Effective self-management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can lead to increased patient control and reduced health care costs. However, both patients and healthcare professionals encounter significant challenges. Digital health interventions, such as smart oximeters and COPD self-management applications, promise to enhance the management of COPD, yet, there is little evidence to support their use and user-experience issues are still common. Understanding the needs of healthcare professionals is central for increasing adoption and engagement with digital health interventions but little is known about their perceptions of digital health interventions in COPD. This paper explored the perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding the potential role for DHI in the management of COPD. Snowball sampling was used to recruit the participants (n = 32). Each participant underwent a semi-structured interview. Using NVivo 12 software, thematic analysis was completed. Healthcare professionals perceive digital health interventions providing several potential benefits to the management of COPD including the capture of patient status indicators during the interappointment period, providing new patient data to support the consultation process and perceived digital health interventions as a potential means to improve patient engagement. The findings offer new insights regarding potential future use-cases for digital health interventions in COPD, which can help ease user-experience issues as they align with the needs of healthcare professionals.

Background Physiotherapy-led home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery can protect against the development of upper limb dysfunction and other disabling consequences of surgery. A variety of barriers can limit physical rehabilitation outcomes, and patients may benefit from more support during this time. Mobile health (mHealth) systems can assist patients during rehabilitation by providing exercise support, biofeedback, and information. Before designing mHealth systems for a specific population, developers must first engage with users to understand their experiences and needs. Objective The aims of this study were to explore patients’ rehabilitation experiences and unmet needs during home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery and to understand their experiences of mHealth technology and the requirements they desire from an mHealth system. Methods This was the first stage of a user-centered design process for an mHealth system. We interviewed 10 breast cancer survivors under the two main topics of “Rehabilitation” and “Technology” and performed a thematic analysis on the interview data. Results Discussions regarding rehabilitation focused on the acute and long-term consequences of surgery; unmet needs and lack of support; self-driven rehabilitation; and visions for high-quality rehabilitation. Regarding technology, participants reported a lack of mHealth options for this clinical context and using non-cancer–specific applications and wearables. Participants requested an mHealth tool from a reliable source that provides exercise support. Conclusions There are unmet needs surrounding access to physiotherapy, information, and support during home rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery that could be addressed with an mHealth system. Breast cancer survivors are open to using an mHealth system and require that it comes from a reliable source and focuses on supporting exercise performance.

Interdisciplinary research networks are increasing, with professionals encouraged to undertake research across disciplines to increase innovation, creativity and knowledge. More recently, this interdisciplinary focus is being mirrored by the establishment of interdisciplinary doctoral research networks. But do these networks work? And if so, how and why? We employ social capital theory to (a) understand the lived experiences of students in interdisciplinary doctoral programmes and (b) build programme design theory to support the development of social capital within such programmes. We present the results of 28 semi-structured interviews conducted with doctoral students from three European Union funded interdisciplinary research training networks to understand how they perceive the enhancers, inhibitors and manifestations of social capital within their networks. Key themes revolve around 'extracting value from the interdisciplinary process', 'motivating students throughout the interdisciplinary programme journey', and 'relating to others both within and external to the programme'. We propose a framework for interdisciplinary programme design.

BACKGROUND:Digital health technology (DHT) promises to support patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to optimize the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of DHT for the management of COPD. One reason for this is the lack of user-involvement in the development of DHT interventions in COPD meaning their needs and preferences are rarely accounted for in the design phase. Although HCP adoption issues have been identified in relation to DHT, little is known about the challenges perceived by HCPs providing care to COPD patients. Therefore, this study aims to qualitatively explore the barriers and facilitators HCPs perceive for the use of DHT in the management of COPD.METHODS:Participants (n = 32) were recruited using snowball sampling from two university hospitals and several general practitioner clinics. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant. NVivo 12 software was used to complete thematic analysis on the data.RESULTS:Themes identified include: data quality; evidence-based care; resource constraints; and digital literacy presented as barriers; and facilitators include the following themes: digital health training and education; improving HCP digital literacy; and Personalized prescribing. Patient-centered approaches, such as pulmonary rehabilitation and shared decision-making were suggested as implementation strategies to ease the adoption of digital health for the management of COPD.CONCLUSION:These findings contribute new insights about the needs and preferences of HCPs working in COPD regarding DHT. The findings can be used to help mitigate user-experience issues by informing the design of person-centered implementation and adoption strategies for future digital health interventions in COPD.

Objective Non-adherence to self-management plans in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results in poorer outcomes for patients. Digital health technology (DHT) promises to support self-management by enhancing the sense of control patients possess over their disease. COPD digital health studies have yet to show significant evidence of improved outcomes for patients, with many user-adoption issues still present in the literature. To help better address the adoption needs of COPD patients, this paper explores their perceived barriers and facilitators to the adoption of DHT. Methods A sample of convenience was chosen and patients ( n = 30) were recruited from two Dublin university hospitals. Each patient completed a qualitative semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis of the data was performed using NVivo 12 software. Results Barrier sub-themes included lack of perceived usefulness, digital literacy, illness perception, and social context; facilitator sub-themes included existing digital self-efficacy, personalised education, and community-based support. Conclusion The findings represent a set of key considerations for researchers and clinicians to inform the design of patient-centred study protocols that aim to account for the needs and preferences of patients in the development of implementation and adoption strategies for DHT in COPD.

