should be able to optimize treatment for these patients using objective data collected from and of these patients outside of the clinic. The AeviceMD should also be used as a remote auscultation device for teleconsultations.

TAKINGCARE - TAcKlING the Needs of Carers of People With Chronic respirAtoRy disEases

This study aims to: i) develop an instrument that assesses the needs of informal carers of people with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD), along diseases' trajectory, and evaluate its measurement properties; ii) identify existing instruments that assess the needs of informal/family carers and their measurement properties, iii) characterize the needs of informal carers of people with CRD and iv) characterize the health literacy of informal carers of people with CRD. The first task will be a systematic review. For the second and third tasks, people with CRD, their informal carers and health professionals will be recruited via the pulmonology services from the hospitals:Unidade Local de Saúde de Gaia/Espinho, Unidade Local de Saúde da Região de Aveiro, and Unidade Local de Saúde de Entre o Douro e Vouga. On task 2, a mixed-methods study will be conducted to characterize the needs of informal carers of people with CRD, as well as their health literacy. On task 3, an instrument that assesses the needs of informal carers of people with CRD will be developed and its measurement properties will be studied. This study is urgently needed to provide meaningful support to this hidden workforce who provides most of the care to people with DRC contributing to guide meaningful supportive care to this population and their loved ones.

Observing Physiological Changes in Patients With Long-term Oxygen Therapy

In this project, the investigators aim to assess changes of physiological parameters obtained non-invasively through PPG and accelerometry signals between before and during LTOT (long-term oxygen therapy) and investigate if those changes are different in patients with worsening frailty and/or improving quality of life. For this, they will record optical (PPG) and accelerometry data via a datalogger on 40 patients undergoing LTOT and assess the PPG-derived physiological signals.

Tele-rehabilitation in Chronic Respiratory Disease: an Observational Cohort Study

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program that helps people with lung disease improve their function. It uses exercise, education, and self-management strategies to improve physical ability and quality of life. Because some people are unable to visit West Park Healthcare Centre, we established a remote supervised pulmonary rehabilitation program that patients can access via an electronic device (computer, tablet or smart phone). Regular quality assurance is necessary to ensure that the program is effective. We plan to collect and summarize the program's results. The benefit of doing so is that it allows us to make any changes or improvements that may help patients with chronic respiratory conditions.

The Long-term Spill-over Impact of COVID-19 on Health and Healthcare of People With Non-communicable Diseases

Objectives and aim: To evaluate the long-term spill-over (indirect) effect of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on health outcomes and healthcare utilization among people with non-communicable diseases and without COVID-19. Design: A population-based cohort study using electronic health records of the Hospital Authority (HA) clinical management system, economic modeling, and serial cross-sectional surveys on healthcare service utilization. Setting: HA public hospitals and outpatient clinics in Hong Kong Participants: People aged ≥ 18 years with a documented diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and chronic kidney disease; without COVID-19; attending HA services between 2010 and 2024. Main outcome measures: All-cause mortality, disease-specific outcomes, healthcare service utilization, and costs. Methods: The annual incidence of each outcome in each year between 2010 and 2024 will be calculated. An interrupted time-series analysis to assess the changes in outcomes between pre-and-post-COVID-19 outbreak periods. Long term health economic impact of healthcare disruptions during the COVID-19 outbreak will be modeled using microsimulation. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and Poisson/negative binomial regression to evaluate the effect of different modes of care on the risk of the outcomes. Implications: Findings will inform policies and practices on contingency care plans to avoid excessive morbidity and mortality and to assure the quality of care for patients with NCD as part of the territorial response to the health crisis.