Research | Joan Segur-Ferrer

EDiHTA Project

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Key details:

Type of project: European research project (Horizon Europe, HORIZON-HLTH-2023-IND-06-07; Grant Agreement No. 101136424)
Duration: 2024–2028
Involvement: 2024–present
Participants: Consortium of 18 partners from 10 countries, coordinated by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Prof. Americo Cicchetti). AQuAS participates as a partner.
Role in the project: HTA Methodologist (AQuAS)
Tasks: Technical implementation of the project, coordination of Work Package 4 (WP4) and, in particular, development of Task 4.1, focused on defining the content of the framework’s domains.

Description:

EDiHTA (European Digital Health Technology Assessment) is a European project funded by the Horizon Europe programme that aims to develop the first European framework for assessing digital health technologies, such as telemedicine, mobile apps and artificial intelligence-based systems. The framework is designed to be flexible, inclusive, validated and ready to use, and applicable across different levels of technological maturity, territorial levels (national, regional and local) and assessment perspectives (payer, society and hospital).

The framework is being co-created with all stakeholders in the European health ecosystem (HTA agencies, decision-makers, patients, healthcare professionals and industry), digitalised into a web platform and validated through pilot studies in European hospitals.

More information: edihta-project.eu

LoLA Project - BackFit App

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Key details:

Type of project: Research project
Duration: 2016–2020
Involvement: 2018–2020
Participants: Dr Carolina Sitges Quirós, Dr Olga Velasco Roldán, Núria García Dopico, Jaume Crespí Palmer, Joan Segur Ferrer.
Role in the project: Research Technician
Tasks: Implementation of the behavioural activation and physical exercise protocol (H6); psychophysiological assessment of pain, physical fitness, affective state, and nervous system function and structure (H7); development of the BackFit APP.

Description:

Low Level of Activity (LoLA) is the acronym of the research project “Protocolo de activación conductual y ejercicio físico para pacientes con dolor crónico basado en el uso de nuevas tecnologías (smartphone)” [Behavioural activation and physical exercise protocol for patients with chronic pain based on new technologies (smartphone)]. It was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (PSI2015-66295-R) and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Balearic Islands (IB3186/16), the Office for the Transfer of Research Results (OTRI) and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). The project was carried out by the Cognitive-Affective Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology (CANCliP) research group, in collaboration with the companies Apploading and BackFit®.

The main objectives of the project were:

To record changes in sensory and pain thresholds, lumbar flexibility and strength in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain after a brief session of physical exercise. The study included four experimental groups: moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (walking on a treadmill for 20 minutes at 55–70% of maximum heart rate (MHR), 4–6 on the Borg rating of perceived exertion scale) (n=20), strength exercise (n=20), flexibility exercise (n=20) and a control group (completing questionnaires) (n=20).
To develop a self-administered behavioural activation and physical exercise protocol (8 weeks) using new technologies (smartphone), recording possible changes in the central nervous system (electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and heart rate variability (HRV)), as well as improvements in physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, balance) and in physical (pain, fatigue), affective (depression, anxiety) and cognitive (working memory, attentional control) symptoms in patients with chronic pain (before, immediately after and 6 months after the protocol).

Within the framework of Low Level of Activity, the BackFit APP was developed. It is an mHealth solution designed by physiotherapists, physical activity and sports science professionals and psychologists from the CANCliP group of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and the Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IdISBa). The app offers guidance for the self-management of back pain through muscle strength, motor control, relaxation, flexibility and self-massage exercises, based on the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine (2018), the European guidelines on low back pain and the work of McGill (2015) and Hodges (2003).

It also includes detailed information and educational videos, based on the scientific evidence of Butler & Moseley (2003), that help users better understand back health.

In addition, the BackFit APP has been awarded the AppSaludable quality seal by the Agencia de Calidad Sanitaria de Andalucía. Based on 31 recommendations on design, use and evaluation, this seal recognises the quality and safety of the app and confirms that its content is appropriate for its target population, that it has been tested, and that several improvements were incorporated during its development and evaluation.

In the media

Balears fa Ciència (IB3): More information.
IB3 Ràdio news (min. 40): More information.
IB3 TV news: More information.
The Conversation: More information
IB3 TV news: More information

Activa't Project

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Key details:

Type of project: Action research
Participants: Dr Pedro Montoya, Dr Saliha Belmonte, Dr Mer Blanquet, Dr Alfonso Morillas and collaborators; Apploading; Palma City Council.
Duration: 2019–present
Involvement: 2019
Role in the project: Research Technician
Tasks performed: Delivery of the established physical exercise protocol, data collection and health education.

Description:

Activa’t is an action research project coordinated by the Department of Tourism, Health and Consumer Affairs of Palma City Council (Mallorca), in collaboration with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and the company Apploading. It aims to prevent frailty and reduce the risk of falls among older people through a physical exercise programme based on the contents of the Vivifrail project.

The pilot was carried out in October, November and December 2019, with the participation of the Son Dameto Residents’ Association and the Vívero Association of Friends of the Elderly.

Given the satisfactory results of the pilot, the programme was expected to be extended to other neighbourhoods of Palma.

In the media

La Vanguardia: More information.
20 minutos: More information.
Palma City Council: More information.

Physical Education Health and Children (PEHC)

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Key details:

Type of project: Research project
Participants: Dr Anna Prats, Dr Raquel Font, Dr Blanca Roman, Dr Azahara Fort, Jorge Cazorla, Aida Cadellans, Mercè Sala, Xavi Salvador and collaborators.
Duration: 2016–present
Involvement: 2016–2018
Role in the project: Collaborator
Tasks performed: Theoretical discussion on motor competence and healthy growth in children, and collection of anthropometric and motor data from 8-year-old schoolchildren.

Description:

Physical Education Health and Children (PEHC) was an interdisciplinary, local and municipal, educational and innovative research project with a clear pedagogical and community focus.

The main objective of the project was to study the effects of Integrated Neuromuscular Training on motor competence, predisposition to obesity and adherence to recommendations for healthy physical activity among 8-year-old children in the province of Girona.

Given that the study population consisted of 8-year-old children and that the project was carried out in a school setting, an educational project was developed in parallel together with the schools’ management teams and teachers.

PEHC also had a strong community dimension, involving families, local health professionals and municipal policymakers.

More information about the project is available at the following link: PEHC