Increasing self-knowledge: Utilizing tele-coaching for patients with congestive heart failure

Area of Science:

• Health Education
• Chronic Disease Management
• Telehealth

Background:

• Congestive heart failure (CHF) poses significant management challenges for dual Medicare and Medicaid eligible patients.
• Effective self-care knowledge is crucial for managing CHF symptoms and preventing exacerbations.
• Existing health education models may not adequately reach or engage high-risk patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in self-care knowledge among CHF patients receiving a novel telecoaching protocol.
• To assess the impact of integrating symptom monitoring with social worker video consultations on patient understanding and behaviors.
• To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of telecoaching for improving health literacy in a vulnerable patient group.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 45 patients with CHF participated in a 30-day telecoaching program.
• The protocol utilized a HIPAA-compliant tablet platform for educational sessions and video chats with social workers.
• Patient self-care knowledge was measured using the Member Confidence Measure (MCM) at baseline and follow-up.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase (p < .01) in total MCM scores was observed over the 30-day intervention period.
• Substantial improvements were noted across all MCM subscales, including symptom recognition, medication adherence, and healthy choices.
• High effect sizes (0.54–1.12) indicated a strong positive impact of the telecoaching intervention, independent of patient demographics.

Conclusions:

• The telecoaching intervention demonstrably enhanced self-care knowledge in patients with congestive heart failure.
• Social worker-led telecoaching is a viable and effective strategy for health education in high-risk populations.
• This model shows potential for improving health outcomes and reducing hospitalizations in chronically ill patients.