Abstract
Background: Most studies assessing digital interventions for people with heart failure (HF) focus on clinical outcomes, and few include patient perspectives. Understanding patient experiences of the use of a digital HF platform along with community health worker (CHW) care as part of a digitally enabled CHW intervention can inform management of HF at home and improve the postdischarge phase of care.
Objective: This study aimed to identify patient perceptions related to the use of a digitally enabled CHW intervention.
Methods: This qualitative study included interviews with adults (aged ≥18 years) with HF who were assigned to the intervention arm of a pilot randomized controlled trial from September 2022 to June 2023. For 30 days after hospital discharge, intervention participants were paired with a CHW and instructed to use a digital platform that tracked biometrics (eg, heart rate, oxygenation, blood pressure, body weight, steps taken, and symptoms) and offered educational videos. In-depth interviews were conducted after the 30-day intervention was complete (between 31 and 45 days after hospital discharge). Key interview domains included barriers and facilitators to the intervention, use of remote monitoring in HF, and the role of CHWs in HF home care.
Results: Interviews with participants (N=19; mean age 62.1, SD 15.1 years) yielded five key themes: (1) the combined intervention was well received, and CHWs made the use of the digital platform more approachable; (2) the digital platform enhanced HF knowledge and confidence in self-care; (3) digital platform use was easy to integrate into daily routines; (4) in addition to assisting with navigation of unmet social needs (eg, transportation, insurance benefits, and food access), CHWs provided emotional support and increased motivation for clinical care plan adherence and platform use; and (5) connectivity issues and other technical challenges occurred with digital platform use.
Conclusions: The digital platform was easily integrated into patients’ daily routines. CHWs played a key role in making the platform more approachable for participant use. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of this intervention in larger HF populations over more extended time intervals.
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/55687
doi:10.2196/93288
Keywords
Introduction
Heart failure (HF) remains a leading cause of hospitalizations and readmissions in the United States and contributes to nearly 6.5 million inpatient hospital stays each year [-]. Despite policy changes, comprehensive case management strategies, and breakthroughs in pharmacological therapy [-], HF-related hospitalizations and their expenditures continue to rise []. This is, in part, driven by patients managing HF at home who often face numerous clinical (eg, tight dietary restrictions, rigid medication regimens, and daily symptom monitoring) and social (eg, transportation, food security, housing stability, and access to care) challenges [-]. These barriers are associated with worsening HF morbidity, mortality, and adverse outcomes [,]. Ultimately, these conditions can lead to HF exacerbations, increased use of urgent or emergent care, and missed opportunities for primary and preventive care after hospital discharge [].
Digital interventions, particularly in the postdischarge setting, have emerged as a promising tool to improve HF clinical outcomes [,]. Digital platforms that closely monitor vital signs, activity, and symptom data have helped improve the value of remote monitoring in managing HF at home [,]. Most digital studies in HF are focused on usability or efficacy relevant to clinical outcomes such as reducing hospitalizations and emergency department visits []. Few clinical trials assessing digital interventions in HF evaluate patient perspectives on their impressions of the digital intervention itself. Understanding the patient experience with digital interventions can inform key barriers and facilitators to managing HF care at home [,].
In a pilot randomized controlled trial [], a digitally enabled community health worker (CHW) intervention for patients with HF demonstrated intervention feasibility and improvements in managing HF at home. In the full sample (control: n=31; intervention: n=25), fewer participants in the intervention group were readmitted 30 days after hospital discharge compared to the control group (n=3, 12% vs n=8, 26%; P=.12). Both arms had similar rates of missed clinic appointments and emergency department visits. To understand the patient experience with combining a digital platform with social support from a CHW [], qualitative interviews were performed with intervention participants, who were paired with a CHW and instructed to use a digital platform. Our study aim was to better understand the barriers and facilitators associated with use of the digitally enabled CHW intervention, CHW home care, remote monitoring, and perceptions of digital health tools in a HF population.
Methods
Setting and Study Design
This was a qualitative study of participants who received the 30-day digitally enabled CHW intervention in a pilot randomized controlled trial. All participants had a diagnosis of HF listed on their problem list within the electronic medical record, were hospitalized at the time of enrollment, and had been hospitalized at least once in the 12 months prior to enrollment. Participants were initially identified for trial participation through inpatient electronic health records at an academic medical center. Intervention participants were paired with a CHW and the digital platform. The digital platform was connected to a mobile phone app with features including a digital weight scale, a digital blood pressure monitor, a symptom questionnaire, educational videos, and an arm-worn sensor monitoring oxygenation, steps taken daily, and heart rate. The pilot trial details, including procedural flow, inclusion criteria, and study design, are described in a previous publication []. Of the 19 participants who completed the intervention, 19 were successfully contacted for qualitative interviews.
