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Validation of a Mobile App as an Adjuvant Treatment for Thermal Context Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

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Advances in Tourism, Technology and Systems (ICOTTS 2023)

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 383))

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Abstract

Health tourism is one of the most important touristic activities. It can generate economic and social value. Thermalism/balneotherapy is one of the options concerning healthcare and well-being. Although this fact lacks information concerning effectiveness of thermal water treatments. Digital technologies are being implemented and developed in healthcare systems, stimulated also by WHO, in order to facilitate and improve patients’ treatment and assessment. Traditional approach does not allow a follow-up due to the fact the patient leaves the thermal complex after treatment and does no longer get in touch with the clinical department. Due to this lack of information social security avoids financing this kind of treatment. It is important to fulfill this gap and for that digital technologies seem to be the answer. This study aims to investigate effectiveness in self-management and clinical assessment and monitorization between a smartphone app (HealthSmArt_ISAVE) and a standard approach. This will be a single-blinded, parallel two-arm group randomized, controlled, superiority trial with a nine months of intervention period in real thermal treatment conditions, in Caldelas—Amares, Portugal. Outcome measures such as: balance, functionality, pain, cognitive, and respiratory effects will be collected at baseline (t0), 1 week (t1), 2 weeks (t2), 1 month (t3), 3 months (t4), 6 months (t5) and 9 months (t6) after baseline. The HealthSmArt_ISAVE is a new way to assess, monitor and treat thermal practitioners’, with constant feedback until nine months after the beginning of the treatment enhancing evidence which may fulfill the gap between clinical practice and clinical evidence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ISAVE-Instituto Superior de Saúde, Amares, Portugal

    Andrea Ribeiro, Mafalda Duarte, Claúdia Ferrnandes & Francisco Esteves

  2. CICS—Centro Interdisciplinar em Ciências da Saúde, Braga, Portugal

    Andrea Ribeiro & Andrea Ribeiro

Authors
  1. Andrea Ribeiro
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  2. Mafalda Duarte
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  3. Claúdia Ferrnandes
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  4. Francisco Esteves
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Ribeiro .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP), Polytechnic of Porto, São Mamede de Infesta, Portugal

    António Abreu

  2. Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP), Polytechnic of Porto, São Mamede de Infesta, Portugal

    João Vidal Carvalho

  3. School of Hospitality and Tourism, Polytechnic of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Pedro Liberato

  4. Faculty of Tourism and Gastronomy, Universidad Anáhuac México, Huixquilucan Estado de México, Mexico, Mexico

    Hazael Cerón Monroy

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© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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Ribeiro, A., Duarte, M., Ferrnandes, C., Esteves, F. (2024). Validation of a Mobile App as an Adjuvant Treatment for Thermal Context Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol. In: Abreu, A., Carvalho, J.V., Liberato, P., Monroy, H.C. (eds) Advances in Tourism, Technology and Systems. ICOTTS 2023. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 383. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9765-7_12

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