Health care professionals expectations on mobile exergaming to decrease sedentary time in patients with heart failure

Abstract

Abstract Background Exergaming is a promising intervention to decrease sedentary time in patients with Heart Failure (HF). For the implementation for mobile exergaming in clinical practice it is important to assess the expectations Health Care Professionals (HCPs) for this new technology for patients with HF. Purpose To explore the expectations of HCPs on mobile exergaming to decrease sedentary time in patients with heart failure. Method A qualitative design was used. Data on expectations HCPs have with exergaming for patients with HF were collected between September to October 2023 with semi-structured interviews. A total of 17 interviews including nine cardiologists, two rehabilitation physicians, five nurses and one physiotherapist. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results In total five themes were found: (1) Exergaming can be complementary or alternative; (2) Exergaming benefit from familiarization and socialization; (3) Exergaming support adherence and motivation; (4) Technology knowledge and skills is required; (5) The patients sex influenced expectations on exergaming. HCPs expected that exergaming could be a complementary technology following cardiac rehabilitation. HCPs expressed that exergaming should not be used as an alternative for physical activity advice or cardiac rehabilitation. The importance of a good familiarization to exergaming was seen as important and express that increased social interaction e.g. family involvement when introducing exergaming to a patient could make the familiarization easier. Exergaming was expected to be a motivator and increase adherence to physical activity and potential reduce sedentary time. Mobile phone reminders for physically activity were seen as important for patients’ motivation. The lack of technology knowledge was seen as a barrier for exergaming. HCPs expects that exergaming will be harder for older patients with HF. There was a divergence of opinions on the ease of exergaming between men and women, with some expecting it to be easier for men, while others believe that women possess more technology knowledge, especially concerning mobile phones. Conclusion HCPs expected that exergaming could motivate and improve adherence to physical activity and be a complementary technology to use for decreasing patients’ sedentary time in clinical settings. Implementation should involve adequate time for familiarization, family engagement, and additional support to master technology for older patients with heart failure. Future research should further explore HCP attitudes and potential differences in exergaming prescription and adoption with regard to the patient’s sex.