RESUMEN
Background: Many patients with cardiovascular disease also show a high comorbidity of mental disorders, especially such as anxiety and depression. This is, in turn, associated with a decrease in the quality of life. Psychocardiological treatment options are currently limited. Hence, there is a need for novel and accessible psychological help. Recently, we demonstrated that a brief face-to-face metacognitive therapy (MCT) based intervention is promising in treating anxiety and depression. Here, we aim to translate the face-to-face approach into digital application and explore the feasibility of this approach. Methods: We translated a validated brief psychocardiological intervention into a novel non-blended web app. The data of 18 patients suffering from various cardiac conditions but without diagnosed mental illness were analyzed after using the web app over a two-week period in a feasibility trial. The aim was whether a non-blended web app based MCT approach is feasible in the group of cardiovascular patients with cardiovascular disease. Results: Overall, patients were able to use the web app and rated it as satisfactory and beneficial. In addition, there was first indication that using the app improved the cardiac patients' subjectively perceived health and reduced their anxiety. Therefore, the approach seems feasible for a future randomized controlled trial. Conclusion: Applying a metacognitive-based brief intervention via a non-blended web app seems to show good acceptance and feasibility in a small target group of patients with CVD. Future studies should further develop, improve and validate digital psychotherapy approaches, especially in patient groups with a lack of access to standard psychotherapeutic care.
RESUMEN
Value creation in the financial services sector has been fundamentally transformed by digitally born financial technology (FinTech) companies. FinTech companies synthesize information systems with financial services. Given its disruptive power, the FinTech phenomenon has received great attention in academic research, practice, and media. Still, limited systematic research provides a structure and holistic view of FinTechs' success. Aiming to enhance understanding of the factors enabling FinTech success, we classify success factors across extant scientific literature on distinct FinTech business model archetypes. Our analysis reveals that the "cost-benefit dynamic of the innovation," "technology adoption," "security, privacy, and transparency," "user trust," "user-perceived quality," and "industry rivalry" are crucial factors for FinTech success and can be seen as "grand challenges" for the FinTech ecosystem. In addition, we validate and discuss our findings with real-world examples from the FinTech industry and two interviews with stakeholders from the FinTech ecosystem. Our study contributes to the knowledge of FinTechs by providing a classification system of success factors for practitioners and researchers. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12525-023-00626-7.
RESUMEN
Background: Mental disorders are common among patients with severe cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Yet, there is a lack of easily accessible evidence-based treatments. Recent research indicates elevated prevalence of dysfunctional metacognitions in patients with mental disorders following cardiovascular events. As metacognitive therapy (MCT) is an established treatment to modify metacognitions, we tested if a brief metacognitive intervention via videotelephony is effective in this patient group. Methods: A brief MCT treatment was tailored to CVD patients and designed as a face-to-face internet-based intervention. Five patients with CVDs and comorbid mental disorders underwent a psychocardiological examination and diagnostic approach. Each patient participated in eight 50 min sessions via encrypted video messenger service. Metacognitions, depression and anxiety symptoms and quality of life were assessed by self-report measures pre- and post-treatment. Patients rated dysfunctional thought processes, current psychological impairment, and treatment satisfaction after each session. Intended follow-up measures were not reported due to missing data. Results: For most patients, the brief metacognitive intervention was associated with a decrease in dysfunctional metacognitions and a reduction of symptoms of anxiety and depression post-treatment. Psychological and physiological quality of life improved. Patients reported high satisfaction with the tailored treatment. Conclusion: Our results suggest that a brief internet-based metacognitive treatment may be a promising tool for patients with CVDs and comorbid mental disorders. Feasibility and acceptance of the intervention was rated high by the patients. Further research is necessary to support the preliminary findings and to adapt and evaluate the intervention in a controlled clinical trial setting.