22 research outputs found
Geolocation with respect to persona privacy for the Allergy Diary app - a MASK study
Background: Collecting data on the localization of users is a key issue for the MASK (Mobile Airways Sentinel network: the Allergy Diary) App. Data anonymization is a method of sanitization for privacy. The European Commission's Article 29 Working Party stated that geolocation information is personal data. To assess geolocation using the MASK method and to compare two anonymization methods in the MASK database to find an optimal privacy method. Methods: Geolocation was studied for all people who used the Allergy Diary App from December 2015 to November 2017 and who reported medical outcomes. Two different anonymization methods have been evaluated: Noise addition (randomization) and k-anonymity (generalization). Results: Ninety-three thousand one hundred and sixteen days of VAS were collected from 8535 users and 54,500 (58. 5%) were geolocalized, corresponding to 5428 users. Noise addition was found to be less accurate than k-anonymity using MASK data to protect the users' life privacy. Discussion: k-anonymity is an acceptable method for the anonymization of MASK data and results can be used for other databases.Peer reviewe
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OPTImal PHARMacological therapy for patients with heart failure: Rationale and design of the OPTIPHARM-HF registry.
AIMS: Patients with heart failure (HF) remain often undertreated for multiple reasons, including treatment inertia, contraindications, and intolerance. The OPTIimal PHARMacological therapy for patients with Heart Failure (OPTIPHARM-HF) registry is designed to evaluate the prevalence of evidence-based medical treatment prescription and titration, as well as the causes of its underuse, in a broad real-world population of consecutive patients with HF across the whole ejection fraction spectrum and among different clinical phenotypes. METHODS: The OPTIPHARM-HF registry (NCT06192524) is a prospective, multicenter, observational, national study of adult patients with symptomatic HF, as defined by current international guidelines, regardless of ejection fraction. Both outpatients and inpatients with chronic and acute decompensated HF will be recruited. The study will enroll up to 2500 patients with chronic HF at approximately 35 Italian HF centres. Patients will be followed for a maximum duration of 24 months. The primary objective of the OPTIPHARM-HF registry is to assess prescription and adherence to evidence-based guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with HF. The primary outcome is to describe the prevalence of GDMT use according to target guideline recommendation. Secondary objectives include implementation of comorbidity treatment, evaluation of sequence of treatment introduction and up-titration, description of GDMT implementation in the specific HF population, main causes of GDMT underuse, and assessment of cumulative rate of cardiovascular events. CONCLUSION: The OPTIPHARM-HF registry will provide important implications for improving patient care and adoption of recommended medical therapy into clinical practice among HF patients
Correlation between work impairment, scores of rhinitis severity and asthma using the MASK-air (R) App
Background In allergic rhinitis, a relevant outcome providing information on the effectiveness of interventions is needed. In MASK-air (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network), a visual analogue scale (VAS) for work is used as a relevant outcome. This study aimed to assess the performance of the work VAS work by comparing VAS work with other VAS measurements and symptom-medication scores obtained concurrently. Methods All consecutive MASK-air users in 23 countries from 1 June 2016 to 31 October 2018 were included (14 189 users; 205 904 days). Geolocalized users self-assessed daily symptom control using the touchscreen functionality on their smart phone to click on VAS scores (ranging from 0 to 100) for overall symptoms (global), nose, eyes, asthma and work. Two symptom-medication scores were used: the modified EAACI CSMS score and the MASK control score for rhinitis. To assess data quality, the intra-individual response variability (IRV) index was calculated. Results A strong correlation was observed between VAS work and other VAS. The highest levels for correlation with VAS work and variance explained in VAS work were found with VAS global, followed by VAS nose, eye and asthma. In comparison with VAS global, the mCSMS and MASK control score showed a lower correlation with VAS work. Results are unlikely to be explained by a low quality of data arising from repeated VAS measures. Conclusions VAS work correlates with other outcomes (VAS global, nose, eye and asthma) but less well with a symptom-medication score. VAS work should be considered as a potentially useful AR outcome in intervention studies.Peer reviewe
Guidance to 2018 good practice : ARIA digitally-enabled, integrated, person-centred care for rhinitis and asthma
