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Digital Health and Long-Term Conditions

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© OUImages/Nasir Hamid

Many of our research programmes are focussed on delivery of relevant interventions that can be integrated into clinical care.  We work in collaboration with patients, other academics, researchers, and local health services to help us develop, carry out and implement our research.  

Our work includes:

  • systematic reviews of the literature related to long term conditions;
  • evaluating and monitoring the effects of treatment using routine data collected in primary care;
  • developing new ways of helping people improve the self-management and monitoring of their long term condition and associated co-morbidities;
  • developing, delivering, and evaluating both new and established treatments in robust high quality clinical trials.

Our work has shown that current approaches to use of blood glucose self-monitoring for people with type 2 diabetes, who are not using insulin, are not supported by the evidence from a number of clinical trials, and need to be better targeted at people who might benefit, with more support for those who are using it. The group undertook a landmark trial and health economic analysis of blood glucose self monitoring and led a wider collaboration within the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences to combine data from the trial with data from five other similar studies to look at the effects of the treatment in different groups of patients. The work has provided a strong evidence base to guide clinical practice and future research.

We have a long-term productive collaboration with colleagues from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Oxford. Our previous work has included the first evaluation of mobile-phone base telehealth systems to support patients with type 1 diabetes in managing their insulin treatment. More recent work has included using the mobile phone systems to help people with type 2 diabetes adjust their insulin and tablet treatments. We have recently developed these systems to help people with other conditions including chronic obstructive lung disease, and to provide support through mobile phones to patients being treated in resource poor settings.

Recent Publications

Current Studies

VIABLE

Remote monitoring in virtual wards for acutely unwell patients being managed and treated on an ambulatory care pathway: feasibility study

SHINE

Screening for hypertension in hospital to create a new diagnostic pathway

SuMMiT-D

Developing a text message-based system to help people with type 2 diabetes to manage their condition.

Completed Studies

EDGE2

Developing a cost-effective COPD self-management system that patients can use in hospital and at home

EDGE

Self-managing COPD using a mobile-health based intervention

MoHIP

Monitoring of Hip Injury Patients

*StAR (hypertension)

SMS-text Adherence Support (StAR) Study. A qualitative evaluation of a mobile-phone based programme to enhance adherence to health care for hypertension in Cape Town

Blog posts:

Text reminders – a low-cost strategy for type 2 diabetes?

By Dr Nacho Ricci Cabello. Can text messages help people with type 2 diabetes to achieve a healthier lifestyle?

Type 2 diabetes: should people self-monitor blood glucose?

Evidence about the routine use of blood glucose self-monitoring in type 2 diabetes informs a new NICE guideline, helping to improve the way people manage their condition.