Developing a Complex Educational-Behavioural Intervention: The TREAT Intervention for Patients with Atrial...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Behavioral Science
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) management requires effective patient-centered interventions.
• Patient understanding of condition and medication impacts treatment adherence.
• Existing interventions may not fully address patient concerns or utilize theoretical frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a patient-centered behavioral intervention for atrial fibrillation (AF).
• To evaluate the intervention's effectiveness using theoretical models and patient feedback.
• To identify key mechanisms driving intervention success in improving patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Common Sense Model and Necessity-Concerns Framework for intervention design.
• Incorporated patient feedback and clinical guidelines into a one-hour intervention package.
• Evaluated the intervention through a randomized controlled trial, measuring time within therapeutic range (TTR).

Main Results:

• Patient belief in medication safety positively correlated with time within therapeutic range (TTR).
• General harm scores predicted TTR at six months, indicating a key theoretical ingredient.
• Social comparison and behavior change techniques improved patient understanding and adherence.

Conclusions:

• Patient education effectively alleviates concerns about AF medication, improving adherence.
• A theory-driven, patient-centered approach is crucial for intervention development.
• This intervention development process can be adapted for other chronic conditions.