DIGITAL-HF - Digital Tools in Heart Failure - a Survey of Patient Usage (DIGITAL-HF)

Heart failure is a chronic health condition associated with significant symptoms, an increased need of support from the NHS, and typically is associated with a reduction in life expectancy. The covid pandemic has made it more difficult for the NHS to deliver high quality care to the 1 million patients living with heart failure in the UK. NHS England plans that digitalisation of services will help, increasing efficiency and improving ability of patients to self-care and manage their conditions. "Digitalisation" includes the use of digital tools for health, such as Apps and online resources & support. But the typical heart failure patient does not receive a diagnosis of heart failure until their 70s or 80s, creating a significant risk of digital exclusion. The heart failure failure community doesn't have any information about which tools (if any) heart failure patients are using, or why.

Patients who attend the heart failure clinic at the Royal Brompton, either face-to-face or virtually, will be eligible for our study. They will be provided an information sheet and asked for informed consent. The study consists of 4 short questionnaires (30 questions total) which only takes between 10-15 minutes to complete, this consists of 3 previously validated questionnaires and one bespoke questionnaire related to their digital tool use.

The investigators aim to recruit 130 patients to help us better understand how many NHS patients with heart failure access digital tools, which ones are most often used, and how this relates to their health literacy, digital health literacy and overall attitude to their health condition and management. The investigators aim to describe different digital subgroups of patients and will use this information to help inform local and national policy around digital support for people living with heart failure.

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Key information

Conditions

Heart Failure Cardiovascular Diseases Heart Diseases

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Guy's and St Thomas' foundation NHS trust, London, United Kingdom

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Any patient who attends one of the heart failure clinics at the Royal Brompton hospital with a diagnosis of heart failure will be considered for the study.

Exclusion criteria

Unable to complete a questionnaire

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Proportions of digital tool use

Time frame: 6 months

Proportions of study participants using a variety of digital tools to access information about heart failure including websites, mobile applications and social media. The frequency of use and reasons for use.
Correlation of digital tool use with demographics

Time frame: 6 months

The correlation between digital tool use and several patient demographics including age in years, gender, highest educational level in grade, estimated income in British pounds and ethnic group.
Correlation of digital tool use with measures of patients' heart failure

Time frame: 6 months

The correlation between digital tool use and left ventricular ejection fraction in percentage, time from diagnosis of heart failure in months, New York Heart Association classification of heart failure (NYHA) and number of comorbidities.
Correlation of digital tool use with validated questionnaires

Time frame: 6 months

The correlation between digital tool use and health literacy (as measured by the validated AAHLS questionnaire - All aspects of health literacy scale).

The correlation between digital tool use and digital health literacy (as measured by the validated eHEALS questionnaire).

The correlation between digital tool use and patient activation (as measured by the validated PAM®). Patient activation is the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage one's health and healthcare.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Digital Tools in Heart Failure - a Survey of Patient Usage (DIGITAL-HF)

Acronym: DIGITAL-HF

Important dates

Study start: 2022
Primary completion: 2022
Study completion: 2023
First posted: Apr 6, 2022
Registry last updated: Mar 31, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed