Cardiovascular Disease Self-management Research Articles

Development and user acceptability testing of healthy heart mobile application- a tool for cardiovascular risk modification among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the primary cause of mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Digital health has quickly emerged as a technology with the ability to bridge the gap in cardiovascular disease self-management and revolutionize the way healthcare has traditionally been delivered. However, there is little data on the application of mobile technologies for cardiovascular risk reduction among diabetic patients. The current study has been constructed with this in mind. A framework for the development of a healthy heart mobile application for CVD risk stratification and risk management among Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was finalized after consultation with diabetologists, nutritionists, and scientists. The mobile app has three user cases: Patient login, doctor login, and admin login. A questionnaire was designed and the feedback of patients and Physicians was taken regarding the design, presentation, content, and user-friendliness of the app based on responses obtained on the questionnaire. The Android version of the healthy heart mobile mobile app was developed for CVD risk stratification and risk management among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The dashboard of the mobile app displayed the CVD risk score and category (mild, moderate, high, or very high CVD risk; which was colored coded), health tracker to monitor medication adherence, lipid profile, diabetes control, CVD risk profile and compliance with the WHO recommendations regarding diet, physical activity and addictions, User acceptability and experience were tested for the developed healthy heart mobile app among patients and physicians. The majority of the respondents graded the design, presentation, content, and user-friendliness of the app as either excellent or good. The mobile app for self-management and CVD risk reduction among diabetic patients was successfully developed. The paper and mobile-based CVD risk calculation and stratification were found to be a match for all the participants. The app was updated based on suggestions from the pilot study and was well-accepted by both patients and physicians.

Perspectives Regarding Engagement in Physical Activity in Women: Traditional Gender Role-Based Themes.

There has not been a significant improvement in cardiovascular disease (CVD) statistics among women; 44.4% of women older than 20 years have a diagnoses of CVD. Only 24.3% of adults meet physical activity (PA) guidelines, women have significantly lower levels of PA significantly lower levels than men. There is a call to action from the American Heart Association to delineate reasons for related genderized, socially determined factors. The purpose of this study was to use the individual and family self-management theory to explore and describe interacting sociodemographic, family, cultural, health/access-related, and personal factors contributing to PA engagement in women living in areas of reduced socioeconomic resources. This study used a community-engaged, qualitative descriptive focus group design to explore PA engagement in women between 18 and 64 years old living in an area of reduced socioeconomic resources and high racial and ethnic diversity. Context-related factors included cost/access, transportation, safety, and setting and interacted with family structure and functioning. Process-level factors affecting PA engagement included outcome expectancy, goal incongruence, lack of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and provider support/collaboration. Facilitators included family/friend social support. The current community-engaged study reveals socially constructed gender role elements related to family dynamics, self-perception, and self-regulation that potentially impact engagement in self-management behavior. Programs to increase awareness and self-management of CVD in women exist, but there is a lack of direct effects, speaking to unknown factors. Given perpetually high rates of CVD, low levels of PA, and declining knowledge levels among women, further investigation is imperative.

Implementation of inclisiran in United Kingdom primary care for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or its-risk equivalents: rationale and design of Victorion-spirit, a pragmatic phase IIIb, randomised controlled study

Background: Translational gaps exist in implementing health innovations rapidly in clinical practice. Pragmatic effectiveness and implementation studies, therefore, play a pivotal role in understanding how high-value health innovations could be deployed and delivered in healthcare systems to reduce barriers to adoption and provide more rapid patient benefit. Victorion-spirit is an ongoing pragmatic, 9-month, phase IIIb, open-label, multicentre, randomised controlled study evaluating the implementation, patient experience, and delivery of the subcutaneous lipid-lowering therapy, inclisiran sodium 300 mg, in participants with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) who are on established lipid-lowering medication, or have been recommended lipid-lowering therapy, but are unable to tolerate treatment. Methods: Victorion-spirit utilises a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation design, where the primary objective is to demonstrate superiority of inclisiran with or without (±) behavioural support versus standard of care (SOC; e.g., statin and/or other lipid-lowering therapies) + behavioural support in terms of percentage reduction in LDL-C from baseline to Day 270 in a primary care setting. Secondary objectives will evaluate implementation of inclisiran ± behavioural support versus SOC + behavioural support through assessment of patient satisfaction and patient activation/empowerment after treatment at Day 90; adherence to cardiovascular disease self-management; and serious adverse event profile. Additionally, a process evaluation ascertaining the views of patients, providers and national health service (NHS) commissioners will explore barriers and enablers to integrating inclisiran within primary care. Conclusions: The results of Victorion-spirit have potential to change our approach to lipid management and inform further implementation efforts in healthcare systems, such as the NHS. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04087400.

