Project Title

Optimising Quality of Life for People Living with Heart Failure in Care Homes: Co-Design of a Digital Intervention

Research Focus

Heart Failure, Palliative Care, Care Homes, Co-Design Methodology, Complex Intervention Development

Funder & Dates

Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke

01.09.2022 – 31.08.2024

Principal Investigator or Primary Supervisor

Dr Gary Mitchell

Co-Investigators or additional supervisors

Dr Loreena Hill, Mr Paul Tierney, Professor David Thompson and Professor Christine Brown Wilson

Research Fellow(s) or PhD Student

Research Assistant to be confirmed

Description of Project:

Aim; Methods; Expected Outcomes

Background: Heart failure (HF) affects at least 20% of residents living in care homes, leading to increased morbidity, increased mortality and impaired quality of life (QOL).  There are limited educational interventions to improve care home staff understanding to better support their residents to live well with HF. 

Aim: To co-design a digital intervention to improve care home staff understanding of HF, and subsequently to optimise QOL for people living with HF within care homes.

Methods: This will involve three work streams (WS).  WS1 will involve a systematic review of the literature regarding HF interventions in care home settings.  In addition, we will conduct 10-15 semi-structured interviews with care home staff about the current facilitators and barriers to providing care to residents living with HF.  WS1 will inform WS2 which will focus on the co-development of the digital intervention using co-design methodology.

In WS3 we will conduct a feasibility study across 10 care homes to test the novel intervention.  Baseline and post questionnaires (3 months after intervention) will be completed by care home staff to evaluate data related to HF knowledge and self-efficacy.  Focus groups will be held with staff to explore implementation processes and semi-structured interviews with HF residents will explore possible impacts of the intervention.  Data will be analysed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests and thematic analysis. 

Impact: The intervention will facilitate care home staff in developing anticipatory care plans alongside residents with HF.  We anticipate that this will lead to improved patient outcomes in the future.