Perspectives on Conducting Behavioral Intervention With Adolescents Using a Virtual Platform-A Thematic Analysis From the Viewpoint of Study Coordinators.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread adoption of virtual communication platforms. Virtual study visits were implemented in the pilot cluster randomized trial (CRT) stage of Teen Adherence in KidnEy transplant Improving Tracking To Optimize Outcomes (TAKE-IT TOO). The present study aimed to understand study coordinators' perspectives on conducting a behavioral intervention with adolescent kidney transplant recipients using virtual conferencing platforms.

Defining Informal Caregiving and Caregivers for Persons Living With Dementia.

Purpose: To present an overview of current definitions of informal caregiving and informal caregivers for persons living with dementia (PLWD). We suggest definitional criteria of informal caregiving for dementia caregiving research that incorporate current dementia caregiving policy and programs.

Method: A multi-pronged review and analysis was performed of the scientific literature from 2014 to 2024 and online documents from professional, public advocacy, and government organizations for definitions of informal caregiving and applications to informal caregiving of PLWD.

Measuring Engagement in Provider-Guided Digital Health Interventions With a Conceptual and Analytical Framework Using Nurse WRITE as an Exemplar: Exploratory Study With an Iterative Approach.

Background: Limited guidance exists for analyzing participant engagement in provider-guided digital health interventions (DHIs). System usage is commonly assessed, with acknowledged limitations in measuring socio-affective and cognitive aspects of engagement. Nurse WRITE, an 8-week web-based nurse-guided DHI for managing symptoms among women with recurrent ovarian cancer, offers an opportunity to develop a framework for assessing multidimensional engagement.

Mixed-Methods Assessment of Maternal Anxiety During the First 8 Weeks After Birth.

Objective: To describe and compare the experiences of postpartum anxiety among women with generalized anxiety and postpartum-specific anxiety.

Design: Prospective, longitudinal, mixed methods.

Setting: Academic tertiary center in the mid-Atlantic United States.

Developing a Comprehensive List of Criteria to Evaluate the Characteristics and Quality of eHealth Smartphone Apps: Systematic Review.

Background: The field of eHealth is growing rapidly and chaotically. Health care professionals need guidance on reviewing and assessing health-related smartphone apps to propose appropriate ones to their patients. However, to date, no framework or evaluation tool fulfills this purpose.

The Effectiveness of Smartphone App-Based Interventions for Assisting Smoking Cessation: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Smoking is a leading cause of premature death globally. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 11%-34%. Smartphone app-based smoking cessation (SASC) interventions have been developed and are widely used.

Design of Lung Transplant Go (LTGO): A randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a telerehabilitation behavioral exercise intervention to improve physical activity, physical function, and blood pressure control after lung transplantation.

Background: Lung transplantation is an established treatment option for persons with advanced lung disease. After transplantation, lung function typically returns to near normal levels, however exercise capacity remains low due to chronic deconditioning, limited physical function, and inactive lifestyles which undermine the intended benefits of the highly selective, resource-intensive transplant procedure. Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended to improve fitness and activity tolerance, however due to multiple barriers, lung transplant recipients either never participate, or fail to complete, pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Descriptive Exploratory Study to Understand Postpartum Anxiety Using Multiple Measures.

Objective: To compare a general anxiety instrument plus a depression instrument with a specific postpartum anxiety instrument plus a depression instrument to detect postpartum anxiety and to explore trends in daily postpartum anxiety.

Design: Prospective, longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: Academic tertiary center in the mid-Atlantic United States.

Health-related quality of life and psychological indicators of thriving 15-19 years after heart or lung transplantation.

Background: Survival into the second decade after cardiothoracic transplantation (CTX) is no longer uncommon. Few data exist on any health-related quality of life (HRQOL) impairments survivors face, or whether they may even experience positive psychological outcomes indicative of "thriving" (e.g.

The Combined Roles of Race/Ethnicity and Substance Use in Predicting Likelihood of Kidney Transplantation.

Background: Racial/ethnic minorities face known disparities in likelihood of kidney transplantation. These disparities may be exacerbated when coupled with ongoing substance use, a factor also reducing likelihood of transplantation. We examined whether race/ethnicity in combination with ongoing substance use predicted incidence of transplantation.

Engagement in Health Care From the Perspective of Older Adults.

Patient engagement is essential for improving health outcomes and lowering health care costs. The use of patient portals is becoming increasingly important for patient health care engagement. A convenience sample of 100 community-dwelling older adults completed a battery of surveys to explore the use of patient portals as an engagement tool.

