Design principles for enhancing a digital health platform for patients with atrial fibrillation

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice and is associated with an elevated risk of stroke, heart failure, dementia, and mortality. As its clinical consequences are strongly influenced by modifiable risk factors, this study aims to design a patient journey for individuals undergoing AF treatment, with the goal of improving patient safety and healthcare delivery. Methods: An empirical study was conducted using an action design research approach. The research focused on identifying and implementing design principles to enhance digital health platforms and support AF management. Results: The study resulted in five key design principles: (i) comprehensive requests for medical interventions, (ii) visualization of patient trajectories, (iii) prioritization of waiting lists informed by real-time data, (iv) equality and inclusion throughout the patient journey, and (v) rapid access to and visualization of quality indicators. These principles collectively address current challenges in AF care by optimizing data use, strengthening patient involvement, and improving decision-making. Conclusion: We propose adjustments to the design of digital health platforms for AF management based on the identified principles. Such adaptations have the potential to enhance patient safety, improve healthcare delivery, and create more efficient, inclusive, and data-driven processes in AF management.