Interview Protocol and Measures
All interviews were conducted after the intervention via telephone 31 to 45 days after hospital discharge, and interviews lasted 20 to 45 minutes in length. An interview guide was developed through key informant interviews with patients, HF specialists, qualitative research experts, senior scientists, health services researchers, and primary care physicians. This was coupled with a review of literature associated with prior qualitative HF studies []. The guide covered prespecified domains, and consistency was ensured by having all interviews conducted by a senior clinical researcher (NS). None of the researchers or coauthors in this study were involved in direct patient clinical care or the delivery of the trial intervention. Pretesting of the interview guide was performed with 3 participants; no additional modifications were made and the 3 pretesting participants were included in the full sample. The interview guide included 21 items in total, and major domains were barriers and facilitators to managing HF care at home, use of CHW care in HF at home, remote monitoring in HF, and perceptions related to use of technology in HF (). All procedures were approved by the Mass General Brigham Institutional Review Board (protocol number 2018P002014) on September 9, 2022, and all participants provided written informed consent.
Analysis
Transcripts from interviews were analyzed verbatim with the Dedoose (version 8.3.47b) platform. An analytic framework was developed based on the recurring themes that emerged during interviews. To optimize reliability, 2 members of the study team (NS and JC) independently reviewed the data, identified themes, and collaboratively applied the framework to categorize and interpret findings. Weekly meetings occurred for discussions focused on data interpretation and common themes. Content analysis was completed by each coder for each patient interview prior to meeting; this facilitated consensus for all generated codes. Intercoder reliability was achieved and any discrepancies were resolved with a third researcher (KD) with expertise in qualitative research and patient interviews. The available cohort was exhausted and all responses generated by interview participant responses were analyzed. Structured chart reviews were also performed via the electronic health record and stored in a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap; Vanderbilt University) database []. Data related to demographic information, insurance status, education, and major medical and psychiatric comorbidities were collected in the chart review.
Rigor
The research team used a formal report generated by the electronic medical record to identify eligible patients. Screening for eligibility was completed by research interns trained to assess eligibility, approach, and enroll participants as a part of standardized research procedures. Participants were not randomized to the intervention or control arm until all standardized study enrollment procedures were complete. Research interns were unaware of the randomization assignments until after all enrollment procedures were complete. In addition, the qualitative interview guide was developed to standardize questions asked of participants, probe any anticipated answers, and accurately capture the participant perspective. The research team was also mindful of the extent to which data can change over time during analysis and tracked all coding decisions meticulously. While the perspectives gathered from participants may not apply to those in other or non-HF populations, the themes may apply to other cohorts with similar characteristics. The small sample size facilitated in-depth and authentic interviews reflective of the patient experience. While the nature of qualitative studies can make replication challenging, the research focus was on gathering individual perspectives to add to the evidence base for HF care at home.
Ethical Considerations
Institutional review board approval was obtained from the Mass General Brigham Human Research Committee on September 9, 2022 (2018P002014). All enrolled participants provided written informed consent prior to this study. Data were anonymized before analysis to ensure confidentiality. All study data reported were deidentified. For remuneration, US $50 was provided to participants at the time of enrollment and an additional US $200 was provided after successful study completion. All methods were carried out in accordance with guidelines and regulations outlined by the Mass General Brigham Institutional Review Board.
Results
Of the 19 pilot trial intervention participants, 19 were interviewed () after completing the 30-day digitally enabled CHW intervention. Participant characteristics included a mean age of 62.1 (SD 15.1) years, with most participants identifying as male (n=10, 53%), White (n=11, 58%), and used Medicare (n=8, 42%) or commercial insurance (n=9, 47%). Thematic analysis identified 5 key themes, highlighting how participants experienced the integrated digital platform and CHW support. These themes are described below.
Theme 1: The Combined Intervention Was Well Received, and CHWs Made the Use of the Digital Platform More Approachable
One of the most common themes described by participants was how well the intervention worked in terms of helping them manage their HF at home. Several individuals emphasized that the platform and CHW outreach complemented one another by helping reduce anxiety about self- management and facilitate engagement in care. One participant noted the following:
I never felt overwhelmed by the platform or working with the CHW. Just the opposite. I felt that both eased a lot of anxieties I have and helped me to filter my way through the maze.