Considerations for assessing physical function and physical activity in clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the conduct of clinical trials. For studies with physical function and physical activity outcomes that require in-person participation, thoughtful approaches in transitioning to the remote research environment are critical. Here, we share our experiences in transitioning from in-person to remote assessments of physical function and activity during the pandemic and highlight key considerations for success.

A Portable System for Remote Rehabilitation Following a Total Knee Replacement: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Study.

Rehabilitation has been shown to improve functional outcomes following total knee replacement (TKR). However, its delivery and associated costs are highly variable. The authors have developed and previously validated the accuracy of a remote (wearable) rehabilitation monitoring platform ().

Predictors of Patient Portal Use Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Older adults lag behind their younger counterparts in the use of patient portals, which may limit their ability to engage in health care. A better understanding of the factors associated with portal use among older adults is needed. We examined the proportion of 100 community-dwelling older adults who reported using a portal, the associations between sociobehavioral factors and portal use, and modeled predictors of portal use.

Promoting medication adherence from the perspective of adolescent and young adult kidney transplant recipients, parents, and health care professionals: A TAKE-IT TOO study.

Medication non-adherence is an important factor limiting allograft survival after kidney transplantation in AYA. Some interventions, including the TAKE-IT, showed some success in promoting adherence but the potential for scalability and use in routine clinical practice is limited. We applied user-centered design to gather the perspectives of recipients, parents, and health professionals concerning their needs, challenges, and potential intervention strategies to design an optimal, multi-component medication adherence intervention.

The Impact of Urban Zen Integrative Therapy on Symptoms and Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.

Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) experience distressing symptoms that can undermine quality of life (QoL) and treatment adherence. Complementary health approaches are known to help manage symptoms of chronic conditions and may have therapeutic benefits in PH. To explore the impact of Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) on PH-related symptoms.

Impact of a Mobile Health Intervention on Long-term Nonadherence After Lung Transplantation: Follow-up After a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In a randomized controlled trial, lung transplant recipients (LTRs) using a mobile health intervention, Pocket Personal Assistant for Tracking Health (Pocket PATH), showed better adherence to the medical regimen than LTRs receiving usual care during the first year posttransplant. We examined whether these effects were maintained beyond the end of the trial and evaluated other potential risk factors for long-term nonadherence.

Methods: Adherence in 8 areas was evaluated at follow-up in separate LTR and family caregiver (collateral) assessments.

Intervention fidelity monitoring of Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) for persons with pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Systematic and consistent dose delivery is critical in intervention research. Few studies testing complementary health approach (CHA) interventions describe intervention fidelity monitoring (IFM) and measurement.

Objective: To describe methodological processes in establishing and measuring consistent dose, delivery, and duration of a multi-component CHA intervention.

Posttransplant Medical Adherence: What Have We Learned and Can We Do Better?

Purpose Of Review: Non-adherence to the medical regimen after kidney transplantation can contribute to poor clinical outcomes, and strategies to maximize adherence are sought by care providers and patients alike. We assessed recent evidence on prevalence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes associated with non-adherence to the medical regimen after kidney transplantation. We summarized recent clinical trials testing interventions to improve adherence and generated recommendations for future research and clinical practice.

Evaluating the Usability and Acceptability of Communication Tools Among Older Adults.

Acutely ill patients may have trouble communicating their symptoms and needs verbally. The current study evaluated the usability and acceptability of six commercially available communication tools with older adults in a non-clinical, controlled setting. Participants evaluated various communication boards and communication applications (apps) by using the tools to communicate needs and symptoms in various scenarios.

Shedding light on an unknown reality in solid organ transplant patients' self-management: A contextual inquiry study.

Traditional quantitative and qualitative research methods inadequately capture the complexity of patients' daily self-management. Contextual inquiry methodology, using home visits, allows a more in-depth understanding of how patients integrate immunosuppressive medication intake, physical activity, and healthy eating in their daily lives, and which difficulties they experience when doing so. This mixed-method study comprised 2 home visits in 19 purposively selected adult heart, lung, liver, and kidney transplant patients, asking them to demonstrate how they implement the aforementioned health behaviors.

Technology Experience of Solid Organ Transplant Patients and Their Overall Willingness to Use Interactive Health Technology.

Background: The use of interactive health technology (IHT) is a promising pathway to tackle self-management problems experienced by many chronically ill patients, including solid organ transplant (Tx) patients. Yet, to ensure that the IHT is accepted and used, a human-centered design process is needed, actively involving end users in all steps of the development process. A first critical, predevelopment step involves understanding end users' characteristics.