Acid-base status in healthy volunteers: Reliability of the venous blood titration method according to Joergensen and van Limburg Stirum

Introduction In complementary medicine, chronic, subclinical imbalance of acid-base regulation is considered a risk factor for chronic diseases. It is, however, unclear how this can be detected diagnostically.The objective was to study the reliability of an acid-base titration method according to Joergensen and van Limburg Stirum. Method The pH values before and after gradual titration using HCl was measured in two venous blood samples (day-1 and day-3) in healthy volunteers (n = 57). The blood test on day 3 was analysed twice. Results Data could was available from 48 subjects. Comparison of data from day 1 and day 3 showed a statistically significant difference in the blood pH before titration with average values of 7.45 (day 1) and 7.46 (day 3), respectively. Comparison of day 3/measurement 1 with day 3/measurement 2 showed no significant differences in the blood pH values. Conclusion The difference between days 1 and 3 is likely due to changes in setting factors which could not be controlled for. The blood titration method according to Joergensen and van Limburg Stirum seems to have an acceptable retest-reliability

Introduction of a web portal for an Individual Health Management and observational health data sciences

Dieter Melchart,1,2 Axel Eustachi,1 Stephan Gronwald,3 Erich Wühr,3 Kristina Wifling,1 Beatrice E Bachmeier1,4 1Competence Centre for Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; 2Institute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 3Applied Health Care Science, Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Deggendorf, Germany; 4Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany Background: There is a global trend to a stronger active involvement of persons in the maintenance and restoring of health. The Competence Centre for Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy (CoCoNat) of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed a lifestyle concept to enable each individual to manage his or her health – Individual Health Management (IHM) – and a web-based health portal named Virtual Tool for Education, Reporting, Information and Outcomes (VITERIO®), which addresses these needs for practice and research. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to establish a core set of questionnaires for a self-assessment program on certain risk indications and comprehensive protection factors of health and to develop and enhance 1) tools for individual feedback, longitudinal self-monitoring, self-assessment, and (self-)care-planning; 2) training packages; 3) open notes and records for provider and patient; and 4) tools for monitoring groups and single participants in various indicators for individual coaching and scientific evaluation. Methods: The CoCoNat of TUM, Faculty for Applied Health Science of Technische Hochschule Deggendorf, VITERIO® company, IHM campus network, and Erich Rothenfußer Foundation, Munich, provide a consortium responsible for content, research strategy, technical production and implication, postgraduate education for IHM coaches, implementation of IHM in various settings, and funding resources. Results: A data set of indicators for health screening and self-monitoring of findings, symptoms, health behavior, and attitudes are integrated into a web-based health portal named VITERIO®. The article introduces some implemented graphical solutions of developed tools and gives examples for daily use. Conclusion: Behavioral change and adaptation in attitudes and personal values are difficult issues of health education and lifestyle medicine. To address this problem best, the implementation of a patient-centric, performance measures-based program including open records and a blended learning concept were elaborated. The combination of an individual web-based health portal with personal coaching allows the implementation of IHM in everyday practice. Keywords: lifestyle program, Individual Health Management, IHM, blended learning, performance measures, web-based health portal, adherenc

Kompetenztraining für Patienten. Das naturheilkundliche Tumorbegleitprogramm des KoKoNat der TU München

Bei häufigen Tumorentitäten (z. B. Mamma-, Prostata- oder Kolonkarzinom) nehmen 75−80 % der Betroffenen naturheilkundliche Methoden in Anspruch [6], [18], [20]. Patienten in der aktiven Behandlungsphase (Operation, Chemotherapie, Strahlentherapie u. a.) verfolgen mit der Anwendung von Naturheilkunde und Komplementärmedizin häufig die Reduktion von Nebenwirkungen der konventionellen Tumortherapie, aber auch eine aktive Stärkung der Gesundheit [10], [17]. Menschen, die die aktive Tumortherapie abgeschlossen haben, interessieren sich besonders für Möglichkeiten der Rezidivprophylaxe [19]. Dieser Nachfrage von Tumorpatienten entspricht das naturheilkundliche Tumorbegleitprogramm des Kompetenzzentrums für Komplementärmedizin und Naturheilkunde (KoKoNat) des Klinikums rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München. Die Einzelkomponenten des Patientenkompetenz-Programms werden beschrieben