Welcome to HAMIX
Science
for the people
The idea
Research in the service of users
High-altitude tourism is increasing worldwide – at the same time, there are considerable health risks. Many travelers experience symptoms of altitude sickness, especially above 2,500 to 4,000 meters. Despite decades of research, the individual risk is often difficult to assess.
The aim of this project is to bring existing knowledge about altitude medicine directly to those affected through a digital application –
understandable, applicable and available at all times.
The app is being developed as part of a bachelor’s thesis at Bern University of Applied Sciences in close collaboration with Zurich University Hospital.
Nature did not create humans for the high regions;
the cold and the thin air keep them away from there.
Horace Bénédict de Saussure (1740-1799)
The project
Digital support at high altitudes
The application is designed to help mountain tourists document their altitude-related complaints in a structured way – even under adverse conditions.
Symptoms, vital data (e.g. oxygen saturation, pulse) and the current altitude can be recorded via a simple interface and classified according to recognized rating scales.
Based on this data, the app provides feedback and recommendations: Should you continue climbing, take a break or abandon the tour? This allows important decisions to be made directly on the mountain.
The science
Security starts with understanding
The app is not intended to be a black box: Scientific sources are available for interested parties to understand the rating scales provided. Consciously dealing with symptoms can help to prevent damage to health.
At the same time, the app becomes a platform for medical research: with the user’s consent, anonymized data – for example on the route, altitude or medication taken – is collected. This allows real data to be collected under real conditions, which is highly relevant for the further development of high-altitude medicine. Scientific support is provided by the team at the University Hospital Zurich.
Selected scientific articles on altitude medicine
The 2018 Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness Score
DOI: 10.1089/ham.2017.0164
Acute Mountain Sickness Score
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557466/
Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness
DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2023.05.013
Recent Progress in the Understanding and Management of Acute Mountain Sickness: A Narrative Review
DOI: 10.2174/0127724328237059230919093818
Differences Between the “Chinese AMS Score” and the Lake Louise Score in the Diagnosis of Acute Mountain Sickness
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000003512
Assessment of AMS: How to integrate the advantages of the Lake Louise Score and the Chinese AMS Score
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-63029/v1
Acetazolamide for the prophylaxis of acute mountain sickness
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e7077
Acute mountain sickness: Do different time courses point to different pathophysiological mechanisms?
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00305.2019
AMS: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Risk Factors, Prevention and Treatment
DOI: 10.12775/QS.2024.35.56302
The survey
Contribute and Help Shape the Outcome
User-centered design is a central principle in the development of an application. The requirements of the developers and the wishes of the users must be in harmony – because only an app that works in real situations will be used in the long term.
This application also thrives on repeated use. Anyone embarking on a high-altitude journey should be able to use the app regularly – simply, intuitively and reliably. To ensure this, early feedback is essential.
A survey was therefore developed to better understand potential users:
- Which functions are helpful?
- What are their expectations of such an application?
- Which additional functions would be useful?
Optionally, participants can share their own experiences with altitude travel and provide general information about themselves in order to obtain a more differentiated picture of the participants.
The answers will of course be collected anonymously!
The survey can be accessed directly via a QR code - this can be photographed with a cell phone or opened by clicking on it.
(take a picture or just click on it)
There are also various options available for sharing the link easily with others:
If you would prefer to pass on the survey link in classic flyer format, you can find a PNG photo to share here and also a PDF A4 sheet with QR code to print out – ideal for personal distribution or posting.
Contact
Questions, feedback or further interested?
Are you available for user testing in the various development phases?
Are you interested in staying informed about the progress of the project?
This button can be used to send an e-mail directly to the project team:
The e-mail address provided and all data transmitted will of course be treated confidentially.
About us
Different Strengths. One Vision.
The project is being realized by two students of medical informatics at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. What unites us is the goal of using digital means to create real added value for the health of people at high altitudes.
We bring different perspectives to the table: practical experience from the healthcare sector and technical expertise in software development. This combination allows us to effectively bring together medical requirements and technological solutions – for an app that not only works, but actually helps in an emergency.
The project is being implemented as part of a bachelor’s thesis – supervised by a professor at BFH and supported by an experienced team of scientists from the University Hospital Zurich. The experts in high-altitude medicine contribute the latest medical findings, advise on the selection of relevant content and provide technical support during development. They check which data should be collected and ensure that it is medically appropriate, methodologically valid and scientifically useful.
Together, we are pursuing the goal of developing a digital application,
, which not only protects individual health, but also contributes to the further development of altitude medicine
– through practice-relevant data, well-founded recommendations and a consistently user-oriented implementation.
Software Engineer @ SwissDRG AG
Junior-Consultant / Developer for GIS
Apprenticeship as a Software Developer
Medical IT Specialist @ Landesspital Liechtenstein
Diploma in nursing with special training and several years of experience in cardiac care units, pulmonary intensive care units and in anesthesia. Graduated from a higher technical school.
Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH)
University Hospital Zurich (USZ)
