Patient Perceptions of a Digitally Enabled Community Health Worker Intervention: Qualitative Study Among Pilot Trial...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Cardiology
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Most heart failure (HF) digital intervention studies prioritize clinical outcomes over patient perspectives.
• Understanding patient experiences with digital HF platforms and community health worker (CHW) support is crucial for home-based HF management and post-discharge care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient perceptions of a digitally enabled CHW intervention for heart failure (HF) management.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to using digital health tools and CHW support in HF care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 19 adults with HF post-discharge.
• Intervention included a 30-day period of using a digital platform for biometric tracking and education, alongside CHW support.
• Interviews focused on intervention usability, remote monitoring, and the role of CHWs in home care.

Main Results:

• The integrated digital platform and CHW intervention was well-received, enhancing HF knowledge and self-care confidence.
• CHWs improved platform approachability and provided essential emotional support and motivation for adherence.
• Digital platform use was easily integrated into daily routines, though connectivity issues presented challenges.

Conclusions:

• Digitally enabled CHW interventions are promising for improving heart failure (HF) self-management and patient confidence.
• CHW support is vital for enhancing patient engagement with digital health tools.
• Further research in larger populations and longer durations is warranted to validate these findings.