Home Health Aides Caring for Adults With Heart Failure: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing
• Public Health

Background:

• Home health aides (HHAs) often care for heart failure (HF) patients without adequate HF training or confidence.
• Lack of direct communication with supervisors can negatively impact HHAs and HF patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an education and communication intervention for HHAs managing HF patients.
• To assess the impact of HF training and mobile health technology on HHA knowledge, self-efficacy, and patient-related emergency calls.

Main Methods:

• A pilot randomized clinical trial involving 102 HHAs caring for HF patients.
• The intervention group received HF training plus a mobile health app for nurse communication; the control group received enhanced usual care (HF training).
• Outcomes measured included HF knowledge, caregiver self-efficacy, and self-reported preventable 911 calls at baseline and 90 days.

Main Results:

• HF training improved HHA knowledge and self-efficacy, particularly for those with lower baseline scores.
• The intervention group, utilizing the mobile health app, reported a statistically significant reduction in preventable 911 calls compared to the control group.
• Patient emergency department visits showed a non-significant exploratory trend toward reduction in the intervention group.

Conclusions:

• HF training is beneficial for home health aides, enhancing their knowledge and self-efficacy.
• Integrating mobile health technology for nurse communication can reduce preventable emergency calls, improving HF patient care.
• Findings support the development of larger trials to optimize HHA support in HF management.