Intensive nurse-led follow-up in primary care to improve self-management and compliance behaviour after myocardial infarction.

To assess the effects of intensive follow-up by primary care nurses on cardiovascular disease self-management and compliance behaviours after myocardial infarction. Although cardiovascular disease prevention and cardiac rehabilitation take place in hospital settings, a nurse-led approach is necessary in primary care during the first few months after a myocardial infarction. Therefore, it is important to assess self-management of cardiovascular disease and levels of compliance with the prescribed diet, physical activity, and medication. The study used a multicentre, quasi-experimental, pre-post design without a control group. Patients with acute coronary syndrome from 40 healthcare facilities were included in the study. A total of 212 patients participated in a programme including 11 interventions during the first 12-18 months after myocardial infarction. The following Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) outcomes were assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention: Self-management: Cardiac Disease (1617) and Compliance Behaviour: Prescribed Diet (1622), Compliance Behaviour: Prescribed Activity (1632), and Compliance Behaviour: Prescribed Medication (1623). Marjory Gordon's functional health patterns and a self-care notebook were used in each intervention. Pre-post intervention means were compared using Student's t-tests for related samples. The results of the study are reported in compliance with the TREND Statement. A total of 132 patients completed the intervention. The indicators for each NOC outcome and the variations in scores before and after the intensive follow-up showed a statistically significant improvement (p-value = 0.000). Compliance Behaviour: Prescribed Diet (pre = 3.7; post = 4.1); Compliance Behaviour: Prescribed Activity (pre = 3.9; post = 4.3); Compliance Behaviour: Prescribed Medication (pre = 3.9; post = 4.7). Intensive, immediate follow-up after myocardial infarction improves compliance behaviours and self-management of heart disease. A combined self-care and family care approach should be encouraged to empower post-myocardial infarction patients. To facilitate patients' self-efficacy, the use of health education tools such as a cardiovascular self-care notebook can also be helpful. This study highlights the benefits of intensive, protocolised, comprehensive patient follow-up in primary care during the first few months after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Primary care nurses train patients in cardiovascular self-care. Patients were not involved in either the design or the carrying out of the study. However, at the end of the study, they participated in an evaluation process about the utility of the research study and their satisfaction with it. This process was carried out using an ad hoc survey consisting of 10 questions assessing the nursing care and follow-up inputs that were received.

Qualitative study of the views of people living with cardiovascular disease, and healthcare professionals, towards the use of a digital platform to support cardiovascular disease self-management

ObjectivesThis paper focuses on formative research as part of a broader study to develop and evaluate an innovative digital health platform for the self-management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The primary...

Selecting a theoretical framework for chronic cardiovascular disease self-management among rural dwelling adults

A paucity of research has examined the factors and perceptions of self-management among individuals living rurally with chronic cardiovascular disease (CCVD). Exploration of this population is prudent as CCVD continues to be the leading cause of mortality within the United States (US). As the US population ages, increased rates of CCVD and the process of managing the disease will continue to challenge patients and the health care system. Rural dwelling adults are faced with additional complexities to manage a chronic disease, resulting in higher rates of chronic disease as compared to urban dwellers. It is essential for nurses working with adults living with CCVD in rural areas to promote self-management strategies derived from a theoretical perspective. The purpose of this paper is to examine theories and models that facilitate self-management of CCVD among rural dwelling adults. Three established self-management theories and models from psychology and public health were evaluated using Walker and Avant's framework for theory analysis. Social cognitive theory was selected as a best fit for self-management of CCVD among rural dwelling adults, due to the symbiosis of chronic disease, and applicability of ruralness within the triadic reciprocal causation of person-behavior-environment of the model.

Implementation of Telerehabilitation Interventions for the Self-Management of Cardiovascular Disease: Systematic Review.

BackgroundCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of disability and deaths worldwide. Secondary prevention, including cardiac rehabilitation (CR), is crucial to improve risk factors and to reduce disease burden and disability. Accessibility barriers contribute to underutilization of traditional center-based CR programs; therefore, alternative delivery models, including cardiac telerehabilitation (ie, delivery via mobile, smartphone, and/or web-based apps), have been tested. Experimental studies have shown cardiac telerehabilitation to be effective and cost-effective, but there is inadequate evidence about how to translate this research into routine clinical practice.ObjectiveThis systematic review aimed to synthesize research evaluating the effectiveness of implementing cardiac telerehabilitation interventions at scale in routine clinical practice, including factors underlying successful implementation processes, and experimental research evaluating implementation-related outcomes.MethodsMEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Global Health databases were searched from 1990 through November 9, 2018, for studies evaluating the implementation of telerehabilitation for the self-management of CHD. Reference lists of included studies and relevant systematic reviews were hand searched to identify additional studies. Implementation outcomes of interest included acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, feasibility, fidelity, implementation cost, penetration, and sustainability. A narrative synthesis of results was carried out.ResultsNo included studies evaluated the implementation of cardiac telerehabilitation in routine clinical practice. A total of 10 studies of 2250 participants evaluated implementation outcomes, including acceptability (8/10, 80%), appropriateness (9/10, 90%), adoption (6/10, 60%), feasibility (6/10, 60%), fidelity (7/10, 70%), and implementation cost (4/10, 40%), predominantly from the participant perspective. Cardiac telerehabilitation interventions had high acceptance among the majority of participants, but technical challenges such as reliable broadband internet connectivity can impact acceptability and feasibility. Many participants considered telerehabilitation to be an appropriate alternative CR delivery model, as it was convenient, flexible, and easy to access. Participants valued interactive intervention components, such as real-time exercise monitoring and feedback as well as individualized support. The penetration and sustainability of cardiac telerehabilitation, as well as the perspectives of CR practitioners and health care organizations, have received little attention in existing cardiac telerehabilitation research.ConclusionsExperimental trials suggest that participants perceive cardiac telerehabilitation to be an acceptable and appropriate approach to improve the reach and utilization of CR, but pragmatic implementation studies are needed to understand how interventions can be sustainably translated from research into clinical practice. Addressing this gap could help realize the potential impact of telerehabilitation on CR accessibility and participation as well as person-centered, health, and economic outcomes.Trial RegistrationInternational Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42019124254; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=124254

Implementation of Community-Based Resource Referrals for Cardiovascular Disease Self-Management.

Describe primary care practices' implementation of CommunityRx-H3, a community resource referral intervention that utilized practice facilitators to support cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention quality improvement. Qualitative focus groups were conducted with practice facilitators to elicit perceptions of practices' experiences with CommunityRx-H3, practice-level factors affecting, and practice facilitator strategies to promote implementation. Qualitative data were analyzed using directed content analysis. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was applied deductively to organize and interpret findings. Fourteen of all 19 practice facilitators participated. Practice facilitators perceived that staff attitudes about connecting patients to community resources for CVD were largely positive. Practices were already using a range of non-systematic strategies to refer to community resources. Practice-level factors that facilitated CommunityRx-H3 implementation included clinician "champions," engaged practice managers, and a practice culture that valued community resources. Implementation barriers included a practice's unwillingness to integrate the intervention into existing workflows, limited staff capacity to complete the resource inventory, and unavailability or cost of materials needed to print the resource referral list ("HealtheRx-H3"). Practice facilitator strategies to promote implementation included supporting ongoing customization of the HealtheRx-H3 and material support. Practice facilitators felt implementation would be improved by integration of CommunityRx-H3 with electronic medical record workflows and alternative methods for engaging practices in the implementation process. Practice facilitators are increasingly being utilized by primary care practices to support quality improvement interventions and, as shown here, can also play an important role in implementation science. This study yields insights to improve implementation of community resource referral solutions to support primary care CVD prevention efforts.

Implementation of Systematic Community Resource Referrals at Small Primary Care Practices to Promote Cardiovascular Disease Self-Management.

Quality improvement (QI) models and evidence-based self-management guidelines for reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk require patients to access community resources. The purpose of this study is to describe outcomes from implementation of a community resource referral system into small clinical practices to reduce CVD risk. Practices were given the opportunity to complete an inventory of local CVD-related resources; these data were used to create a printed list of resources for patients ("HealtheRx-H3"). Practices could request updates to HealtheRx-H3s. We assessed implementation outcomes, including appropriateness, feasibility, and adoption. Practice populations were at high risk for CVD. It was feasible to create practice-specific HealtheRx-H3s. Systematic distribution of HealtheRx-H3s using digital electronic health record (EHR) integration was infeasible due to inconsistent use of EHR systems, workflow variation, and lacking data-sharing infrastructure. Of 76 practices, 38 completed the inventory; completion was similar by patient and practice characteristics. HealtheRx-H3 updates were requested by 39% of practices; practices that completed the inventory were significantly more likely to request an update compared with those that did not (61% vs. 18%, p-value <.01). Successful implementation of QI strategies to systematize community resource referral solutions is feasible at small practices, but more research is needed to understand what motivates small practices to participate in implementation of these solutions.

