Patient-centred eHealth as an accessible first step intervention for Functional Disorders

Theis project will be instrumental in extending work previously undertaken within the Research Clinic for Functional Disorders at Aarhus University Hospital developing an eHealth Programme for chronic (<6 months) functional disorders as a first step intervention. The Applicant will adapt and develop a prototype of this programme for a cross-country European End-User group, utilising participatory design methodology to inform this process. The e-health programme will then be trialled for feasibility across multiple European Centres, involving a network of local collaborators and co-ordinated by the Applicant.

We hypothesise that it is feasible to develop and deliver an acceptable and usable ‘one size fits all’ guided self-help and psychoeducation programme for FD via an e-health platform across multiple European treatment centres.

Study 1: To describe the similarities and differences in diagnosis, explanatory models and psychoeducational approaches to FD? across multiple European specialist treatment centres.

Study 2: To develop a prototype of a Self-help and Psychoeducational e-health Programme for FD that is viewed as acceptable and relevant by Users across multiple European Cultures and Languages.

Study 3: To feasibility test the programme in a multi-centre international trial with the view to establish the foundation for a later Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT).