© N i c o l a
© N i c o l a

App ensures nutrition for CF Patients

As part of the European MyCyFAPP project, researchers are developing a digital support device to promote autonomy and proper nutrition among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

CF is a genetic disease causing damage to the lungs and the digestive system.

The MyCyFAPP project aims to develop an app for the self-management of enzyme replacement therapy in children with CF through a personalised and interactive monitoring and learning process and is funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020.

Organisations from seven European countries added their expertise to successfully engineer a new pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). They are now making it accessible and user-friendly to CF patients and their families as a mobile app.

MyCyFAPP aims to replace traditional in- and outpatient consultations (physicians and dieticians) to mobile consultations, allowing for continuous follow-up and fast interventions if needed.

Jacqueline Floch, who is leading the work being carried out at SINTEF, said: “We knew that this work wasn’t going to be easy. However, the complexity of the problem still surprised us.”

She added: “Firstly, we observe that all CF sufferers are different. Some are very organised when it comes to monitoring their illness, while others are far less scrupulous. Some children may also be in denial because they don’t want to appear different. Some get a lot of support from their parents, who lay out the medicines and teach the kids how to take them, while others get almost no help at all. This means that while some need daily reminders to take their medicines, others have a more pressing need simply to talk to like-minded people about their disease.”

The MyCyFAPP project is expected to provide a digital platform to promote the autonomy of patients and their families, and to decrease the distance between patients and their health staff.