AimsMobile Airways Sentinel NetworK (MASK) belongs to the Fondation Partenariale MACVIA-LR of Montpellier, France and aims to provide an active and healthy life to rhinitis sufferers and to those with asthma multimorbidity across the life cycle, whatever their gender or socio-economic status, in order to reduce health and social inequities incurred by the disease and to improve the digital transformation of health and care. The ultimate goal is to change the management strategy in chronic diseases.MethodsMASK implements ICT technologies for individualized and predictive medicine to develop novel care pathways by a multi-disciplinary group centred around the patients.StakeholdersInclude patients, health care professionals (pharmacists and physicians), authorities, patient's associations, private and public sectors.ResultsMASK is deployed in 23 countries and 17 languages. 26,000 users have registered.EU grants (2018)MASK is participating in EU projects (POLLAR: impact of air POLLution in Asthma and Rhinitis, EIT Health, DigitalHealthEurope, Euriphi and Vigour).Lessons learnt(i) Adherence to treatment is the major problem of allergic disease, (ii) Self-management strategies should be considerably expanded (behavioural), (iii) Change management is essential in allergic diseases, (iv) Education strategies should be reconsidered using a patient-centred approach and (v) Lessons learnt for allergic diseases can be expanded to chronic diseases.Peer reviewe
Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) Phase 4 (2018): Change management in allergic rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity using mobile technology
Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) has evolved from a guideline by using the best approach to integrated care pathways using mobile technology in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma multimorbidity. The proposed next phase of ARIA is change management, with the aim of providing an active and healthy life to patients with rhinitis and to those with asthma multimorbidity across the lifecycle irrespective of their sex or socioeconomic status to reduce health and social inequities incurred by the disease. ARIA has followed the 8-step model of Kotter to assess and implement the effect of rhinitis on asthma multimorbidity and to propose multimorbid guidelines. A second change management strategy is proposed by ARIA Phase 4 to increase self-medication and shared decision making in rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity. An innovation of ARIA has been the development and validation of information technology evidence-based tools (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network [MASK]) that can inform patient decisions on the basis of a self-care plan proposed by the health care professional
The ferrari corporate wellness program: a new concept of cardiovascular prevention in the compagnie
Purpose: Early detection of individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease may be promote by screening procedures in the working setting. The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term effect of an active participation to a screening program of cardiovascular disease (including exercise prescription) in a working setting focused on cardio-metabolic risk factors level, whose results have been compared with those of a a sample of cross-matched general population.
Methods: Subjects working in the Ferrari car factory (Maranello, Italy) entering a cardiovascular screening program were examined yearly over a period of 4 years. The screening was associated to an intervention on the measured risk factors, based on a nutritional/cardiovascular counseling and on a physical fitness program (2-3 times/week gym frequency). The results in terms of trend of the risk factors levels were compared to those of a very similar population sample from the same region, derived from the historical cohort of the Brisighella Heart Study, matched for age, sex, lipid level and blood pressure values.
Results: The 168 Ferrari workers (148 men, 20 women) participating in the Project showed a significant reduction (after the follow-up period) in Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) (p= 0.003), Total Cholesterol (TC) (p<0.001), LDL Cholesterol (p<0.001), Non HDL Cholesterol (p<0.001), Triglycerides (p= 0.004), Systolic (p<0.001), Diastolic (p<0.001), Pulse (p<0.001) and Mean Blood Pressure (p<0.001), with no change in BMI and HDL. On the contrary in the general population sample FPG, TC, LDL Cholesterol, non HDL Cholesterol, Systolic and Diastolic BP mildly but significantly increased. When compared to the general population sample, TC, LDL Cholesterol, non HDL Cholesterol and BP significantly improved in the participants to the Ferrari Project (all, p<0.001).
Conclusion: The participation in a long-term screening project in a working setting (including a physical fitness program) is associated to a significant improvement of a large number of cardio-metabolic parameters, compared to age- and sex- matched subjects
Fungemia in acute leukemia patients: a single institution's experience
A retrospective study was conducted in 22 episodes of candidemia in 445 patients with acute leukemia (AL) (incidence 4.9%) observed at our Institution between February 1996 and November 2003 to evaluate the variables related to the onset and outcome of infection. Of 22 patients, 20 (90.9%) had refractory/relapsed AL. C. albicans was responsible for 7/22 of the fungemia cases (32%) and C. non albicans for 15/22 (68%). The median absolute neutrophil count was 0.1 x10(9)/L (range 0.04-0.3) at the time of the candidemia diagnosis. The fungemia responded to antifungal therapy in 15/22 (68.1%) patients; among patients with a positive outcome of the fungemia, in 14/15 (93.3%) the neutrophil count recovered within 7 days after the diagnosis of candidemia (p < 0.05). The mortality rate due to candidemia was 31.9% (1/7: 14.2% and 6/15: 40% in the C. albicans and C. non albicans groups, respectively). In our experience the determinants of a positive outcome of fungemia were infection by the C. albicans species and recovery of the neutrophil count