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Volume 5, Issue 8(Suppl) J Nurs Care 2016
ISSN: 2167-1168 JNC, an open access journal
Page 30
Euro Nursing 2016
October 17-19, 2016
conferenceseries.com
15th Euro Nursing & Medicare Summit
October 17-19, 2016 Rome, Italy
Avatar-based smartphone application as a heart failure education strategy: A feasibility study
Anne-Marie Uebbing
Mount Saint Mary College, USA
Purpose: Managing heart failure (HF) is a challenging clinical priority. Poorly managed HF results in frequent, costly and
protracted recurrent hospital admissions. The Institute of Medicine’s Report, (2010) and the Centers for Medicaid andMedicare
guidelines have demanded that effective measures be taken to reduce this costly health dilemma. Innovative strategy tools for
HF patient education thus far have not included the use of avatar media in smartphone application. Avatars have served as
virtual 3 –dimensional replicas of patients and patient coaches for other health conditions’ management Smartphone-based
applications. This feasibility study will examine the potential benefits of this strategy on self-care as it correlates to improvement
in maintaining a health regimen that results in a reduction in HF hospital acute care admissions. The ultimate objective is to
support improved community-based patient health outcomes.
Methods: Two cohorts of patient participants between the ages of 18 and 65 years with a diagnosis of Stage II HF will be
recruited and randomly assigned during Day 1 of hospital admission to either the intervention group or the standard care
group. Participants in both groups will receive face-to face HF education and assessed daily following a 25 minute patient
education teach-back method beginning on day 2 of hospital admission (patient health-status permitting). Upon discharge
both cohorts will be followed weekly for 30 days. The intervention group will be monitored daily via Smartphone avatar-based
prompts and patient-driven agenda (targeting medication adherence, exercise and diet regimen, emotional/moral wellbeing,
and patient reported biometrics (daily wireless morning weight and blood pressure, readings as well as medication, activity and
daily journal app data). The intervention group data will be monitored at 24 hours, 72 hours post discharge and, subsequently,
weekly by a dedicated HF nurse. Data from both sources will be stored on a HF unit database. Both participant groups will be
assessed weekly for reduction in acute illness and hospital readmission and adherence to HF regimen and self-care goals until
the 30 day endpoint of the study. Validity tools will include Motivational Interviewing and the Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge
Scale. Clinical partner: HF Unit in a tertiary care hospital in New York’s Hudson Valley region.
Results: Anticipated results should demonstrate improved clinical outcomes as specified in the methods section for the
intervention group participants as compared to the control group. Close daily interaction of the patient receiving frequent
individualized avatar-based Smartphone intervention that includes an assessment of biometric and self-management skills
should aid in the application and reinforcement of self-care skills thus increasing participants’ likelihood to curtail or reduce
acute care hospitalization.
Implications for Clinical Practice: This feasibility study seeks to investigate a new patient teaching strategy to improve HF
clinical outcomes thus supporting clinicians who are challenged to address how to balance the increasing demands of higher
acuity patients. It is hoped that this avatar-based Smartphone application will engage patients to take greater control of their
health management thus improving self-health management and reducing the re-entry of patients to acute care settings. If
clinical outcomes demonstrate improved efficacy this intervention should be further tested in multiple clinical settings and
applied to other health conditions.
Biography:
Professor Uebbing is a practicing board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner - Internal Medicine, with a specialty focus in pulmonary care. Professor Uebbing
previously taught as an adjunct at New York University and Pace University before relocating to the Hudson Valley.
Anne-Marie Uebbing, J Nurs Care 2016, 5:8(Suppl)