Mobile health technologies to improve walking distance in people with intermittent claudication.

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is the obstruction or narrowing of the large arteries of the lower limbs, which can result in impaired oxygen supply to the muscle and other tissues during exercise, or even at rest in more severe cases. PAD is classified into five categories (Fontaine classification). It may be asymptomatic or various levels of claudication pain may be present; at a later stage, there may be ulceration or gangrene of the limb, with amputation occasionally being required.

Harnessing digital health to optimise the delivery of guideline-based cardiac rehabilitation during COVID-19: an observational study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the uptake of digital health interventions for the delivery of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). However, there is a need to evaluate these interventions.

Methods: We examined the impact of an evidence-based, digital CR programme on medical, lifestyle and psychosocial outcomes.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Patient Engagement in Health Product Research and Development: Co-Creating a Framework for Community Advisory Boards.

Purpose: While patient engagement is becoming more customary in developing health products, its monitoring and evaluation to understand processes and enhance impact are challenging. This article describes a patient engagement monitoring and evaluation (PEME) framework, co-created and tailored to the context of community advisory boards (CABs) for rare diseases in Europe. It can be used to stimulate learning and evaluate impacts of engagement activities.

Improved Quality of Life, Fitness, Mental Health and Cardiovascular Risk Factors with a Publicly Funded Bariatric Lifestyle Intervention for Adults with Severe Obesity: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone of management for patients with severe and complicated obesity, but the effects of structured lifestyle programmes on quality of life, anxiety and depression scores and cardiovascular risk factors are not well-described. We sought to describe changes in self-reported quality of life and mental health-related outcomes as well as cardiovascular risk factors in patients completing a 10-week multidisciplinary lifestyle-modification programme.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of all patients referred from our bariatric service who completed the programme between 2013 and 2019.

Identifying the active ingredients of cardiac rehabilitation: A behaviour change technique and qualitative analysis.

Objectives: Despite evidence that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can be effective, the active ingredients or behaviour change techniques (BCTs) constituting effective CR remain unclear. There is also a lack of research surrounding patient and facilitator perceptions of active ingredients. This study sought to identify the active ingredients of a community-based CR programme and explore patient and facilitator perceptions of the active ingredients.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Physical Activity Patterns, Aerobic Capacity and Perceptions about Exercise among Male Farmers in the Mid-West Region of Ireland.

In Ireland, farmers have been identified as a high-risk population, with higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and overall mortality, compared with the general population. Farming has always been considered a physically active lifestyle. However, in recent times, with the increased use of technology and machinery, farmers may not be completing as much physical activity as before.

The role of public health nurses in risk factor modification within a high-risk cardiovascular disease population in Ireland - a qualitative analysis.

Background/aims: Health promotion for cardiovascular disease risk factors management is essential to secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease events. In Ireland, post-cardiac rehabilitation patients are discharged into the care of community public health nurses, who have a health promotion role. Little is known of the public health nurses' perceptions or knowledge surrounding their role in cardiovascular disease risk factor management.