Development of videoconferencing group educational program for patients with heart failure: A Delphi study.

BACKGROUND Despite the notable advancement in heart failure treatment and its preventive strategies, morbidity and number of deaths are still high and quality of life is poor. During COVID-19 pandemic, outpatient’s clinic visits and participation rates in face-to-face educational sessions are low. Telehealth modalities such as videoconferencing can help in delivering healthcare for patients, avoiding physical contact, and minimizing the exposure of healthcare providers to sick people. However, evidence for the effectiveness of using internet videoconferencing is still equivocal. OBJECTIVE To develop a feasible videoconferencing program for patients with heart failure that meets patients’ needs and preferences. METHODS The study involved two Delphi survey studies of three rounds each. The first Delphi survey involved healthcare staff to obtain a consensus of opinion on a proposed group videoconferencing program for patients with heart failure. The second Delphi study involved staff of the information technology center to obtain their consensus on the current capabilities, needs, barriers and facilitators of the healthcare system (providers) and patients (users) about information technology. Content analysis was used to analyze responses of participants in the first-Delphi round. Items resulting from the first-round analysis were summarized, listed, and rated (5-point Likert scale) in order to provide input and develop the second-round questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used for each item to determine whether consensus was achieved or not. The percent agreement or disagreement of participants was defined to be 80% or above to indicate their consensus. Data were collected between 2020 and 2021. RESULTS In Delphi 1 a group of items reached consensus. For example healthcare providers prefer sessions to be led by the cardiologists and cardiac nurses, moving from simple to a complex topic, and the dose of information and frequency should be varied according to the needs and severity of heart failure, In Delphi 2, the findings indicated that videoconferencing modality can be applied in Jordan. CONCLUSIONS This study addresses the equivocal evidence for the effectiveness of using internet videoconferencing and the lacking of the implementation challenges and ethics of these consultations between healthcare provider and patients. Establishing an effective videoconferencing program assists with meeting patients’ needs and preferences, accessing healthcare during COVID-19, reducing travel burden/costs as well as the risk of exposure to the virus, and ultimately improving clinical outcomes. This study will also capture attention of healthcare providers to perform further studies targeting videoconferencing heart failure management programs.