Can causal explanations about endothelial pathophysiology benefit patient education? A cluster randomized controlled trial in cardiac rehabilitation

ObjectiveTo examine whether explaining causal links among endothelial pathophysiology, cardiac risk factors, symptoms and health behaviors (termed causal information) enhances patients’ depth of knowledge about cardiovascular disease self-management and their perceptions of the cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention (CRSP) program. MethodsNewly referred CRSP patients (N = 94) were cluster randomized to usual care (control; UC) or usual care with causal information (intervention; UC + CI). Depth of knowledge (factual vs. deep) was measured with an adapted cognitive-reasoning task. Patients’ cardiovascular knowledge and beliefs about the efficacy of a CRSP program were assessed. ResultsAfter controlling for education level, patients in UC + CI demonstrated deeper knowledge about cardiovascular management than did those in UC. The UC + CI group showed higher factual knowledge than their counterparts after covarying education, occupation status and BMI. The UC + CI group also rated the CRSP program as more credible than those in UC, after controlling for age. Deep knowledge mediated the relationship between group conditions and perceived credibility of CRSP. ConclusionCausal information can enhance the depth of patients’ understanding of cardiovascular disease management and perceived treatment credibility of the CRSP program. Practice implicationsExplaining causal links may help improve patient education delivery and enhance patient engagement in CRSP.

Effect of interprofessional collaboration on quality of life in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease

Abstract Background Elderly patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) have significant limitations in relation to self-management and quality of life (QOL). Interprofessional collaboration has the potential to produce better outcomes for elderly patients living with CVD. Methods The primary objective of this pilot pre-/post intervention study was to improve the QOL for elderly patients with CVD through the development of an interprofessional collaborative intervention in the primary care setting. The intervention consisted of one health fair and two subsequent chronic care management (CCM) meetings focused on self-management of CVD at two participating accountable care organization (ACO) primary care clinics. A pre- and post-survey was administered to patients that consisted of the Short Form (SF)-36 Health Survey and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. Medication adherence at baseline and after intervention was also assessed. Patients eligible for study inclusion included individuals 65 years or older, referred to CCM services by his/her ACO primary care provider. Results 28 participants were recruited. Of these, 15 patients (53%) were included in the final analysis. Compared to baseline, the limitations due to physical health (p = 0.043) and social functioning (p = 0.035) domains of the SF-36 health survey improved after the intervention while all other domains remained stable. No statistically significant difference was found between pre- and post-intervention on the ABC scale (p = 0.205) and medication adherence. Conclusions Through interprofessional intervention, this pilot study demonstrated that elderly patients were able to improve in social functioning and limitations to physical activity, benefiting their overall QOL.

MedFit App, a Behavior-Changing, Theoretically Informed Mobile App for Patient Self-Management of Cardiovascular Disease: User-Centered Development.

BackgroundThe MedFit app is designed to facilitate participation of people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in an exercise-based rehabilitation program remotely. This paper details the development for the MedFit app.ObjectiveThe aim of this research was to develop a behavior change, theoretically informed exercise rehabilitation mobile app for adults with CVD by following the early stages of the formative research: development and feasibility testing.MethodsAdhering to the mobile health (mHealth) development evaluation framework, the stages of the formative research process including (1) development and (2) feasibility were undertaken. The content and format of the MedFit app were developed based on (1) theory, (2) usability testing, and (3) content design.ResultsA systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify the most appropriate theories from which to develop the app. This led to the creation of the MedFit app. The app went through iterative rounds of usability focus group testing with adults with CVD to provide feedback on the app. This process was framed by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model. Feedback was then translated into feasible technical improvements to be executed through close collaboration with the technical team, who adapted and made modifications to the app based on this codesign process.ConclusionsThe formative research process of the app development involved theoretical underpinning, usability testing, and content design. mHealth interventions may play a key role in the future of health care, potentially addressing the barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation. This work will provide guidance for future research aiming to develop mobile apps by incorporating a best practice framework for mHealth intervention development and a user-centered design approach.

