Improving kNowledge Transfer to Efficaciously RAise the level of Contemporary Treatment in Heart Failure (INTERACT-in-HF): Study protocol of a mixed methods study

Abstract

Heart failure is a complex disease with poor outcome. This complexity may prevent care providers from covering all aspects of care. This could not only be relevant for individual patient care, but also for care organisation. Disease management programmes applying a multidisciplinary approach are recommended to improve heart failure care. However, there is a scarcity of research considering how disease management programme perform, in what form they should be offered, and what care and support patients and care providers would benefit most. Therefore, the Improving kNowledge Transfer to Efficaciously Raise the level of Contemporary Treatment in Heart Failure (INTERACT-in-HF) study aims to explore the current processes of heart failure care and to identify factors that may facilitate and factors that may hamper heart failure care and guideline adherence. Within a cross-sectional mixed method design in three regions of the North-West part of Europe, patients (n = 88) and their care providers (n = 59) were interviewed. Prior to the in-depth interviews, patients were asked to complete three questionnaires: The Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge scale, The European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale and The global health status and social economic status. In parallel, retrospective data based on records from these (n = 88) and additional patients (n = 82) are reviewed. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim for analysis.

Keywords: Heart failure; access; and evaluation; care providers; healthcare quality; interviews; mixed methods; organisation and administration.

Figure 1.

Study timeline and mixed methods study design. HF: heart failure; QUAL: Qualitative; QUAN: quantitative.

Figure 2.

Sample selection. (a) Maastricht, (b) Aachen and (c) Noorder-Kempen. I: interview; D: data; GP: general practitioner; HF: heart failure.

Figure 2.

Sample selection. (a) Maastricht, (b) Aachen and (c) Noorder-Kempen. I: interview; D: data; GP: general practitioner; HF: heart failure.