Engaging chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to actively participate in self-management has proven difficult. Digital health technology (DHT) promises to facilitate a patient-centred care model for the management of COPD by empowering patients to self-manage effectively. However, digital health studies in COPD have yet to demonstrate significant patient outcomes, suggesting that this research has still to adequately address the needs of patients in the intervention development process. The current study explored COPD patients' perceptions of the potential benefits of DHT in the self-management and treatment of their disease. A sample of convenience was chosen and participants (n=30) were recruited from two Dublin university hospitals and each underwent a qualitative semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis of the data was completed using NVivo 12 software. Six themes were identified: symptom management, anxiety management, interaction with physician, care management, personalising care and preventative intervention. In our findings, patients reported a willingness to take a more active role in self-management using DHT. They perceived DHT potentially enhancing their self-management by improving self-efficacy and engagement and by supporting healthcare professionals to practise preventative care provision. The findings can be used to inform patient-centred COPD digital interventions for researchers and clinicians who wish to develop study aims that align with the needs and preferences of patients.

Background: As cancer survival rates increase, the challenge of ensuring that cancer survivors reclaim their quality of life (QoL) becomes more important. This paper outlines the research element of a research and training program that is designed to do just that. Objective: Bridging sectors, disciplines, and geographies, it brings together eight PhD projects and students from across Europe to identify the underlying barriers, test different technology-enabled rehabilitative approaches, propose a model to optimize the patient pathways, and examine the business models that might underpin a sustainable approach to cancer survivor reintegration using technology. Methods: The program, funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 722012, includes deep disciplinary PhD projects, intersectoral and international secondments, interdisciplinary plenary training schools, and virtual subject-specific education modules. Results: The 8 students have now been recruited and are at the early stages of their projects. Conclusions: CATCH will provide a comprehensive training and research program by embracing all key elements—technical, social, and economic sciences—required to produce researchers and project outcomes that are capable of meeting existing and future needs in cancer rehabilitation. (JMIR Res Protoc 2018;7(1):e14) doi:10.2196/resprot.8900 JMIR Res Protoc 2018 | vol. 7 | iss. 1 | e14 | p.1 http://www.researchprotocols.org/2018/1/e14/ (page number not for citation purposes) Mountford et al JMIR RESEARCH PROTOCOLS

BACKGROUND:As cancer survival rates increase, the challenge of ensuring that cancer survivors reclaim their quality of life (QoL) becomes more important. This paper outlines the research element of a research and training program that is designed to do just that.OBJECTIVE:Bridging sectors, disciplines, and geographies, it brings together eight PhD projects and students from across Europe to identify the underlying barriers, test different technology-enabled rehabilitative approaches, propose a model to optimize the patient pathways, and examine the business models that might underpin a sustainable approach to cancer survivor reintegration using technology.METHODS:The program, funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 722012, includes deep disciplinary PhD projects, intersectoral and international secondments, interdisciplinary plenary training schools, and virtual subject-specific education modules.RESULTS:The 8 students have now been recruited and are at the early stages of their projects.CONCLUSIONS:CATCH will provide a comprehensive training and research program by embracing all key elements-technical, social, and economic sciences-required to produce researchers and project outcomes that are capable of meeting existing and future needs in cancer rehabilitation.

As markets become increasingly complex it is more and more important that we understand their underlying market networks. While much research has been conducted into the inter‑relationships and impacts between the firm and the network, less attention has been paid to the study of the whole network itself. Understanding the origins, structures, and potential futures of whole market networks is vital to the understanding of whole markets. This is particularly the case in light of the multiplicity of societal and institutional conditions attached to an increasingly globalized economy. The insertion of technology into incumbent markets such as finance or healthcare causes market and network evolutions that firms must understand if they are to navigate them safely. Traditional business research methods are, however, often locked to the firm perspective through case study approaches, or quantitative network analyses. Despite some recent methods that take a more situated, biographical approach, a bird’s eye view of the whole network remains elusive. Anthropological methods offer assistance ‑ both in making sense of the evolution of the network within the market context, and in understanding the intricacies of such networks. Unfortunately, the concept of network analysis remains disconnected across disciplines apart from some exceptions such as Berthod, Grothe‑Hammer and Sydow’s (2016) combining of social network analysis with ethnographic research methods to produce ‘Network Ethnographies.’ We build on that approach, combining market network research methods with ethnographic research methods, illustrated through case examples from our research in the connected health domain. We illustrate ethnography’s potential for in‑depth capture of network detail, showing how ethnographic methods can be used to understand each player’s position and function within that system, as well as reflecting the life and culture of the whole network.

This paper responds to the need for interdisciplinary approaches to fourth level education that better reflect the complexity of the world in which we work and conduct research. We discuss this need in technology-enabled healthcare, Connected Health. We propose a model for fourth level interdisciplinary education and discuss its trial application in two European structured PhD programmes in the Connected Health research arena. We suggest broader learning objectives for the emerging fourth level graduate, methods of incorporating multiple disciplinary inputs and perspectives into deep disciplinary PhD training, intersectoral approaches to ensure employability and impact, and innovative training methods and structures to facilitate interdisciplinary and intersectoral learning. We give some examples of innovative training modules used within the pilot programmes. Finally we discuss six core elements of a truly interdisciplinary programme at fourth level - exposure to different environments, joint supervision, a genuine role for the non academic sector, career development training and planning, the development of a sustainable training network beyond the life of the programme, and data openness.

This report is based upon work from COST Action (ENJECT TD1405), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).