Of the study team, you will get to know our study physicians first. They will visit you on the ward and introduce our BeLOVE study. Our doctors can answer all your questions about the study before you agree to participate.

Once you have signed the informed consent form, you will receive a copy for your records. You will also receive the patient information describing the individual examinations and the course of the study in easy-to-understand terms.

The next day, a study assistant will visit you on the ward. She will take blood, carry out a MoCa test, fill out questionnaires with you and attach a blood glucose sensor to your upper arm. If you are able to complete our questionnaires independently on a tablet, you can answer the questions at your leisure.

We have a small team of study assistants who will contact you regularly by telephone throughout the course of the study. Our telephone visits vary greatly and can be very short or very extensive with several questionnaires. At the beginning of the call, the study assistant will ask if it is convenient for you to talk on the telephone. If we call at an inconvenient time, we will be happy to make an appointment for another telephone call. It would be very helpful if you are undisturbed during the phone call and have enough time to answer our questions.

Our MTAs receive your samples after blood collection and process them immediately for later analysis in a research context. After centrifugation and pipetting, your samples are stored at - 80 degrees. The samples can remain there for a very long time before they are analyzed.

Our documentation officers work in the background and request medical reports from your family doctor. If you were hospitalized during your participation in the study, we will also request the treatment report in order to compile all the data.