Dataset Information

Habits Heart App for Patient Engagement in Heart Failure Management: Pilot Feasibility Randomized Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Due to the complexity and chronicity of heart failure, engaging yet simple patient self-management tools are needed.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the feasibility and patient engagement with a smartphone app designed for heart failure.

Methods

Patients with heart failure were randomized to intervention (smartphone with the Habits Heart App installed and Bluetooth-linked scale) or control (paper education material) groups. All intervention group patients were interviewed and monitored closely for app feasibility while receiving standard of care heart failure management by cardiologists. The Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test, a quality of life survey (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire), and weight were assessed at baseline and final visits.

Results

Patients (N=28 patients; intervention: n=15; control: n=13) with heart failure (with reduced ejection fraction: 15/28, 54%; male: 20/28, 71%, female: 8/28, 29%; median age 63 years) were enrolled, and 82% of patients (N=23; intervention: 12/15, 80%; control: 11/13, 85%) completed both baseline and final visits (median follow up 60 days). In the intervention group, 2 out of the 12 patients who completed the study did not use the app after study onboarding due to illnesses and hospitalizations. Of the remaining 10 patients who used the app, 5 patients logged ?1 interaction with the app per day on average, and 2 patients logged an interaction with the app every other day on average. The intervention group averaged 403 screen views (per patient) in 56 distinct sessions, 5-minute session durations, and 22 weight entries per patient. There was a direct correlation between duration of app use and improvement in heart failure knowledge (Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test score; ?=0.59, P=.04) and quality of life (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score; ?=0.63, P=.03). The correlation between app use and weight change was ?=-0.40 (P=.19). Only 1 out of 11 patients in the control group retained education material by the follow-up visit.

Conclusions

The Habits Heart App with a Bluetooth-linked scale is a feasible way to engage patients in heart failure management, and barriers to app engagement were identified. A larger multicenter study may be warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of the app.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03238729; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03238729.

SUBMITTER: Wei KS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7857947 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Habits Heart App for Patient Engagement in Heart Failure Management: Pilot Feasibility Randomized Trial.

Wei Kevin S KS Ibrahim Nasrien E NE Kumar Ashok A AA Jena Sidhant S Chew Veronica V Depa Michal M Mayanil Namrata N Kvedar Joseph C JC Gaggin Hanna K HK

JMIR mHealth and uHealth 20210120 1

<h4>Background</h4>Due to the complexity and chronicity of heart failure, engaging yet simple patient self-management tools are needed.<h4>Objective</h4>This study aimed to assess the feasibility and patient engagement with a smartphone app designed for heart failure.<h4>Methods</h4>Patients with heart failure were randomized to intervention (smartphone with the Habits Heart App installed and Bluetooth-linked scale) or control (paper education material) groups. All intervention group patients we ...[more]

PMID: 33470941

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Project description:BackgroundHeart failure (HF) remains a major public health challenge, while HF self-care is particularly challenging. Mobile health (mHealth)-based interventions taking advantage of smartphone technology have shown particular promise in increasing the quality of self-care among these patients, and in turn improving the outcomes of their disease.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to co-develop with physicians, patients with HF, and their caregivers a patient-oriented mHealth app, perform usability assessment, and investigate its effect on the quality of life of patients with HF and rate of hospitalizations in a pilot study.MethodsThe development of an mHealth app (The Hellenic Educational Self-care and Support Heart Failure app [ThessHF app]) was evidence based, including features based on previous clinically tested mHealth interventions and selected by a panel of HF expert physicians and discussed with patients with HF. At the end of alpha development, the app was rated by mHealth experts with the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). The beta version was tested by patients with HF, who rated its design and content by means of the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ). Subsequently, a prospective pilot study (THESS-HF [THe Effect of a Specialized Smartphone app on Heart Failure patients' quality of self-care, quality of life and hospitalization rate]) was performed to investigate the effect of app use on patients with HF over a 3-month follow-up period. The primary endpoint was patients' quality of life, which was measured with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L). The secondary endpoints were the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale (EHFScBS) score and the hospitalization rate.ResultsA systematic review of mHealth-based HF interventions and expert panel suggestions yielded 18 separate app features, most of which were incorporated into the ThessHF app. A total of 14 patients and 5 mHealth experts evaluated the app. The results demonstrated a very good user experience (overall PSSUQ score 2.37 [SD 0.63], where 1 is the best, and a median MARS score of 4.55/5). Finally, 30 patients (male: n=26, 87%) participated in the THESS-HF pilot study (mean age 68.7 [SD 12.4] years). A significant increase in the quality of self-care was noted according to the EHFScBS, which increased by 4.4% (SD 7.2%) (P=.002). The mean quality of life increased nonsignificantly after 3 months according to both KCCQ (mean increase 5.8 [SD 15] points, P=.054) and EQ-5D-5L (mean increase 5.6% [SD 15.6%], P=.06) scores. The hospitalization rate for the follow-up duration was 3%.ConclusionsThe need for telehealth services and remote self-care management in HF is of vital importance, especially in periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed a user-friendly mHealth app to promote remote self-care support in HF. In this pilot study, the use of the ThessHF app was associated with an increase in the quality of self-care. A future multicenter study will investigate the effect of the app use on long-term outcomes in patients with HF.

