A co-design case study of the development of heart failure e-TIPS to support self-management

Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome associated with high morbidity and mortality and increased healthcare utilisation. Patient education is key to improving health outcomes, achieved by promoting self-management to optimise medical management. Newer digital tools like text messaging and smartphone applications provide novel patient education approaches.

To partner with clinicians and people with lived experience of HF to identify the priority educational topic areas to inform the development and delivery of a bank of electronic-message driven tips ('e-TIPS') to support HF self-management.

We conducted three focus groups with cardiovascular clinicians, people with lived experience of HF and their caregivers, which consisted of two stages: Stage 1 - an exploratory qualitative study to identify the unmet educational needs of people living with HF (previously reported) and Stage 2 - a co-design feedback session to identify educational topic areas and inform the delivery of e-TIPS. This paper reports the findings of the co-design feedback session.

We identified five key considerations in delivering e-TIPS and five relevant HF educational topics for their content. Key considerations in e-TIP delivery included: (i) Timing of the e-TIPS; (ii) Clear and concise e-TIPS; (iii) Embedding a feedback mechanism; (iv) Distinguishing actionable and non-actionable e-TIPS; and (v) Frequency of e-TIP delivery. Relevant educational topic areas included: (i) cardiovascular risk reduction; (ii) Self-management; (iii) Food and nutrition; (iv) Sleep hygiene; and (v) Mental health.

The findings from this co-design case study have provided a foundation for developing a bank of e-TIPS. These will now be evaluated for usability in the BANDAIDS e-TIPS, a single group, quasi-experimental study of a 24-week e-TIP program (personalised educational messages) delivered via Short Message Service (ACTRN12623000644662).