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BackgroundImproving recovery from acute symptoms and preventing relapse are two significant challenges in severe mental illness. We developed a personalized smartphone-based app to monitor symptoms in real time and validated its acceptance, reliability, and validity. ObjectiveTo assess (i) acceptability of continuous monitoring to SMI patients and health professionals over 3 months; (ii) impact of active self-monitoring on positive psychotic symptoms assessed at 6 and 12 weeks; and (iii) the feasibility of detecting early warning signs of relapse. MethodsThe active symptom monitoring smartphone app was built into an end-to-end system in two NHS Trusts to enable real-time symptom self-monitoring and detection by the clinical team of early signs of relapse in people with severe mental illness. We conducted an open randomized controlled trial of active symptom monitoring compared to usual management to assess: (i) acceptability and safety of continuous monitoring over 3 months; (ii) impact of active self-monitoring on positive psychotic symptoms assessed at 6 and 12 weeks; (iii) feasibility of detecting early warning signs of relapse communicated to the healthcare staff via an app streaming data to the electronic health record. Eligible participants with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of schizophrenia and related disorders, and a history of relapse within the previous two years were enrolled from an early intervention team and a community mental health team. ResultsOf 181 eligible patients, 81 (45%) consented and were randomized to either active symptom monitoring or management as usual. At 12 weeks, 90% (33/36) of those in the active monitoring group continued to use the system and exhibited an adherence rate (defined as responding to >33% of alerts) of 84% (30/36}. Active symptom monitoring was associated with no difference on the empowerment scale in comparison to the usual management group at 12 weeks. The pre-planned intent-to-treat analysis of the primary outcome, a positive score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scale, showed a significant reduction in the active symptom monitoring group over 12 weeks in the early intervention center. Alerts for personalized early warning signs of relapse were built into the workflows of both NHS Trusts, and 100% of health professional staff used the system in a new digital workflow. Qualitative analyses supported the acceptability of the system to participants and staff. ConclusionsThe active smartphone monitoring system is feasible and was accepted by users in a 3-month study of people with severe mental illness, with surprisingly high levels of adherence. App use was associated with psychotic symptom improvement in recent-onset participants, but not those with longstanding illness, supporting the notion of improved self-management. When built into clinical management workflows to enable personalized alerts of symptom deterioration, the app has demonstrated utility in promoting earlier intervention for relapse. Trial RegistrationISRCTN Registry ISRCTN88145142; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN88145142

BackgroundWearables provide opportunities for frequent health data collection and symptom monitoring. The feasibility of using consumer cellular smartwatches to provide information both on symptoms and contemporary sensor data has not yet been investigated. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of using cellular smartwatches to capture multiple patient-reported outcomes per day alongside continuous physical activity data over a 3-month period in people living with knee osteoarthritis (OA). MethodsFor the KOALAP (Knee OsteoArthritis: Linking Activity and Pain) study, a novel cellular smartwatch app for health data collection was developed. Participants (age ≥50 years; self-diagnosed knee OA) received a smartwatch (Huawei Watch 2) with the KOALAP app. When worn, the watch collected sensor data and prompted participants to self-report outcomes multiple times per day. Participants were invited for a baseline and follow-up interview to discuss their motivations and experiences. Engagement with the watch was measured using daily watch wear time and the percentage completion of watch questions. Interview transcripts were analyzed using grounded thematic analysis. ResultsA total of 26 people participated in the study. Good use and engagement were observed over 3 months: most participants wore the watch on 75% (68/90) of days or more, for a median of 11 hours. The number of active participants declined over the study duration, especially in the final week. Among participants who remained active, neither watch time nor question completion percentage declined over time. Participants were mainly motivated to learn about their symptoms and enjoyed the self-tracking aspects of the watch. Barriers to full engagement were battery life limitations, technical problems, and unfulfilled expectations of the watch. Participants reported that they would have liked to report symptoms more than 4 or 5 times per day. ConclusionsThis study shows that capture of patient-reported outcomes multiple times per day with linked sensor data from a smartwatch is feasible over at least a 3-month period. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/10238

