Gazified Mobile Health Application designed to help people with sclerosis in fatigue management

The new study published in multiple sclerosis and related disorders emphasizes the potential of greater strength, applied mobile health (Mhealth) designed to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in fatigue management, one of the most common and devastating symptoms of the disease.

Research, conducted by the researcher Dr. Guido Giunti and neurologists Dr. Mervic Ryhytta and assistant to Professor Johann Krüger from the University of Oulu and the University Hospital of Oulu in Finland, assessed the enforceability, usability and influence of more strength in the 60-day period.

Fatigue is an invisible, but life -changing symptom of multiple sclerosis. Managing this requires more than just medicines. More endurance gives people tools to understand the level of energy, take control of the day and more effectively transfer their needs. “

Guido Giunti, digital health expert at the University of Oulu and the leader of the More Stamina project

There were 20 participants from the Oulu University Hospital, who used the application for two months every day. The findings revealed that: • Users have become more aware of their fatigue patterns, enabling them to plan their days more effectively. • Higher commitment correlated with increased self -awareness, especially among people with more serious fatigue. • The application has helped facilitate discussions with family members and healthcare providers, improving mutual understanding of the impact of fatigue. • Utility has improved over time, although some users have found that entering data requiring cognitively, indicating the areas of improvement.

Digital health solution based on evidence More endurance helps users to follow their daily activities and energy expenses using “Stamina Credits”, a gamified approach that visualizes energy consumption and helps users make informed decisions about their daily plans. Unlike many digital health solutions, more strength is distinguished by an approach based on research at every stage, from identifying the patient’s needs to design, prototyping, development and testing. Each phase is accompanied by reviewed research, creating a transparent scientific trail for a mobile health solution. “Digital health solutions are as good as their basis,” said Professor Minna Isomursu, an expert in the field of design-focused design and research co-author. “From the very beginning we have worked with real patients and healthcare staff to build something really useful. These are the key to creating tools that people actually consider useful in their daily lives.”

Introduction of digital health in MS Care Fatigue applies to 80% of patients with multiple sclerosis and has a deep impact on their quality of life. Managing fatigue is difficult because it includes physical, cognitive and emotional factors, often leaving patients exhausted, misunderstood and not supported. While digital health solutions are increasingly proposed to manage chronic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, few have been rigorously assessed to ensure their effectiveness and real impact. Neurologists from the University Hospital Oulu emphasize the potential of such solutions in supplementing traditional MS care. “Managing the fatigue of multiple sclerosis has always been a challenge because it varies depending on the person,” said Dr. Mervi Rytyta, a neurologist from the University of Oul’s University. “Having a tool that helps patients visualize and plan energy levels can really affect how they deal with their symptoms.” While the study confirmed that more strength is a feasible and acceptable tool, scientists emphasize that research and long -term tests are needed to assess the full clinical influence. The team is now investigating ways to integrate greater strength with wider MS care strategies: “This study strengthens the role of digital health solutions in the care of multiple sclerosis,” added Dr. Johanna Krüger, a neurologist at the University Hospital of Oulu “Now we need to improve it, expand it and make sure that digital tools, such as this, can become effective and to be effective and ineffective care of MS.

Strengthening patients and strengthening family dialogue One of the unexpected but powerful results of the study was the role that more and more strength played in facilitating conversations between patients with multiple sclerosis and their families. Many participants have announced that sharing the patterns of fatigue with loved ones helped them feel understood and supported. “Invisible fatigue is difficult to explain to those who do not experience it, especially since I do not always understand it,” said Tonja Molin-Juustila, a representative of the patient involved in the project. “More strength gives a specific tool to look at fatigue and discuss it with your family. Instead of repetition,” I’m so tired now “, it becomes” you seem to rest more often. ” This makes a huge difference, transforming interaction from the perceived sense of guilt into mutual understanding. The development of more stamine did not only concern technology, but it was about people. The active participation of patient representatives was the key to ensuring that the application concerned real challenges. In addition to success in the management of MS’s fatigue, combining the scientific rigor, the project focused on the user and the actual design, this project created the plan, How digital solutions should be developed and integrated with healthcare. “The way we worked with more endurance is proof that when we combine scientific voices, technologies and patients, we can create tools that actually improve life. We hope that this approach is a new standard for future digital health solutions.”

The study was financed by Business Finland, Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra), Ritta Jorma J.