scholarly journals “Future Patient” Telerehabilitation for Patients With Heart Failure: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/14517 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e14517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birthe Dinesen ◽  
Lars Dittmann ◽  
Josefine Dam Gade ◽  
Cecilia Klitgaard Jørgensen ◽  
Malene Hollingdal ◽  
...  

Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for 13%-15% of all deaths. Cardiac rehabilitation has poor compliance and adherence. Telerehabilitation has been introduced to increase patients’ participation, access, and adherence with the help of digital technologies. The target group is patients with heart failure. A telerehabilitation program called “Future Patient” has been developed and consists of three phases: (1) titration of medicine (0-3 months), (2) implementation of the telerehabilitation protocols (3 months), and (3) follow-up with rehabilitation in everyday life (6 months). Patients in the Future Patient program measure their blood pressure, pulse, weight, number of steps taken, sleep, and respiration and answer questions online regarding their well-being. All data are transmitted and accessed in the HeartPortal by patients and health care professionals. Objective The aim of this paper is to describe the research design, outcome measures, and data collection techniques in the clinical test of the Future Patient Telerehabilitation Program for patients with heart failure. Methods A randomized controlled study will be performed. The intervention group will follow the Future Patient Telerehabilitation program, and the control group will follow the traditional cardiac rehabilitation program. The primary outcome is quality of life measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are development of clinical data; illness perception; motivation; anxiety and depression; health and electronic health literacy; qualitative exploration of patients’, spouses’, and health care professionals’ experiences of participating in the telerehabilitation program; and a health economy evaluation of the program. Outcomes were assessed using questionnaires and through the data generated by digital technologies. Results Data collection began in December 2016 and will be completed in October 2019. The study results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Results from the Future Patient Telerehabilitation program are expected to be published by the spring of 2020. Conclusions The expected outcomes are increased quality of life, increased motivation and illness perception, reduced anxiety and depressions, improved electronic health literacy, and health economics benefits. We expect the study to have a clinical impact for future telerehabilitation of patients with heart failure. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03388918; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03388918 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/14517

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921552110569
Author(s):  
Hsun-Yi Wang ◽  
Yu-Hsuan Chen ◽  
Yi-Chun Kuan ◽  
Shih-Wei Huang ◽  
Li-Fong Lin ◽  
...  

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation of the legs in patients with heart failure. Methods Data were obtained from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases until August 12, 2021. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of functional electrical stimulation applied to the legs of patients with heart failure, namely changes in cardiopulmonary function, muscle strength, and quality of life. Results In total, 14 randomized controlled trials (consisting of 518 patients) were included in our article. Pooled estimates demonstrated that functional electrical stimulation significantly improved peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2; standardized mean difference = 0.33, 95% confidence interval = 0.07–0.59, eight randomized controlled trials, n = 321), 6-min walking distance (mean difference = 48.03 m, 95% confidence interval = 28.50–67.57 m, 10 randomized controlled trials, n = 380), and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire quality of life score (mean difference =  − 8.23, 95% confidence interval =  − 12.64 to − 3.83, nine randomized controlled trials, n = 383). Muscle strength of lower extremities was not significantly improved in the functional electrical stimulation group compared with that in the control group (standardized mean difference = 0.26, 95% confidence interval =  − 0.18 to 0.71, five randomized controlled trials, n = 218). Furthermore, the subgroup analysis revealed that functional electrical stimulation significantly improved peak VO2, 6-min walking distance, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire quality of life score in the heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction subgroups. Conclusion Functional electrical stimulation can effectively improve the cardiopulmonary function and quality of life in patients with heart failure. However, functional electrical stimulation did not significantly improve muscle strength in the legs.


JMIR Nursing ◽  
10.2196/20747 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e20747
Author(s):  
Mahboube Davoudi ◽  
Tahereh Najafi Ghezeljeh ◽  
Farveh Vakilian Aghouee