BackgroundThe huge increase in smartphone use heralds an enormous opportunity for epidemiology research, but there is limited evidence regarding long-term engagement and attrition in mobile health (mHealth) studies. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine how representative the Cloudy with a Chance of Pain study population is of wider chronic-pain populations and to explore patterns of engagement among participants during the first 6 months of the study. MethodsParticipants in the United Kingdom who had chronic pain (≥3 months) and enrolled between January 20, 2016 and January 29, 2016 were eligible if they were aged ≥17 years and used the study app to report any of 10 pain-related symptoms during the study period. Participant characteristics were compared with data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2011. Distinct clusters of engagement over time were determined using first-order hidden Markov models, and participant characteristics were compared between the clusters. ResultsCompared with the data from the HSE, our sample comprised a higher proportion of women (80.51%, 5129/6370 vs 55.61%, 4782/8599) and fewer persons at the extremes of age (16-34 and 75+). Four clusters of engagement were identified: high (13.60%, 865/6370), moderate (21.76%, 1384/6370), low (39.35%, 2503/6370), and tourists (25.44%, 1618/6370), between which median days of data entry ranged from 1 (interquartile range; IQR: 1-1; tourist) to 149 (124-163; high). Those in the high-engagement cluster were typically older, whereas those in the tourist cluster were mostly male. Few other differences distinguished the clusters. ConclusionsCloudy with a Chance of Pain demonstrates a rapid and successful recruitment of a large, representative, and engaged sample of people with chronic pain and provides strong evidence to suggest that smartphones could provide a viable alternative to traditional data collection methods.

BackgroundThe increasing ownership of smartphones provides major opportunities for epidemiological research through self-reported and passively collected data. ObjectiveThis pilot study aimed to codesign a smartphone app to assess associations between weather and joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to study the success of daily self-reported data entry over a 60-day period and the enablers of and barriers to data collection. MethodsA patient and public involvement group (n=5) and 2 focus groups of patients with RA (n=9) supported the codesign of the app collecting self-reported symptoms. A separate “capture app” was designed to collect global positioning system (GPS) and continuous raw accelerometer data, with the GPS-linking providing local weather data. A total of 20 patients with RA were then recruited to collect daily data for 60 days, with entry and exit interviews. Of these, 17 were loaned an Android smartphone, whereas 3 used their own Android smartphones. ResultsOf the 20 patients, 6 (30%) withdrew from the study: 4 because of technical challenges and 2 for health reasons. The mean completion of daily entries was 68% over 2 months. Patients entered data at least five times per week 65% of the time. Reasons for successful engagement included a simple graphical user interface, automated reminders, visualization of data, and eagerness to contribute to this easily understood research question. The main barrier to continuing engagement was impaired battery life due to the accelerometer data capture app. For some, successful engagement required ongoing support in using the smartphones. ConclusionsThis successful pilot study has demonstrated that daily data collection using smartphones for health research is feasible and achievable with high levels of ongoing engagement over 2 months. This result opens important opportunities for large-scale longitudinal epidemiological research.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) encompasses a range of autosomal recessive inherited enzyme deficiencies that impact cortisol biosynthesis pathways. Although reported as a rare and lifelong disorder, it holds chronic health risks for individuals that can influence menstruation. The purpose of this environmental scan and integrative literature review was to identify health information pertinent to CAH and menstruation in order to inform health providers, increase patient education, and promote menstrual wellbeing. Analysis identified that while information about menses is reported, information about menstrual irregularities and their management in adolescents and women with CAH is uncertain. Furthermore, there is insufficient good quality research and knowledge on CAH and menstruation to inform health providers in their practice with this population. The need for individuals with CAH to access evidence-informed information is constrained by the state of current understanding and limitations in knowledge translation. The importance of having trustworthy and safe spaces in which to ask questions and draw on ethically sound, language appropriate, and evidence-informed material is paramount in supporting women's confidence and wellbeing across their lifetime. We encourage the building of stronger relationships between researchers, health providers, support groups and individuals to improve knowledge translation and dissemination regarding CAH and menstruation.