Participants also noted that CHW staff played a key role in making the digital platform more approachable, especially for those unfamiliar with the technology. This was particularly true for those that had not used digital platforms in the past.
Theme 2: The Digital Platform Enhanced HF Knowledge and Confidence in Self-Care
Participants reported that the intervention helped them better understand their HF and how their self-care behaviors directly impacted their health. Several individuals described gaining new knowledge about the importance of tracking vital signs, medication adherence, and recognizing early signs of exacerbation. As one participant noted,
This was really helpful to have the blood pressure and weight and a person that you could stay on track with. Otherwise, sometimes you could end up in the ED for something small if you didn’t have clear information or hear back from your PCP quickly enough.
Others described how education from the intervention and real-time feedback from the monitoring tools prompted changes in their behavior, including more consistent medication use and routine self-monitoring.
Theme 3: Digital Platform Use Was Easy to Integrate Into Daily Routines
Participants reported that the digital health platform fit easily into their daily routines and supported consistent engagement with self-care activities. Several individuals described the process of using the device as quick and manageable, with one noting,
My daily sessions with the technology were less than 10 minutes in the morning to do the blood pressure and weight which was great.
Others emphasized how the platform helped reinforce new habits for routine monitoring that they had previously struggled to adopt, despite prior clinical advice. A number of participants shared that the consistency of daily use also appeared to support habit formation over time.
Theme 4: In Addition to CHWs Assisting With Navigation of Social Barriers to Care, CHWs Provided Emotional Support and Motivation for Clinical Care Plan Adherence
Participants described CHW care as a consistent and accessible source of support during the intervention. Participants offered that CHWs assisted with helping clarify their care plans, providing accountability for managing their HF, and supporting use of the digital platform. One participant shared their CHW helped them stay on track through regular check-ins:
I did like having a person that I could speak with to keep me motivated - even just once a week or more if needed. I found it very helpful and supportive that there was somebody on the other end.
A number of participants cited CHW-specific education and health care coaching as an important part of the intervention. Participants also identified CHW staff as a key resource for addressing social needs. Reported areas of support included housing navigation, transportation to appointments, insurance benefit enrollment, and access to food or home health services.
Theme 5: Connectivity Issues and Other Technical Challenges Occurred With Digital Platform Use
Some participants described specific technical challenges with digital platform use. Most issues related to device connectivity, syncing delays, or sensor functionality. For example, as one participant shared,
The only problem I had was on occasion the blood pressure cuff did not register a pressure easily. So it took three or four tries before a readable pressure was there, but that was the only thing.
Other participants had intermittent issues with blood pressure measurement accuracy or precision. Participants expressed preferences to wear the arm sensor while showering for ease of use. As the digital platform’s mobile app was embedded in an Android phone that needed to be carried with participants when leaving their home, some participants expressed interest in having an app that could be used on their personal phone to avoid this. summarizes the 5 themes.
| Themes | Theme description | Quotes |
| Theme 1: the combined intervention was well received, and CHWs made the use of the digital platform more approachable. | Remote monitoring devices and app-based tools helped patients integrate health monitoring (blood pressure and weight) into daily routines, supporting adherence to care plans and fostering self-awareness of health. |
|
| Theme 2: the intervention enhanced HF knowledge and confidence in self-care. | Participants reported gaining a better understanding of their health condition and how self-care at home was connected to their overall health. |
|
| Theme 3: digital platform use was associated with ease of integration into daily routines. | Patients thought that the digital platform was easily integrated into their daily schedules and assisted with reminding them to adhere to clinical care plan details. |
|
| Theme 4: in addition to CHWs assisting with navigation of social barriers to care, CHWs provided emotional support and motivation for clinical care plan adherence. | Participants felt that CHWs helped address unmet social needs, improved their understanding of how to access needed resources, and provided important social support. |
|
| Theme 5: connectivity issues and other technical challenges occurred with digital platform use. | Participants identified several improvements for the intervention focused on the digital platform. |
|
aCHW: community health worker.