The development and codesign of the PATHway intervention: a theory-driven eHealth platform for the self-management of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of premature death worldwide. International guidelines recommend routine delivery of all phases of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Uptake of traditional CR remains suboptimal, as attendance at formal hospital-based CR programs is low, with community-based CR rates and individual long-term exercise maintenance even lower. Home-based CR programs have been shown to be equally effective in clinical and health-related quality of life outcomes and yet are not readily available. The aim of the current study was to develop the PATHway intervention (physical activity toward health) for the self-management of CVD. Increasing physical activity in individuals with CVD was the primary behavior. The PATHway intervention was theoretically informed by the behavior change wheel and social cognitive theory. All relevant intervention functions, behavior change techniques, and policy categories were identified and translated into intervention content. Furthermore, a person-centered approach was adopted involving an iterative codesign process and extensive user testing. Education, enablement, modeling, persuasion, training, and social restructuring were selected as appropriate intervention functions. Twenty-two behavior change techniques, linked to the six intervention functions and three policy categories, were identified for inclusion and translated into PATHway intervention content. This paper details the use of the behavior change wheel and social cognitive theory to develop an eHealth intervention for the self-management of CVD. The systematic and transparent development of the PATHway intervention will facilitate the evaluation of intervention effectiveness and future replication.

Effectiveness, acceptability and usefulness of mobile applications for cardiovascular disease self-management: Systematic review with meta-synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data.

Background Mobile technologies are innovative, scalable approaches to reducing risk of cardiovascular disease but evidence related to effectiveness and acceptability remains limited. We aimed to explore the effectiveness, acceptability and usefulness of mobile applications (apps) for cardiovascular disease self-management and risk factor control. Design Systematic review with meta-synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data. Methods Comprehensive search of multiple databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS and Cochrane CENTRAL) and grey literature. Studies were included if the intervention was primarily an app aimed at improving at least two lifestyle behaviours in adults with cardiovascular disease. Meta-synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data was performed to review and evaluate findings. Results Ten studies of varying designs including 607 patients from five countries were included. Interventions targeted hypertension, heart failure, stroke and cardiac rehabilitation populations. Factors that improved among app users were rehospitalisation rates, disease-specific knowledge, quality of life, psychosocial well-being, blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, cholesterol and exercise capacity. Improved physical activity, medication adherence and smoking cessation were also characteristic of app users. Appealing app features included tracking healthy behaviours, self-monitoring, disease education and personalised, customisable content. Small samples, short duration and selection bias were noted limitations across some studies, as was the relatively low overall scientific quality of evidence. Conclusions Multiple behaviours and cardiovascular disease risk factors appear modifiable in the shorter term with use of mobile apps. Evidence for effectiveness requires larger, controlled studies of longer duration, with emphasis on process evaluation data to better understand important system- and patient-level characteristics.

Chinese Cardiovascular Disease Mobile Apps' Information Types, Information Quality, and Interactive Functions for Self-Management: Systematic Review.

BackgroundChina has a large population with cardiovascular disease (CVD) that requires extensive self-management. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may be a useful tool for CVD self-management. Little is currently known about the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and whether app functions are conducive to promoting CVD self-management.ObjectiveWe undertook a systematic review to evaluate the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and interactive app functions for promoting CVD self-management.MethodsMobile apps targeting end users in China with CVD conditions were selected in February 2017 through a multi-stage process. Three frameworks were used to evaluate the selected apps: (1) types of health information offered were assessed using our Health Information Wants framework, which encompasses 7 types of information; (2) quality of information provided in the apps was assessed using the 11 guidelines recommended by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health; and (3) types of interactive app functions for CVD self-management were assessed using a 15-item framework adapted from the literature, including our own prior work.ResultsOf 578 apps identified, 82 were eligible for final review. Among these, information about self-care (67/82, 82%) and information specifically regarding CVD (63/82, 77%) were the most common types of information provided, while information about health care providers (22/82, 27%) and laboratory tests (5/82, 6%) were least common. The most common indicators of information quality were the revealing of apps’ providers (82/82, 100%) and purpose (82/82, 100%), while the least common quality indicators were the revealing of how apps’ information was selected (1/82, 1%) and app sponsorship (0/82, 0%). The most common interactive functions for CVD self-management were those that enabled user interaction with the app provider (57/82, 70%) and with health care providers (36/82, 44%), while the least common interactive functions were those that enabled lifestyle management (13/82, 16%) and psychological health management (6/82, 7%). None of the apps covered all 7 types of health information, all 11 indicators of information quality, or all 15 interactive functions for CVD self-management.ConclusionsChinese CVD apps are insufficient in providing comprehensive health information, high-quality information, and interactive functions to facilitate CVD self-management. End users should exercise caution when using existing apps. Health care professionals and app developers should collaborate to better understand end users’ preferences and follow evidence-based guidelines to develop mHealth apps conducive to CVD self-management.

