Self-care Management Intervention in Heart Failure (SMART-HF): A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Self-care behavior is important in avoiding hospitalization for patients with heart failure (HF) and refers to those activities performed with the intention of improving or restoring health and well-being, as well as treating or preventing disease. The purpose was to study the effects of a home-based mobile device on self-care behavior and hospitalizations in a representative HF-population.

Methods and results: SMART-HF is a randomized controlled multicenter clinical trial, where patients were randomized 1:1 to receive standard care (control group [CG]) or intervention with a home-based tool designed to enhance self-care behavior (intervention group [IG]) and followed for 240 days. The tool educates the patient about HF, monitors objective and subjective symptoms and adjusts loop diuretics. The primary outcome is self-care as measured by the European Heart Failure Self-care behavior scale and the secondary outcome is HF related in-hospital days.A total of 124 patients were recruited and 118 were included in the analyses (CG: n = 60, IG: n = 58). The mean age was 79 years, 39% were female, and 45% had an ejection fraction of less than 40%. Self-care was significantly improved in the IG compared to the CG (median (interquartile range) (21.5 [13.25; 28] vs 26 [18; 29.75], p = 0.014). Patients in the IG spent significantly less time in the hospital admitted for HF (2.2 days less, relative risk 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.74, P = .001).

Conclusions: The device significantly improved self-care behavior and reduced in-hospital days in a relevant HF population.