Perceptions Regarding mHealth for Self-Care Among Older Adults With Chronic Heart Failure, Family Caregivers and Health Care Professionals: A Qualitative Study.
Yu Chen, Yuxin Lin, Yue Yu and 1 others
PMID 41163566WHAT IT FOUND
Patients, caregivers and clinicians see mHealth as promising for heart failure self-care, wanting automatic symptom monitoring and direct communication with staff.
However, they identify major barriers: older patients struggle with complex interfaces and poor vision, while staff lack the time and funding to maintain these systems.
Key findings
01Participants identified automatic monitoring of physical indicators and direct communication with health care professionals as the most critical functions mHealth should provide.
02Older patients and caregivers reported significant usability barriers, including difficulty reading screens, illiteracy, and a need for assistance to operate the technology.
03Health care professionals expressed concern that managing mHealth platforms is time-consuming and resource-intensive, with insufficient staffing to support real-time patient communication.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in Shanghai, an economically developed city, so perceptions may differ in rural or less wealthy areas. The sample size was small, particularly for patients and caregivers (five each), partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results reflect perceptions and intentions, not actual usage data or clinical outcomes. The study included only health care professionals who already used or were willing to use mHealth, potentially excluding those with stronger negative views.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Pilot Project of High-level Local Universities in Shanghai and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that older patients with heart failure are ready or able to use standard mobile health apps. The study found that visual impairment, illiteracy and complex interfaces were major barriers, meaning digital prescriptions often require significant caregiver assistance or alternative formats to be usable.