Discussion
Principal Findings
This study demonstrated that digital platform use was feasible and that CHW staff assisted in making the platform more approachable for patients. This work strengthens our understanding of the barriers and facilitators to home-based HF management by identifying patient experiences with a digitally enabled CHW intervention as a part of a pilot trial. Few studies have examined patient experience with digital health interventions in the context of clinical trials. This work deepens the context of patient-centered HF home management identified in our previous studies [,] and other prior qualitative studies on HF [].
Participants indicated that CHW care made the use of the digital platform more acceptable for patients. While CHW care is traditionally applied to social risk navigation [,], the use of CHWs specifically in digital trials for HF is novel and represents another way that CHWs can contribute to the landscape of care for patients facing HF at home []. Using CHW care along with HF digital platforms may help mitigate barriers to adoption and usability of digital platforms [-]. Despite patient hesitation regarding use of digital modalities to manage their health [], our study findings highlighted positive participant responses regarding use of the digital platform. A recent cross-sectional study of patients with HF found that while only 22% of respondents reported prior use of health-related mobile apps, 53% of respondents expressed interest in using one for future self-management []. This suggests that patient interest in use of digital platforms may exceed actual use. Coimplementation of digital strategies with CHW or navigator support, even for a time-limited initiation interval for patients, could be an effective strategy for lowering barriers to digital health adoption among patients with HF.
Participants indicated that routine completion of home-based self-management skills such as monitoring home blood pressure, weight, and taking medications improved with the intervention. This is consistent with other remote monitoring studies in HF and chronic disease [,]. While this intervention was only 30 days in length, management skill uptake and integration into daily routines is a critical first step toward reducing preventable readmissions and improving postdischarge care transitions. One national survey of recently hospitalized patients with HF found that those who tracked their weight daily were significantly more likely to seek help for fluid retention than those who did not []. A number of small observational studies and trials evaluating mobile apps in HF populations have noted similar findings with improved clinician-patient communication, self-care, and engagement [,].
Given the established link between unmet social needs and heightened risk of HF readmission [,], our findings underscore the value of CHW care in efforts to help reduce risk associated with urgent and emergent care use. Participants indicated that CHW staff were helpful in assisting with navigating unmet social needs such as receiving assistance with housing, transportation, older adult services, and federal benefits navigation. By addressing health-related social needs such as those that are often associated with increased health care use, CHW care can improve care at home after discharge. These findings align with CHW core competencies and emphasize the impact of CHWs in chronic disease management [-]. In some cases, participants also reported learning how to engage with service agencies independently, suggesting that the intervention promoted some skill-building in this area.
We found that although participants frequently credited CHW care with enhancing their clinical knowledge of HF through personalized health care coaching, few used the digital library of educational videos associated with the mobile app. These videos were expected to be a key source of asynchronous learning and skill-based reinforcement for patients. However, despite frequent use of other aspects of the digital platform (eg, digital blood pressure cuff, weight scale, and daily questionnaire), few participants watched the videos with regularity despite encouragement from CHWs. This highlights the challenge associated with how patients access aspects of digital interventions. In retrospect, the 3-item task list for daily completion of platform activities that patients used each day did not include the videos as an itemized task. Incorporation of an option to watch educational videos as a part of the task list may augment use if adopted in future mobile app iterations.
Finally, several participants identified technical challenges related to digital platform use. Prior to the performance of this study, we conducted an open pilot trial (single arm) specifically designed to optimize workflow integration and identification of any technical issues related to the digital platform []. Despite the identification and reconciliation of digital platform connectivity, syncing, capture, and accuracy issues in the prior open pilot trial, participants in this study experienced a number of technical challenges. Previous studies have shown that technical glitches in remote monitoring devices can lead to decreased patient adherence and trust [,]. In HF-focused digital platforms, the importance of reliable operability and connectivity cannot be overemphasized []. Ultimately, performance accuracy and precision will decide which digital platforms merit larger-scale integration in health systems.
Limitations
This study has limitations. First, participants were recruited from a single large urban academic medical center, which may limit the generalizability of findings for patients in community or rural health systems. Second, because enrollment was limited to patients recently hospitalized for HF, the sample may reflect individuals with greater clinical and social complexity than the broader HF population. Although there are numerous studies examining digital platforms in HF cohorts [,] and examining CHW care in chronic disease or cardiovascular populations [,], the ability to discern specific effects of either the digital platform or CHW care alone within this study is limited. Although the study guide was comprehensive and thematic saturation was achieved, some patient perspectives may have still been underrepresented, particularly those of individuals who were less engaged. Finally, resource constraints limited trial enrollment eligibility to those with English proficiency, which may have excluded specific perceptions experienced by those patients fluent in languages other than English. We also acknowledge that insights from the control group were not included here and may have provided additional findings. Despite this, we believe that these limitations were balanced by a robust study design with authentic responses gathered from participants engaged in this study.
