An evidence-based structured one-year programme to sustain physical activity in patients with heart failure in primary care: A non-randomized longitudinal feasibility study.
Lena Nordgren, Anne Söderlund
PMID 32802359WHAT IT FOUND
Seven patients with heart failure completed a one-year nurse-led programme combining group education and individual activity plans.
Self-reported activity and walking distance improved, and participants found the group sessions and personalized goals most helpful. Feasibility was confirmed, but efficacy remains unproven.
Key findings
01The programme was feasible, with six of seven participants completing the one-year intervention and reporting improvements in self-efficacy and physical activity levels.
02Participants identified group sessions and prescribed individualized activities as the most appreciated components, while the activity diary was least valued because it was not followed up by health professionals.
03Median walking distance on the 6-minute walk test increased from 376 meters at baseline to 498 meters at the end of the intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was extremely small (n=7), and the study was a feasibility trial without a control group, making it impossible to attribute changes to the intervention rather than natural variation or regression to the mean. The activity diary and tracker data were not included in the quantitative analysis, limiting the objective assessment of physical activity. Practical issues such as staff turnover and workload constraints affected the delivery of individual appointments. The study did not test the programme's efficacy, only its feasibility, so no conclusions can be drawn about whether the programme causes the observed improvements.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the improvements in walking distance and self-reported activity as evidence that this programme works. This was a small feasibility study with no control group, so the changes could be due to natural variation, placebo effects, or regression to the mean.