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Habits Heart App for Patient Engagement in Heart Failure Management: Pilot Feasibility Randomized Trial
Kevin S Wei1,2, Nasrien E Ibrahim1,3, Ashok A Kumar4
1Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.
JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth
|January 20, 2021
Summary
A smartphone app for heart failure self-management proved feasible and engaging for patients. App use correlated with improved heart failure knowledge and quality of life, suggesting potential for better chronic disease management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Digital Health
- Patient Self-Management
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) management is complex and chronic, necessitating simple yet engaging patient self-management tools.
- Existing tools often lack the engagement required for effective long-term adherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility and patient engagement of a smartphone application designed for heart failure self-management.
- To identify barriers to app engagement in a heart failure population.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial comparing a smartphone app (Habits Heart App) with a Bluetooth scale against traditional paper education materials.
- Intervention group received standard HF care plus the app; control group received standard care and paper materials.
- Feasibility assessed via patient interviews and app usage metrics; effectiveness measured by knowledge, quality of life, and weight changes.
Main Results:
- 82% of patients completed the study (median follow-up 60 days).
- Among app users, engagement varied, with some logging daily interactions.
- App use showed a direct correlation with improved heart failure knowledge (P=.04) and quality of life (P=.03).
- Control group showed poor retention of educational materials.
Conclusions:
- The Habits Heart App, paired with a Bluetooth scale, is a feasible tool for engaging heart failure patients in self-management.
- Barriers to app engagement were identified, informing future development.
- Further multicenter studies are recommended to validate the app's effectiveness.
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