Blueprint mobile self-help program to ease stress after heart or lung failure
Official title: 2/2 Self-directed mobile adaptive coping skills intervention to improve psychological distress symptoms among cardiorespiratory failure survivors: the Blueprint RCT
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11292410 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers a self-guided smartphone app that teaches coping skills to help people recovering from serious heart or lung failure reduce depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $531,117 |
| NIH project number | 5U24HL168491-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11292410 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People recently hospitalized for cardiorespiratory failure (such as ARDS, severe COVID pneumonia, sepsis, or heart failure) who have ongoing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or PTSD and who can use a smartphone would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without access to a smartphone, with severe cognitive impairment or active psychosis, or those without ongoing psychological distress may not benefit from this mobile program.
What this research studies
If you've survived serious heart or lung failure like ARDS, sepsis, COVID pneumonia, or congestive heart failure, this project offers a fully automated mobile app called Blueprint that teaches coping skills. You would use the self-guided, symptom-responsive program on your phone and the app adapts content based on your symptoms and usage. Participants are randomized in a controlled trial to compare the app with usual care, and the team is making extra efforts to include people from racial and ethnic groups that have been underrepresented in prior trials. The researchers have previously shown benefit with phone- and web-based versions and a single-center pilot of the automated app showed strong adherence and improvements in depression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could reduce depression, anxiety, and PTSD and improve quality of life after serious cardiorespiratory illness.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier multicenter telephone- and web-based trials of Blueprint reduced depression and improved quality of life for those with elevated distress, and a single-center pilot of the automated mobile app showed excellent adherence and a strong effect on depression.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Morris, Cynthia D — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Morris, Cynthia D
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.