Digital Health Technologies to Promote Lifestyle Change and Adherence.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with an estimated 17.5 million deaths annually, or 31% of all global deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The majority of these deaths are preventable by addressing lifestyle modification (i.e., smoking cessation, diet, obesity, and physical inactivity) and promoting medication adherence. At present, initiatives to develop cost-effective modalities to support self-management, lifestyle modification, and medication adherence are a leading priority. Digital health has rapidly emerged as technology with the potential to address this gap in cardiovascular disease self-management and transform the way healthcare has been traditionally delivered. However, limited evidence exists about the type of technologies available and how they differ in functionality, effectiveness, and application. We aimed to review the most important and relevant recent studies addressing health technologies to promote lifestyle change and medication adherence including text messaging, applications ("apps"), and wearable devices. The current literature indicates that digital health technologies will likely play a prominent role in future cardiovascular disease management, risk reduction, and delivery of care in both resource-rich and resource-limited settings. However, there is limited large-scale evidence to support adoption of existing interventions. Further clinical research and healthcare policy change are needed to move the promise of new digital health technologies towards reality.

Gamification and mHealth: a model to bolster cardiovascular disease self-management

Cardiovascular disease management, especially after an acute event, requires consideration of cardiovascular risk factors, which are generally lifestyle habits. Current implementation of recommended care is suboptimal, due in part to the difficulty of implementing and maintaining health behaviour changes. mHealth apps offer new approaches to support behavioural changes, in particular with the use of gamification strategies. These strategies have the potential to help maintain engagement over time. Reviews of current health apps that use gamification strategies show low integration of theoretical behavioural models in app design, and low use of gamification for cardiovascular self-management apps in general. We propose the integration of gamification strategies in a validated behaviour-change model, based on a patient survey and focus group. This model can be used to design a future smartphone app to support self-management of cardiovascular disease.

AN ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT NEED FOR A TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED REMOTE EXERCISE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME AMONG A CHRONIC ILLNESS POPULATION

AN ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT NEED FOR A TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED REMOTE EXERCISE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME AMONG A CHRONIC ILLNESS POPULATION

Review Strategies to Recruit and Retain Rural Patient Participating Self-management Behavioral Trials.

Self-management plays a vital role in improving health outcomes and reducing costs in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated risk factors. Based on existing studies, rural residents with CVD and/or risk factors show low engagement in self-management behaviors. Due to low participation in behavioral intervention trials, the most promising mechanism to promote self-management among rural populations is unknown. In turn, the purpose of this article is to review the evidence that supports strategies to recruit and retain rural patients to participate in behavioral intervention trials aimed to promote self-management of CVD and its risk factors. This review is expected to assist researchers in identifying effective solutions to overcome barriers in the recruitment and retention processes when conducting intervention research studies on the self-management of CVD in rural communities.

The effectiveness of mobile-health behaviour change interventions for cardiovascular disease self-management: A systematic review.

Mobile wireless devices (mHealth) have been used to deliver cardiovascular disease self-management interventions to educate and support patients in making healthy lifestyle changes. This systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of mHealth interventions on behavioural lifestyle changes and medication adherence for cardiovascular disease self-management. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from inception through to 3 March 2015 using MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library. Eligible studies used an experimental trial design to determine the effectiveness of an mHealth intervention to change lifestyle behaviours in any cardiovascular disease population. Data extracted included intervention and comparison group characteristics with a specific focus on the use of behaviour change techniques. Seven studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. All interventions were delivered in part by mobile phone text messaging. Three studies were effective at improving adherence to medication and two studies increased physical activity behaviour. No effects were observed on dietary behaviour or smoking cessation, measured in one study each. Simple text messaging interventions appeared to be most effective; however, no clear relationships were found between study findings and intervention dose, duration or behaviour change techniques targeted. Our review found mHealth has the potential to change lifestyle behaviour. Results are still limited to a small number of trials, inconsistent outcome measures and ineffective reporting of intervention characteristics. Large scale, longitudinal studies are now warranted to gain a clear understanding of the effects of mHealth on behaviour change in the cardiovascular disease population.