Effect of a Smartphone-Based App on the Quality of Life of Patients With Heart Failure: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Mahboube Davoudi, Tahereh Najafi Ghezeljeh, Farveh Vakilian Aghouee
PMID 34406971WHAT IT FOUND
In heart failure, adding a smartphone app to routine care improved quality of life at 3 months.
The app was bundled with training, reminders, and researcher support, so its separate contribution is unclear.
Key findings
01At 3 months, total quality-of-life scores were 26.03 in the app group and 50.13 in the control group, indicating better quality of life in the app group.
02On the 0 to 105 scale, where higher means worse, the app group's total quality-of-life score fell from 42.91 before to 26.03 after 3 months.
03The control group's quality-of-life scores worsened over 3 months, with a significant change in the total score and reduced scores in all domains.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The trial included adults aged 18 to 65 years who were literate, had NYHA class II or III heart failure, and could use an Android smartphone or tablet, so it may not apply to younger, older, illiterate, or non-Android users. The planned sample size was 60 patients per group, but the analysis included 55 patients in the intervention group and 56 patients in the control group. Patients knew whether they received the app, because blinding was not possible. The intervention was a bundle of app use, face-to-face training, reminders, symptom and vital-sign recording, and researcher support, so the contribution of any single part cannot be separated. Follow-up lasted only 3 months, and the study did not test long-term quality of life, medication safety, or whether knowledge and self-care improved.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude the smartphone app alone caused the quality-of-life improvement. It was delivered alongside routine care, face-to-face training, reminders, symptom and vital-sign recording, and researcher support, and the trial only followed patients for 3 months.