Conclusions
This qualitative study demonstrated that patients with HF reported positive experiences with a digitally enabled CHW intervention. Most of the participants expressed that the components of the intervention worked well together and that the CHW care reduced barriers to platform use. These findings can inform digital and CHW home HF management for cardiac and primary care teams caring for this population. Further research is needed to better understand the facilitators and barriers to implementing this type of intervention in larger HF populations.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to extend their special thanks to research study team leaders Susan Hassan, BS; Yadira Reyes-Richards, BS; and Anne Walton, RN. The authors also thank MGH Primary Care, the MGH Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, and the MGH Division of General Internal Medicine. Generative artificial intelligence tools were not used in any portion of this manuscript.
Funding
This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1K23HL150287-01) awarded to JC. AT was also supported by the NHLBI (grant K24 HL163073). The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Data Availability
Deidentified data may be obtained upon request by contacting the corresponding author with a descriptive proposal stating the purpose of the data request.
Authors' Contributions
Conceptualization: JC (lead), AT (supporting)
Methodology: JC (lead), YR-R (supporting), AT (supporting), KD (supporting)
Software: JC (lead), NS (supporting)
Validation: JC (lead)
Formal analysis: JC (lead), NS (supporting)
Investigation: JC (lead), YR-R (supporting), AT (supporting), KD (supporting)
Resources: AT (lead), KD (supporting)
Data curation: JC (lead), NS (supporting)
Writing – original draft: JC (lead), YR-R (supporting)
Writing – review and editing: JC (lead), AT (supporting), NR (supporting)
Visualization: JC (lead), NS (supporting)
Supervision: JC (lead)
Project administration: JC (lead), NS (supporting)
Funding acquisition: JC (lead)
Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
References
- Clark KAA, Reinhardt SW, Chouairi F, et al. Trends in heart failure hospitalizations in the US from 2008 to 2018. J Card Fail. Feb 2022;28(2):171-180. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Bozkurt B, Ahmad T, Alexander KM, et al. Heart failure epidemiology and outcomes statistics: a report of the Heart Failure Society of America. J Card Fail. Oct 2023;29(10):1412-1451. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Kazi DS, Elkind MS, Deutsch A, et al. Forecasting the economic burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke in the United States through 2050: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. Jul 23, 2024;150(4):e89-e101. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Gupta A, Fonarow GC. The hospital readmissions reduction program: evidence for harm. JACC Heart Fail. Jul 2018;6(7):607-609. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Osenenko KM, Kuti E, Deighton AM, Pimple P, Szabo SM. Burden of hospitalization for heart failure in the United States: a systematic literature review. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. Feb 2022;28(2):157-167. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Patel J, Rassekh N, Fonarow GC, et al. Guideline-directed medical therapy for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Drugs. Jun 2023;83(9):747-759. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Heidenreich PA, Fonarow GC, Opsha Y, et al. Economic issues in heart failure in the United States. J Card Fail. Mar 2022;28(3):453-466. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Azizi Z, Golbus JR, Spaulding EM, et al. Challenge of optimizing medical therapy in heart failure: unlocking the potential of digital health and patient engagement. J Am Heart Assoc. Jan 16, 2024;13(2):e030952. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Jiang Y, Wang W. Health promotion and self-management among patients with chronic heart failure. In: Haugan G, Eriksson M, editors. Health Promotion in Health Care: Vital Theories and Research. Springer; 2021. [CrossRef]
- Bazoukis G, Loscalzo J, Hall JL, Bollepalli SC, Singh JP, Armoundas AA. Impact of social determinants of health on cardiovascular disease. J Am Heart Assoc. Mar 4, 2025;14(5):e039031. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Fonarow GC, Abraham WT, Albert NM, et al. Factors identified as precipitating hospital admissions for heart failure and clinical outcomes: findings from OPTIMIZE-HF. Arch Intern Med. Apr 28, 2008;168(8):847-854. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Jacobs JA, Ayodele I, Bress AP, et al. Social determinants of health and disparities in guideline-directed medical therapy optimization for heart failure. Circ Heart Fail. Jan 2025;18(1):e012357. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Morris A, Shah KS, Enciso JS, et al. The impact of health care disparities on patients with heart failure. J Card Fail. Jul 2022;28(7):1169-1184. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Cowie MR, Lam CS. Remote monitoring and digital health tools in CVD management. Nat Rev Cardiol. Jul 2021;18(7):457-458. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Stevenson LW, Ross HJ, Rathman LD, Boehmer JP. Remote monitoring for heart failure management at home. J Am Coll Cardiol. Jun 13, 2023;81(23):2272-2291. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Koehler F, Koehler K, Deckwart O, et al. Efficacy of telemedical interventional management in patients with heart failure (TIM-HF2): a randomised, controlled, parallel-group, unmasked trial. Lancet. Sep 22, 2018;392(10152):1047-1057. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- McBeath KC, Angermann CE, Cowie MR. Digital technologies to support better outcome and experience of care in patients with heart failure. Curr Heart Fail Rep. Jun 2022;19(3):75-108. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Hepburn J, Williams L, McCann L. Barriers to and facilitators of digital health technology adoption among older adults with chronic diseases: updated systematic review. JMIR Aging. Sep 11, 2025;8:e80000. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Carter JA, Swack N, Isselbacher E, Donelan K, Thorndike A. Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a combined digital platform and community health worker intervention for patients with heart failure: pilot randomized controlled trial. JMIR Cardio. Aug 8, 2024;8:e59948. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Carson SL, Hong C, Behforouz H, et al. Mechanisms for community health worker action on patient-, institutional-, and community-level barriers to primary care in a safety-net setting. J Ambul Care Manage. 2022;45(1):22-35. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Carter J, Donelan K, Thorndike AN. Patient perspectives on home-based care and remote monitoring in heart failure: a qualitative study. J Prim Care Community Health. 2022;13:21501319221133672. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Harris PA, Taylor R, Thielke R, Payne J, Gonzalez N, Conde JG. Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)--a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support. J Biomed Inform. Apr 2009;42(2):377-381. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Vanneste A, Barbier L, Missotten R, et al. Heart failure patients’ perspectives on treatment outcomes and unmet medical needs: a qualitative preference study. ESC Heart Fail. Oct 2024;11(5):3075-3084. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Larson EK, Ingram M, Dougherty E, et al. Centering the role of community health workers in social risk screening, referral, and follow-up within the primary care setting. BMC Prim Care. Sep 13, 2024;25(1):338. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Carter J, Hassan S, Walton A. Meeting the needs of vulnerable primary care patients without COVID-19 infections during the pandemic: observations from a community health worker lens. J Prim Care Community Health. 2022;13:21501319211067669. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Feroz AS, Khoja A, Saleem S. Equipping community health workers with digital tools for pandemic response in LMICs. Arch Public Health. Jan 4, 2021;79(1):1. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Bertolazzi A, Quaglia V, Bongelli R. Barriers and facilitators to health technology adoption by older adults with chronic diseases: an integrative systematic review. BMC Public Health. Feb 16, 2024;24(1):506. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Frishammar J, Essén A, Bergström F, Ekman T. Digital health platforms for the elderly? Key adoption and usage barriers and ways to address them. Technol Forecast Soc Change. Apr 2023;189:122319. [CrossRef]
- Zaman SB, Khan RK, Evans RG, Thrift AG, Maddison R, Islam SM. Exploring barriers to and enablers of the adoption of information and communication technology for the care of older adults with chronic diseases: scoping review. JMIR Aging. Jan 7, 2022;5(1):e25251. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Borges do Nascimento IJ, Abdulazeem H, Vasanthan LT, et al. Barriers and facilitators to utilizing digital health technologies by healthcare professionals. NPJ Digit Med. Sep 18, 2023;6(1):161. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Leigh JW, Gerber BS, Gans CP, Kansal MM, Kitsiou S. Smartphone ownership and interest in mobile health technologies for self-care among patients with chronic heart failure: cross-sectional survey study. JMIR Cardio. Jan 14, 2022;6(1):e31982. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Lee SG, Blood AJ, Cannon CP, et al. Remote cardiovascular hypertension program enhanced blood pressure control during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Am Heart Assoc. Mar 21, 2023;12(6):e027296. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Blood AJ, Cannon CP, Gordon WJ, et al. Results of a remotely delivered hypertension and lipid program in more than 10 000 patients across a diverse health care network. JAMA Cardiol. Jan 1, 2023;8(1):12-21. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Tong CW, Kanwal A, Sharma GV, Bither C, Walsh MN, Byrd K, et al. Acute decompensated heart failure: the need for the patient’s perspective. Cardiology Magazine. Jul 23, 2020. URL: https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2020/07/01/12/42/acute-decompensated-heart-failure-the-need-for-the-patients-perspective [Accessed 2026-05-27]
