Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42015237›Full record

ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2026

App-based self-management program for people dealing with fatigue and trouble concentrating (DiEgO): protocol for participatory development, pilot testing, and qualitative process evaluation.

Tim Schmachtenberg, Nadja Wegner, Imke Schwalm, Karla Clasen, Katharina Vieth, Tim Riester, Nicole Schmidt, Viktoria Lampe, Zehra Bilgen, Aisha Cook and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Tim SchmachtenbergDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany. tim.schmachtenberg@med.uni-goettingen.de.
Nadja WegnerDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
Imke SchwalmDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Karla ClasenDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Katharina ViethDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Tim RiesterDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Nicole SchmidtDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Viktoria LampeDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Zehra BilgenDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Aisha CookDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Frank MüllerDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Eva Maria NoackDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Alexandra Dopfer-JablonkaDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
Christine HappleDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
Sandra SteffensDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
Georg BehrensDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
Eva HummersDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 38, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
Andrea Stölting *Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
Torge-Christian Wittke *Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.

Funding

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) 03DPS1099A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFatigue is a common symptom in both post-COVID syndrome (PCS) and chronic inflammatory rheumatic conditions, associated with physical, cognitive, and mental impairments that reduce quality of life. Evidence-based management approaches remain limited. The DiEgO study addresses this gap by developing an interactive self-management and support application for people with fatigue and trouble concentrating. METHODS/

designThis study combines a participatory research approach with qualitative methods (content analyses, grounded theory). A development team comprising PCS individuals, occupational therapists, and academic researchers will collaboratively develop the intervention through three iterative cycles. The developed app will then be tested by 20-30 people with rheumatic-disease-related fatigue, assigned to either supported use (with occupational therapy) or independent use. Evaluation includes qualitative interviews with pilot participants to assess usability, feasibility, and acceptability. In addition, the participatory development process will be reflexively evaluated through participant observation and interviews with development team members. DISCUSSION: The DiEgO study will develop an mHealth self-management application for people with fatigue and trouble concentrating. The participatory design involving affected individuals and occupational therapists throughout the development process enhances user-centeredness and real-world applicability. By providing flexible, low-threshold access through an open-source platform, this study may expand accessible self-management support for individuals with post-COVID syndrome and rheumatic conditions.

Indexed as

Exercise therapyFatigueIntervention developmentmHealthOccupational therapyParticipationPost-COVID syndromeQualitative studyTrouble concentrating

Identifiers

PMID42015237
PMCPMC13101371

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.