Enhancing Patient Engagement for Heart Failure Care Through UCD

Methodology

• Focus groups
• Group participatory design session
• Usability studies
• Pilot trial
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis

Project Description

Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) undergo surgery to receive an implantable medical device. Following surgery, they are provided with a home monitoring system that automatically transmits data to a central server. Currently, patient communication is limited to quarterly letters confirming normal device function, with phone calls only for abnormal readings. This passive approach restricts patient engagement in their own care, as they lack access to their device data.

Healthcare providers are hesitant to share this data directly with patients due to concerns about patient anxiety and potential increases in clinic calls arising from data misinterpretation.

The challenge lies in determining the most effective way to share device data with patients – providing them with valuable insights into their health while minimizing information overload and potential for increased provider burden.

Responsibilities

• Led and conducted research activities, including developing research protocols, managing logistics, creating recruitment screeners, drafting research scripts, moderating participatory design session and usability studies, analyzing data, and publishing findings.
• Collaborated with a cross-functional team consisting of a UX designer, a health informatics researcher, a project manager, a cardiac nurse, and a cardiologist.

Impact

• Empowered patients to actively engage with their health information and take timely action
• Enabled patients to collaborate with their providers in their healthcare.