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TEXT4HF: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Tailored Text Messaging Intervention to Improve Self-Care in Older Adult Patients With Heart Failure

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Heart Failure
Interventions
Behavioral: TEXT4HF
Registration Number
NCT06473532
Lead Sponsor
University of Illinois at Chicago
Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to determine whether an individually tailored text messaging intervention can improve self-care in older adult patients with heart failure. The main question it aims to answer are:

* Is a tailored text messaging intervention feasible and acceptable among older adult patients with heart failure?

* Does tailored text messaging improve self-care in adult patients with heart failure?

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups for 12 weeks: 1) intervention (text messaging); or 2) control group. Both groups will receive usual care, which includes regular follow-up visits at the heart failure clinic (standard care), plus a "Discharge Packet for Patients Diagnosed with Heart Failure", developed by the American Heart Association. Both groups will be asked via text messages and/or telephone calls to complete questionnaires at baseline/start, 4 weeks and 12 weeks, about self-care, quality of life, health beliefs, medications, diet, etc.

Participants assigned to the intervention group will also receive approximately 5 text messages/week targeting medication adherence, heart-healthy diet, and daily HF symptoms monitoring for 12 weeks.

Detailed Description

Heart failure (HF) is a serious chronic condition and the most common hospital discharge diagnosis among older adults in the United States. Almost 7 million Americans are diagnosed with HF and new cases are rapidly rising at a rate of nearly 1 million per year. This feasibility pilot randomized controlled trial will be conducted using individually tailored text message (TM) intervention, delivered to improve HF self-care adherence.

This randomized controlled trial in older adult patients (≥50 years of age) with HF to determine the feasibility (recruitment capability, acceptability), and preliminary efficacy of the Text4HF intervention compared with usual care over 12 weeks. Thirty (n=30) adult patients from the University of Illinois Hospital \& Health Sciences System (UIH) will be randomly assigned to the intervention or usual care group. Patients in the TM intervention (TEXT4HF) will receive messages that target the most common self-care factors known to precipitate HF hospitalizations (medication adherence, heart-healthy diet, and daily HF symptoms monitoring).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
30
Inclusion Criteria
  • ≥50 years of Age
  • HF Stage C, NYHA Class I-IV and on a loop diuretic
  • Own a Mobile phone with Text message plan
  • Ability to speak and read English
  • Suboptimal HF self-care. (SCHFI Score of 3 or less in at least 2 items of any subscale: Self-care maintenance, Symptom Perception, or Self-management)
Exclusion Criteria
  • Heart transplant, SAVR/TAVR or Ventricular Assist Device, or Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) - implantation, and/or heart transplantation (HTx) within the next 3 months
  • Coronary revascularization, and/or CRT-implantation within the last 30 days (EMR Review)
  • Psychosis
  • Hospice or End-of-life care
  • Advanced Renal disease (i.e. Stage IV, eGFR <25 or Hemodialysis)
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Unable to self-manage (take medication, bathe, use the toilet, etc.)
  • Currently living in a nursing home

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
TEXT4HFTEXT4HFIn addition to usual care and a standard AHA information packet for patients with HF, participants in the intervention group will receive 5 tailored TMs/week for 12 weeks, targeting health beliefs about medication adherence, heart-healthy diet, self-monitoring of symptoms, and heart failure knowledge.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in Self-care Symptom PerceptionBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Self-care symptom perception will be measured the Self-Care Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) v.7.2, Subscale B, which includes 9-items. Standardized scores in this scale range from 0 to 100. A total score of ≥70 indicates adequate self-care.

Change in Self-care self-managementBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Self-care self-management will be measured with the Self-Care Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) v.7.2, Subscale C, which includes 8-items. Standardized scores in this scale range from 0 to 100. A total score of ≥70 indicates adequate self-care.

Change in Self-Care MaintenanceBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Self-care maintenance will be measured with Subscale A of the Self-Care Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) v.7.2, which includes 10-items. Standardized scores in this scale range from 0 to 100. A total score of ≥70 indicates adequate self-care.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Heart Failure knowledgeBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Questionnaire (30-items). Scored range is 0 to 30 with higher scored indicating better knowledge about heart failure.

Change in Self-care confidence (self-efficacy)Baseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Self-care confidence ill be measured with the Self-Care Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) v.7.2, Subscale D, which includes 10-items. Standardized scores in this scale range from 0 to 100. A total score of ≥70 indicates adequate self-care.

Health Beliefs about Dietary ComplianceBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Beliefs about Dietary Compliance Scale (12 items)The instrument uses a 5-point Likert scale. Benefits and Barriers scores range from 6-30. Lower Barrier scores indicate a better outcome. Higher Benefits scores indicate a better outcome.

Health Related Quality of LifeBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Assessed with Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire; 21 questions, 5-point Likert scale

Health Beliefs about Self-Monitoring ComplianceBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Beliefs about Self-Monitoring Scale (18 items). The instrument uses a 5-point Likert scale. Benefits and Barriers scores range from 18-90. Lower Barrier scores indicate a better outcome. Higher Benefits scores indicate a better outcome.

Health Beliefs about Medication ComplianceBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Beliefs about Medication Compliance Scale (12-items)The instrument uses a 5-point Likert scale. Benefits and Barriers scores range from 6-30. Lower Barrier scores indicate a better outcome. Higher Benefits scores indicate a better outcome.

Medication and Refill adherenceBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Assessed with Adherence to Refilling Medication Scale (ARMS); 12 Items, 4-point Likert scale, lower scores indicate better adherence

Heart Healthy Diet AdherenceBaseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks

Assessed with Scale for Dietary Behaviors in Heart Failure (SDBHF); 19 Items, 4-point Likert scale, higher scores indicate better adherence

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Illinois, Chicago

🇺🇸

Chicago, Illinois, United States

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