LQM Herzkinder

congenital heart disease; health-related Quality of Life; Online-Monitoring, patient-reported outcomes, cardiology, early screening

Aachen University of Technology
Department of Paediatric Cardiology
Prof. Dr. med. Hedwig Hövels-Gürich
Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen

Heart and Diabetes Center North Rhine-Westphalia, University Hospital of the Ruhr University of
Bochum, Pediatric Heart Center and Center for Congenital Heart Defects
Matthias Lamers, Georgstraße 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen

Practice of peadiatric cardiology Aachen
Dr. med. Dimitrios Gkalpakiotis , Vaalser Straße 516, 52074 Aachen

University of Bonn
Division of Paediatric Cardiology, Children’s Hospital
PD Dr. Ulrike Herberg , Adenauerallee 119, 53113 Bonn

Sankt Marien-Hospital
Pediatric Cardiology
Prof. Dr. med. Eberhard Mühler, Hospitalstraße 44, 52353 Düren

Heart Center, University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Paediatric Cardiology
Dr. med. Verena Strunz, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Köln

German Association of Children with Heart Disease (BVHK)
Nock, Hermine (Director), Kasinostraße 66, 52066 Aachen

01.07.2018 – 30.06.2022

Congenital heart diseases occur in approximately 1% of all newborns. At present, more than 90% of those affected survive due to improved treatment options. The growing number of affected people in Germany comprises about 300.000 people. They show a highly increased risk of developmental and behavioral disorders and constraints concerning their health-related Quality of Life. Thus, special need for rehabilitation is given, which, often remains undetected or is detected too late within conventional care. Therefore this study aims at evaluating the efficacy of an E-Health method (LQMAPP) in order to improve the early detection of the need for rehabilitation.
As part of this project a screening- and monitoring program will be established in several specialized pediatric cardiology clinics. On the basis of the data submitted by computer-administrated questionnaires, indications regarding constraints of the health-related Quality of Life and behavioral
or developmental problems will be acquired. Positive screening results will be used by the physician for further treatment in order to clarify and initiate precisely fitted support and rehabilitation measures. A randomized-controlled intervention study (RCT) will be used to test whether the
screening program will effect an improvement of early detections compared to previous conventional treatments.

The study will be conducted as a randomized controlled two-arm study with parallel groups in order to achieve optimal evidence concerning the main goal: the evaluation of a significant improvement in early screening of rehabilitation needs for pediatric patients with heart diseases. Secondary outcomes are: health-related Quality of Life, behavioral abnormalities, anxiety and depression of the parents, practicability and cost-benefit ratio.