Testing the Heart Failure Activity Coach Study (HEALTHY)
Background
Heart failure (HF) is a serious condition linked to a lack of physical activity. While many patients survive their first year after diagnosis, being inactive can lead to higher mortality rates and lower quality of life.
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate how well we could recruit participants, implement the program, and measure outcomes using the Activity Coach app. This app was designed to help older adults with HF become more active.
Methods
In this pilot study, we recruited HF patients already using the Optilogg tool from five health centers in Sweden. Participants were randomly assigned to either use the updated Activity Coach app (intervention group) or a basic version (control group) for 12 weeks. We measured their physical activity with an accelerometer and assessed their quality of life using a specific questionnaire.
Results
Out of 67 eligible participants, 30 agreed to join, and 20 were successfully enrolled. Key findings include:
- Participants used the Activity Coach app 69% of the time daily and 88% weekly.
- The intervention group showed a significant improvement in goal attainment and quality of life compared to the control group.
- Physical limitations were notably less in the intervention group.
- While sedentary time increased in the control group, it decreased slightly in the intervention group.
Conclusions
The recruitment rate was lower than expected, suggesting that more active recruitment strategies are needed for future studies. However, adherence to the Activity Coach app was high, indicating its potential to help older adults with HF stay active.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05235763; View Study.
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