Project description:BackgroundThe management of heart failure (HF) is challenging because of the complexities in recommended therapies. Integrated disease management (IDM) is an effective model, promoting guideline-directed care, but the impact of IDM in the community setting requires further evaluation.MethodsA retrospective evaluation of community-based IDM. Patient characteristics were described, and outcomes using a pre- and post-intervention design were HF-related health-service use, quality of life, and concordance with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT).Results715 patients were treated in the program (2016 to 2023), 219 in a community specialist-care clinic, and 496 in 25 primary-care clinics. The overall cohort was predominantly male (60%), with a mean age of 73.5 years (± 10.7), and 60% with HF with reduced ejection fraction. In patients with ≥ 6 months of follow-up (n = 267), pre vs post annualized rates of HF-related acute health-service use decreased from 36.3 to 8.5 hospitalizations per 100 patients per year, P < 0.0001, from 31.8 to 13.1 emergency department visits per 100 patients per year, P < 0.0001, and from 152.8 to 110.0 urgent physician visits per 100 patients per year, P = 0.0001. The level of concordance with GDMT improved; the number of patients receiving triple therapy and quadruple therapy increased by 10.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4%,17.8%) and 19.6% (95% CI, 12.0%, 27.3%), respectively. Within these groups, optimal dosing was achieved in 42.5% (95% CI, 32.0%, 53.6%) and 35.0% (95% CI, 23.1%, 48.4%), respectively. In patients with at least one follow-up visit (n = 286), > 50% experienced a clinically relevant improvement in their quality of life.ConclusionsA community-based IDM program for HF, may reduce HF-related acute health-service use, improve quality of life and level of concordance with GDMT. These encouraging preliminary outcomes from a real-world program evaluation require confirmation in a randomized controlled trial.

Project description:Aims: The Baduanjin Eight-Silken-Movements wIth Self-Efficacy building for Heart Failure (BESMILE-HF) program is a contextually adapted cardiac rehabilitation program. It uses a traditional Chinese exercise, Baduanjin, to solve the unmet demand of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs due to their scarcity and unaffordability in China. This pilot study assesses BESMILE-HF's feasibility and preliminary effects. Methods: Eighteen patients with chronic heart failure were included: 8 in a BESMILE-HF group (age: 67 ± 5 years, EF: 40.4 ± 13.6%) and 10 in a control group (age: 70 ± 13 years, EF: 42.9 ± 12.5%). Both received the usual medications, with the intervention group receiving additionally the BESMILE-HF program for 6 weeks. Feasibility was explored by participants' involvement in the intended intervention. Clinical outcome assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention, while adverse events were captured throughout the study period. Results: The BESMILE-HF program was well-received by patients, and adherence to the intervention was good. The intervention group completed all required home exercises and total home-practice time was correlated with baseline self-efficacy (r = 0.831, p = 0.011). Moreover, after 6 weeks, self-efficacy increased in the BESMILE-HF group (p = 0.028) and the change was higher than in the control [mean difference (MD): 3.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-5.9, p = 0.004]. For the exercise capacity, the control group demonstrated a significant decline in peak oxygen consumption (p =0.018) whereas, the BESMILE-HF group maintained their exercise capacity (p = 0.063). Although the between-group difference was not statistically significance, there was clear clinical improvement in the BESMILE-HF group (1.5 mL/kg/min, 95% CI, -0.3 to 3.2 vs. minimal clinically important difference of 1 mL/kg/min). Throughout the study period, no adverse events related to the intervention were captured. Conclusions: BESMILE-HF is feasible for patients with chronic heart failure in Chinese settings. A larger sample size and a longer follow-up period is needed to confirm its benefit on clinical outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03180320.

Dataset Information

Habits Heart App for Patient Engagement in Heart Failure Management: Pilot Feasibility Randomized Trial.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration

Publications

Habits Heart App for Patient Engagement in Heart Failure Management: Pilot Feasibility Randomized Trial.

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