An observational study in Travel Health, Mobile Health Technology (mHealth) and Elderly Travelers, sponsored by University of Zurich. Completed at 2 sites in Switzerland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-04-29.
Sponsored by University of Zurich · Observational
New mobile Health (mHealth) technology creates an opportunity to approach travel medicine research in a different way, revolutionising our understanding of risks to travellers. Using mHealth technology, the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich (UZH), developed a TRAVEL app in collaboration with the Eidgnössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich.
By using this new technology, an extensive collection of data (prospective collection of individual travel behaviour and experienced health events, mapping the travel itinerary via global positioning system (GPS), linking to publicly available local weather data and data on disease endemicity) can be combined and an unprecedented abundance of information on travel behaviour and experienced risks can be obtained. These data will allow a much better understanding of travel risk profiles using cluster analysis. By simultaneously recording health outcomes, the relationship between travel risk profiles and health events can be assessed. In this study, the investigators will address several major shortcomings in travel health in tropical and subtropical destinations by improving the understanding of poorly assessed and potentially underestimated health threats (e.g. risk of accidents and injury, mental health disorders), and travel risks specific to elderly travellers and travellers with chronic conditions. These findings will directly feed back into individual travel advice given by practitioners in Switzerland and finally world-wide.
New mobile Health (mHealth) technology creates an opportunity to approach travel medicine research in a different way, revolutionising our understanding of risks to travellers. Using mHealth technology, the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich (UZH), developed a TRAVEL app in collaboration with the Eidgnössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich.
By using this new technology, an extensive collection of data (prospective collection of individual travel behaviour and experienced health events, mapping the travel itinerary via global positioning system (GPS), linking to publicly available local weather data and data on disease endemicity) can be combined and an unprecedented abundance of information on travel behaviour and experienced risks can be obtained. These data will allow a much better understanding of travel risk profiles using cluster analysis. By simultaneously recording health outcomes, the relationship between travel risk profiles and health events can be assessed. In this study, the investigators will address several major shortcomings in travel health in tropical and subtropical destinations by improving the understanding of poorly assessed and potentially underestimated health threats (e.g. risk of accidents and injury, mental health disorders), and travel risks specific to elderly travellers and travellers with chronic conditions.
1000 clients traveling to Thailand, China, India, Brazil, Peru or Tanzania will be recruited from the Travel Clinics in Zurich and Basel and through advertising at local travel agents and the universities of ETH and UZH from September 2017 until February 2019. After completing an intake at the clinic, participants will be given the option to use their own Smartphone for data collection, or to use a phone owned by the UZH-EBPI during travel. Participants will use a data collection app for questionnaire responses during and after travel including: a daily questionnaire on travel behaviors, daily symptoms questionnaire, and localization tracking, showing the participants' travel path and locations.
136 studies on the registry are indexed under Risk-Taking; 18 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 793 is above the median of 120 across 17 observational studies indexed under Risk-Taking.
Browse Risk-Taking studies →University of Zurich is the lead sponsor of 1,049 studies on the registry; 133 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Study recruitment will be conducted at the University of Zurich Travel Clinic and the Travel Clinic at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.
That means that individuals seeking pre-travel advice at one of the two Travel Clinics will be asked to participate based inclusion criteria defined above.
Furthermore, patients with chronic diseases will be referred to the Travel Clinics by various specialized clinics at the University Hospitals of Zurich and Basel (Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Pneumology, Cardiology)
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
approximately 135 travelers with an age \>= 60 years will be enrolled
Other: none, this is an observational study
approximately 225 travelers with a chronic disease will be enrolled
Other: none, this is an observational study
approximately 640 healthy travelers with be enrolled
Other: none, this is an observational study
none, this is an observational study
Self-reported risk behaviors
The study participant will report on daily risk behaviors prior to, during and after travel in a daily app-based questionnaire
Time frame: for a maximum of 4 weeks during travel
Self-reported symptoms
The study participant will report on experienced symptoms/health events prior to, during and after travel in a daily app-based questionnaire
Time frame: for a maximum of 4 weeks during travel
Plan to share: No
Ran from Sep 2017 to primary completion in Mar 2019, 18 months.
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This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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