Author(s): Ruth Elizabeth Watkinson, Richard Williams, Stephanie Gillibrand, Caroline Sanders, Matt Sutton There is an error in the Funding Disclosure. The correct Funding Disclosure reads: This work was funded by [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about changes to the lives of families with young children. It has been associated with physical and psychological risk, yet the impact on younger children is poorly examined. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the day-to-day life of parents of young children living in a small northern city in British Columbia, Canada. Ten mothers with children aged 0–5 years participated in a six-week longitudinal study between November 2020 and March 2021. This article presents data from entry and exit interviews that were analysed using Todorov's narrative theory. Three key themes were identified: (1) gaps in health services; (2) gaps in early childhood education and programs; and (3) changes to/lost social interactions. Limited opportunities to engage with providers caused frustration and left parents feeling disempowered or dissatisfied. Family support and well-being were negatively impacted by a loss in social connectivity. Despite unpredictability and worries about child development, most of the mothers found ways to cherish the time to 'stop and refocus'. Overall, the families evidenced resilience, despite a loss in relational habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health inequalities in the UK are widening, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Community pharmacies are the most visited healthcare provider in England and are ideally placed to provide and facilitate access to care for those most disadvantaged. Aim: To explore the experiences and needs of community pharmacy teams in providing care for marginalised groups and how this has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Design and setting: A qualitative study in community pharmacy and across primary care. Method: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with members of community pharmacy teams, primary care network (PCN) pharmacists, GPs, and nurses in the North of England. Results: In total, 31 individuals participated in an interview (26 pharmacy staff, three GPs, and two nurses). Most participants acknowledged that their pharmacy had become busier since COVID-19 because of increased footfall compounded by patient difficulties in navigating remote digital systems. Few participants had received any formal training on working with marginalised communities; however, organisational barriers (such as lack of access to translation facilities) combined with interorganisational barriers (such as lack of integrated care) made it more difficult to provide care for some marginalised groups. Despite this, the continuity of care provided by many pharmacies was viewed as an important factor in enabling marginalised groups to access and receive care. Conclusion: There are opportunities to better utilise the skills of community pharmacy teams. Resources, such as access to translation services, and interventions to enable better communication between community pharmacy teams and other primary care services, such as general practice, are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background COVID-19 vaccine uptake is lower amongst most minority ethnic groups compared to the White British group in England, despite higher COVID-19 mortality rates. Here, we add to existing evidence by estimating inequalities for 16 minority ethnic groups, examining ethnic inequalities within population subgroups, and comparing the magnitudes of ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake to those for routine seasonal influenza vaccine uptake. Methods and findings We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Greater Manchester Care Record, which contains de-identified electronic health record data for the population of Greater Manchester, England. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate ethnic inequalities in time to COVID-19 vaccination amongst people eligible for vaccination on health or age (50+ years) criteria between 1 December 2020 and 18 April 2021 (138 days of follow-up). We included vaccination with any approved COVID-19 vaccine, and analysed first-dose vaccination only. We compared inequalities between COVID-19 and influenza vaccine uptake adjusting by age group and clinical risk, and used subgroup analysis to identify populations where inequalities were widest. The majority of individuals (871,231; 79.24%) were White British. The largest minority ethnic groups were Pakistani (50,268; 4.75%), 'other White background' (43,195; 3.93%), 'other ethnic group' (34,568; 3.14%), and Black African (18,802; 1.71%). In total, 83.64% (919,636/1,099,503) of eligible individuals received a COVID-19 vaccine. Uptake was lower compared to the White British group for 15 of 16 minority ethnic groups, with particularly wide inequalities amongst the groups 'other Black background' (hazard ratio [HR] 0.42, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.44), Black African (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.44), Arab (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.48), and Black Caribbean (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.45). In total, 55.71% (419,314/752,715) of eligible individuals took up influenza vaccination. Compared to the White British group, inequalities in influenza vaccine uptake were widest amongst the groups 'White and Black Caribbean' (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.68) and 'White and Black African' (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.72). In contrast, uptake was slightly higher than the White British group amongst the groups 'other ethnic group' (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.12) and Bangladeshi (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.11). Overall, ethnic inequalities in vaccine uptake were wider for COVID-19 than influenza vaccination for 15 of 16 minority ethnic groups. COVID-19 vaccine uptake inequalities also existed amongst individuals who previously took up influenza vaccination. Ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake were concentrated amongst older and extremely clinically vulnerable adults, and the most income-deprived. A limitation of this study is the focus on uptake of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination, rather than full COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusions Ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake exceeded those for influenza vaccine uptake, existed amongst those recently vaccinated against influenza, and were widest amongst those with greatest COVID-19 risk. This suggests the COVID-19 vaccination programme has created additional and different inequalities beyond pre-existing health inequalities. We suggest that further research and policy action is needed to understand and remove barriers to vaccine uptake, and to build trust and confidence amongst minority ethnic communities., Author(s): Ruth Elizabeth Watkinson 1,*, Richard Williams 2, Stephanie Gillibrand 1, Caroline Sanders 3, Matt Sutton 1 Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people with pre-existing socioeconomic and health [...]

Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is a condition associated with sight loss, characterised by vivid, spontaneous visual hallucinations. Currently, it is unclear whether CBS presents challenges to participation in physical activities, in addition to barriers attributed to sight loss alone. The purpose of this scoping review was to establish the extent of the literature, and gaps in the knowledge base, concerning the impact of CBS on older adults' engagement in physical activities. Review conduct was informed by Arksey and O'Malley and Levac et al.'s scoping review methodologies. Six academic databases were searched during May 2021, yielding 2709 results: eight articles met eligibility criteria. Two additional sources were located via a reference check of included papers and stakeholder consultation. Quantitative cross-sectional studies (n = 3) indicate that CBS may interfere with the ability to move around, while qualitative sources (case report/series n = 6; autobiography n = 1) show that sudden presentation of hallucinations in a person's pathway, or threatening content, may jeopardise safety while walking. Moving to avoid a hallucination could present a fall risk if attention is diverted from environmental hazards. One case report stated that CBS did not affect personal care activities. Due to a limited evidence base, further empirical research is needed to achieve a comprehensive understanding about how CBS affects older adults' participation in physical activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]