Patient activation improves with a multi-component personalized mHealth intervention in older patients at risk of cardiovascular disease: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Dion Candelaria, Marysol Cacciata, Reimund Serafica and 6 others
PMID 39756174WHAT IT FOUND
No significant between-group difference in patient activation at 3 or 6 months.
Both groups had app, tracker, coaching; the group also receiving personalized texts improved within group by 3.53 and 4.37 points, but components cannot be separated.
Key findings
01The primary patient activation outcome showed no statistically significant difference between groups across the three time points.
02Participants who received the same app, tracker, and counselling plus personalized text messages had significant within-group activation improvements of 3.53 points at 3 months and 4.37 points at 6 months, while improvements in the Get FIT group were not significant.
03In the adjusted model, social support was the only variable associated with higher patient activation over time.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The small sample size of 54 participants made between-group differences hard to detect. Both groups received the same smartphone app, activity tracker, and counselling, so the study cannot separate the effect of personalized text messages from the other components. Social support was measured with a single yes/no question at baseline only, and the predictor finding was exploratory. Participants were community-dwelling older adults selected for poor diet and low activity from one low-income, ethnic minority region, so results may not apply to all older adults or those with cognitive impairment or advanced disease.
Declared interests
The supplied funding statement says the U.S. National Institutes of Health funded the work. No author conflicts-of-interest list is provided.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that personalized text messages alone caused better self-management. The primary between-group outcome was not significant, both groups received the same app, tracker, and coaching, and the study was a small pilot.