Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an avatar education application for improving patients’ heart failure knowledge and self-care.
Background: A lack of knowledge and self-care contributes to poor outcomes and rehospitalisation for people with heart failure.
Methods: A multi-centered, non-blinded pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Heart failure patients were randomly assigned to intervention (education application) or usual care groups. Participants were followed up at 30 days and 90 days. ANCOVA was used to compare the scores of heart failure knowledge and self-care, between groups. Fisher’s Exact test was used to compare the groups’ HF-cause readmission. Bivariate exact binary logistic regression was used to identify the predictors associated with baseline levels of knowledge.
Results: Thirty six participants were recruited. The mean age of participants was 67.5 (SD 11.3) years. Groups were comparable at baseline in their demographic and clinical characteristics. At 90 days, the intervention group had a higher increase in knowledge score on the Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scales, compared to the control group (22.2% vs 3.7% p=0.002, partial η2=0.262, 95% CI -2.755, -0.686). There was no between-group difference observed at follow-ups, on self-care behaviour or healthcare utilisation. Overall satisfaction with the avatar app was 91.3%.
Conclusion: The avatar app has improved participants’ heart failure knowledge in this study. It was perceived as an enjoyable, engaging means of delivering education.
Background: A lack of knowledge and self-care contributes to poor outcomes and rehospitalisation for people with heart failure.
Methods: A multi-centered, non-blinded pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Heart failure patients were randomly assigned to intervention (education application) or usual care groups. Participants were followed up at 30 days and 90 days. ANCOVA was used to compare the scores of heart failure knowledge and self-care, between groups. Fisher’s Exact test was used to compare the groups’ HF-cause readmission. Bivariate exact binary logistic regression was used to identify the predictors associated with baseline levels of knowledge.
Results: Thirty six participants were recruited. The mean age of participants was 67.5 (SD 11.3) years. Groups were comparable at baseline in their demographic and clinical characteristics. At 90 days, the intervention group had a higher increase in knowledge score on the Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scales, compared to the control group (22.2% vs 3.7% p=0.002, partial η2=0.262, 95% CI -2.755, -0.686). There was no between-group difference observed at follow-ups, on self-care behaviour or healthcare utilisation. Overall satisfaction with the avatar app was 91.3%.
Conclusion: The avatar app has improved participants’ heart failure knowledge in this study. It was perceived as an enjoyable, engaging means of delivering education.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S46 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Heart, Lung and Circulation |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | S2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Nov 2020 |
| Event | 68th Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting, the International Society for Heart Research Australasian Section Annual Scientific Meeting and the 14th Annual Australia and New Zealand Endovascular Therapies - Online, Australia Duration: 11 Dec 2020 → 13 Dec 2020 |
Keywords
- Heart failure
- Avatar education
- Healthcare
- Self-care