- Bezerra Giordan L, Ronto R, Chau J, Chow C, Laranjo L. Use of mobile apps in heart failure self-management: qualitative study exploring the patient and primary care clinician perspective. JMIR Cardio. Apr 20, 2022;6(1):e33992. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Azizi Z, Broadwin C, Islam S, et al. Digital health interventions for heart failure management in underserved rural areas of the United States: a systematic review of randomized trials. J Am Heart Assoc. Jan 16, 2024;13(2):e030956. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Sterling MR, Ringel JB, Pinheiro LC, et al. Social determinants of health and 30-day readmissions among adults hospitalized for heart failure in the REGARDS study. Circ Heart Fail. Jan 2022;15(1):e008409. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Enard KR, Coleman AM, Yakubu RA, Butcher BC, Tao D, Hauptman PJ. Influence of social determinants of health on heart failure outcomes: a systematic review. J Am Heart Assoc. Feb 7, 2023;12(3):e026590. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Covert H, Sherman M, Miner K, Lichtveld M. Core competencies and a workforce framework for community health workers: a model for advancing the profession. Am J Public Health. Feb 2019;109(2):320-327. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Kangovi S, Mitra N, Grande D, Long JA, Asch DA. Evidence-based community health worker program addresses unmet social needs and generates positive return on investment. Health Aff (Millwood). Feb 2020;39(2):207-213. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Jack HE, Arabadjis SD, Sun L, Sullivan EE, Phillips RS. Impact of community health workers on use of healthcare services in the United States: a systematic review. J Gen Intern Med. Mar 2017;32(3):325-344. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Taylor ML, Thomas EE, Vitangcol K, et al. Digital health experiences reported in chronic disease management: an umbrella review of qualitative studies. J Telemed Telecare. Dec 2022;28(10):705-717. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Main A, McCartney H, Ibrar M, et al. Patients’ experiences of digital health interventions for the self-management of chronic pain: systematic review and thematic synthesis. J Med Internet Res. Mar 18, 2025;27:e69100. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Castiello T, Hill L, Man S, Elseidy S, Griffin D, Schuuring MJ. Digital solutions in HF education: what can patients and clinicians gain? Curr Heart Fail Rep. Jan 9, 2026;23(1):4. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Brahmbhatt DH, Ross HJ, O’Sullivan M, et al. The effect of using a remote patient management platform in optimizing guideline-directed medical therapy in heart failure patients: a randomized controlled trial. JACC Heart Fail. Apr 2024;12(4):678-690. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Johnson AE, Routh S, Taylor CN, et al. Developing and implementing an mHealth heart failure self-care program to reduce readmissions: randomized controlled trial. JMIR Cardio. Mar 21, 2022;6(1):e33286. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Krantz MJ, Coronel SM, Whitley EM, Dale R, Yost J, Estacio RO. Effectiveness of a community health worker cardiovascular risk reduction program in public health and health care settings. Am J Public Health. Jan 2013;103(1):e19-e27. [CrossRef] [Medline]
- Allen JK, Himmelfarb CR, Szanton SL, Bone L, Hill MN, Levine DM. COACH trial: a randomized controlled trial of nurse practitioner/community health worker cardiovascular disease risk reduction in urban community health centers: rationale and design. Contemp Clin Trials. May 2011;32(3):403-411. [CrossRef] [Medline]
Abbreviations
| CHW: community health worker |
| HF: heart failure |
| REDCap: Research Electronic Data Capture |
Edited by Andrew Coristine; submitted 15.Mar.2026; peer-reviewed by Samual Turnbull; final revised version received 16.May.2026; accepted 18.May.2026; published 04.Jun.2026.
Copyright© Jocelyn Carter, Natalia Swack, Narmeen Rehman, Yadira Reyes-Richards, Karen Donelan, Anne Thorndike. Originally published in JMIR Cardio (https://cardio.jmir.org), 4.Jun.2026.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Cardio, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://cardio.jmir.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

