The Nor-SSCardioCare Pilot Trial: Home-Based Clinical Management of Cardiac Complications in Systemic Sclerosis Patients
The goal of this observational pilot trial is to evaluate the feasibility of home monitoring for patients with systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH). The study will assess home-based measures that may help detect disease progression earlier and will also evaluate patient satisfaction, usability, and the impact on health-related quality of life. The study aims to answer: * How feasible is home monitoring in SSc-PAH patients in terms of adherence, technical feasibility, and validity of home-based measures? * How do home-based assessments compare to hospital-based assessments in detecting disease progression? * How do patients experience digital home monitoring? Participants will: * Use a digital platform (Zeen Health) for biweekly self-reporting of symptoms and physiological measurements. * Perform functional tests at home, including the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (1MSTS). * Wear the ECG247 Smart Heart Sensor for one week to monitor heart rhythm. * Collect and submit home blood samples every two weeks. * Attend two hospital visits (baseline and week 12) for clinical assessments, functional testing, pulmonary function tests, echocardiography, and routine blood sampling for clinical assessments. This 12-week study will assess the feasibility of home monitoring, as well as the validity and reliability of home-based measures. The findings will help design a future study aimed at integrating home-based assessments into routine clinical care.
• Fulfilment of the 2013 American College of Rheumatology/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (ACR/EULAR) SSc classification criteria
• Fulfilment of the 2022 hemodynamic definition of PAH (mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) \>20 mmHg, pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) ≤15 mmHg, and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) \>2 WU) in the absence of other causes of pre-capillary PH (no significant ILD and no clinical suspicion of pulmonary or left sided heart disease as the predominant cause of PH), independent of diagnostic period and previous treatment
• Participants must be able to understand and follow trial procedures including completion of questionnaires regarding Patient Reported Outcome measures
• Participants must have access to the internet, and experience in using smartphones or other electronic devices with internet access.
• Capable of giving signed informed consent