Background Patients with heart failure have low quality of life because of physical impairments and advanced clinical symptoms. One of the main goals of caring for patients with heart failure is to improve their quality of life. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of a smartphone-based app on the quality of life of patients with heart failure. Methods This randomized controlled clinical trial with a control group was conducted from June to October 2018 in an urban hospital. In this study, 120 patients with heart failure hospitalized in cardiac care units were randomly allocated to control and intervention groups. Besides routine care, patients in the intervention group received a smartphone-based app and used it every day for 3 months. Both the groups completed the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire before entering the study and at 3 months after entering the study. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software V.16. Results The groups showed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of quality of life and its dimensions after the intervention, thereby indicating a better quality of life in the intervention group (P<.001). The effect size of the intervention on the quality of life was 1.85 (95% CI 1.41-2.3). Moreover, the groups showed statistically significant differences in the changes in the quality of life scores and its dimensions (P<.001). Conclusions Use of a smartphone-based app can improve the quality of life in patients with heart failure. The results of our study recommend that digital apps be used for improving the management of patients with heart failure. Trial Registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT2017061934647N1; https://www.irct.ir/trial/26434


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahboube Davoudi ◽  
Tahereh Najafi Ghezeljeh ◽  
Farveh Vakilian Aghouee

BACKGROUND Patients with heart failure have low quality of life because of physical impairments and advanced clinical symptoms. One of the main goals of caring for patients with heart failure is to improve their quality of life. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of a smartphone-based app on the quality of life of patients with heart failure. METHODS This randomized controlled clinical trial with a control group was conducted from June to October 2018 in an urban hospital. In this study, 120 patients with heart failure hospitalized in cardiac care units were randomly allocated to control and intervention groups. Besides routine care, patients in the intervention group received a smartphone-based app and used it every day for 3 months. Both the groups completed the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire before entering the study and at 3 months after entering the study. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software V.16. RESULTS The groups showed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of quality of life and its dimensions after the intervention, thereby indicating a better quality of life in the intervention group (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). The effect size of the intervention on the quality of life was 1.85 (95% CI 1.41-2.3). Moreover, the groups showed statistically significant differences in the changes in the quality of life scores and its dimensions (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). CONCLUSIONS Use of a smartphone-based app can improve the quality of life in patients with heart failure. The results of our study recommend that digital apps be used for improving the management of patients with heart failure. CLINICALTRIAL Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT2017061934647N1; https://www.irct.ir/trial/26434


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathrine Skov Schacksen ◽  
Anne-Kirstine Dyrvig ◽  
Nanna Celina Henneberg ◽  
Josefine Dam Gade ◽  
Helle Spindler ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND More than 37 million people throughout the world are diagnosed with heart failure that is a growing burden on the health sector. Cardiac rehabilitation aims to improve patients’ recovery, functional capacity, psychosocial well-being, and health-related quality of life. However, cardiac rehabilitation programs have poor compliance and adherence. Telerehabilitation may be a solution to overcome some of these challenges to cardiac rehabilitation and making it more individualized. As part of the Future Patient Telerehabilitation program, a digital toolbox with the aim of enabling HF patients to monitor and evaluate their own current status has been developed and tested via data from a questionnaire (patient reported outcomes) that the patient has answered every other week (patient -reported outcomes) for one year. OBJECTIVE The aim of this sub-study is to evaluate the changes in quality of life and well-being for heart failure patients participating in the FPT Program over the course of one year. METHODS In total, 140 patients were enrolled in the Future Patient Telerehabilitation program and randomized into either the telerehabilitation group (n=70) or the control group (n=70). The patients in the telerehabilitation group answered patient reported outcomes that consisted of three components: Questions regarding the patients’ sleep patterns using the Spiegel Sleep Questionnaire. Measurements of physical limitations, symptoms, self-efficacy, social interaction and quality of life were assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). In addition, five additional questions regarding psychological well-being were developed by the research group. Of the 70 patients in the TR group, 56 answered the PRO questionnaire and completed the program, and it is these 56 patients who constitute the population for this study. RESULTS The changes in scores during one year of the study were examined using one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with a hypothesized median being 0. There were statistically significant differences in the scores in most of the slopes and intersections of the scores from the dimensions from the KCCQ and in the slopes of the patients’ overall well-being (p < 0.05). Only one dimension, the symptom stability, showed a decrease in scores over a one-year period. CONCLUSIONS The overall well-being of heart failure patients increased during one year of participating in a telerehabilitation program. There was a statistically significant increase in clinical and social well-being and quality of life during the one-year intervention period. The increase in the scores over time may indicate that the patients became more aware of their own symptoms and became better equipped to cope with disease in their everyday lives. These results suggest that patient-reported-outcome questionnaires may be used as a tool for patients in a telerehabilitation program that can both monitor and guide the patients in mastering their own symptoms CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03388918; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03388918


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 456-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dai-Mei Chen ◽  
Wen-Chung Yu ◽  
Huei-Fong Hung ◽  
Jen-Chen Tsai ◽  
Hsiao-Ying Wu ◽  
...  

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Baduanjin exercise on fatigue and quality of life in patients with heart failure. Methods: The study was a randomized controlled trial. Participants diagnosed with heart failure were recruited from two large medical centers in northern Taiwan. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention ( n=39) or control ( n=41) groups. Patients in the intervention group underwent a 12-week Baduanjin exercise program, which included Baduanjin exercise three times per week for 12 weeks at home, a 35-minute Baduanjin exercise demonstration video, a picture-based educational brochure, and a performance record form. The control group received usual care and received no intervention. Fatigue and quality of life were assessed using a structural questionnaire at baseline, four weeks, eight weeks, and 12 weeks after the intervention. Results: Participants in the Baduanjin exercise group showed significant improvement in fatigue ( F=5.08, p=0.009) and quality of life ( F=9.11, p=0.001) over time from baseline to week 12 after the intervention. Those in the control group showed significantly worse fatigue ( F=3.46, p=0.033) over time from baseline to week 12 and no significant changes in quality of life ( F=0.70, p=0.518). Compared to the control group, the exercise group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in fatigue and quality of life at four weeks, eight weeks, and 12 weeks. Conclusions: This simple traditional exercise is recommended for Taiwanese patients with heart failure in order to improve their fatigue and quality of life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Sadeghi Akbari ◽  
Mohammad Ali Cheraghi ◽  
Anoushiravan kazemnejad ◽  
Mahin Nomali ◽  
Maasumeh Zakerimoghadam

Introduction: Because of the chronic nature of Heart Failure (HF), low Quality of Life (QoL) and poor self-care are prevalent among patients with HF. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of illness perception correction- based educational program on QoL,and self- care in patients with HF. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 78 eligible patients were included in the study from Rajaei Heart Center (Tehran, Iran) and randomly assigned into intervention and control group with 1:1 allocation ratio. The intervention was a combination of illness perception correction- based education program (30- minute sessions over 3 consecutive days) and 10-minute phone calls made once a week in the course of 8 weeks. The control group received usual care. The primary outcome was quality of life and secondary outcomes were self- care and illness- perception which were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. SPSS version 13 was used for the analysis. Results: Out of 76 eligible patients, 70 patients with HF finished the study. Although the mean of quality of life, self-care, and illness perception were not different at baseline, QoL (45.2 (8.3) VS 66.8 (15.4); P<0.001), self-care (18.5 (4.5) VS 37.1 (7.2); P<0.001), and illness- perception (183.6 (8.4) VS 151.2 (24.5); P<0.001) improved following the program in the intervention group in comparison to the control group. Conclusion: According to the study findings, this program can be applied by nurses for patients with HF as a discharge plan in order to improve their QoL, self-care, and their illness perception.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Aspasia Pizga ◽  
Panagiotis Kordoutis ◽  
Stamatoula Tsikrika ◽  
Ioannis Vasileiadis ◽  
Serafeim Nanas ◽  
...  

Background: There is a growning evidence that CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) improves mental health of patients with chronic illnesses but its effectiveness is not well established in patients with heart diseases. The present systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effects of CBT in heart failure (HF) and coronary heart disease (CHD) patients.Methods:  Pubmed, Cohraine and Google Scholar were searched for studies with randomized controlled trials. Studies were required to assess the effectiveness of CBT in depression, anxiety, sleep and quality of life of patients suffering from heart failure and coronary heart disease. SStudies identified were independently screened by two reviewers and critically appraised using the PedroScale.Results:  Sixteen randomized controlled trials were included in the review. The majority of the studies indicated that CBT therapy was effective treatment for reducing depression and anxiety and can also be beneficial for sleeping disorders and improve quality of life of patients with heart failure and coronary heart disease. Althought face to face CBT therapy seems to be clinicaly effective, internet-based CBT therapy was not superior to a guided web-based discussion forum.Conclusions: CBT can improve psychological health and quality of life of cardiac patients and further enhance benefits of rehabilitation programs.  Findings suggest that face-to-face CBT is superior to usual care and it can be incorporated in cardiac rehabilitations programs. Future studies are needed to identify the effectiveness of internet-based CBT on cardiac patients and address the factors that will increase treatment adherence.


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