The effects of a 24‐week interactive text message‐based mobile health intervention for enhancing self‐care behaviours of patients with heart failure: A quasi‐experimental study

AIMS: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of a 24‐week interactive text message‐based mobile health intervention (called) on enhancing the self‐care behaviours of patients with heart failure. BACKGROUND: Whether text message‐based mobile health intervention can be used to improve long‐term adherence to self‐care behaviours among heart failure patients remains unclear. DESIGN: A quasi‐experimental study with a pretest–post‐test design and repeated measures. METHODS: Data from 100 patients (mean age, 58.78 years; 83.0% men) were analysed. The intervention group (n = 50) used the program over 24 weeks, which consisted of weekly goal setting and interactive text messaging, while the control group (n = 50) received usual care. Trained research assistants collected data using self‐reported Likert questionnaires. Primary (self‐care behaviours) and secondary (health literacy, eHealth literacy, and disease knowledge) outcome variables were measured at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months after intervention for follow‐up. RESULTS: The findings showed that the intervention group demonstrated significantly better self‐care behaviours than the control group during the 6 months. Notably, the trajectory of self‐care behaviours of the patients in the intervention group showed a steep rise between the first‐ and third‐month follow‐up, followed by high stability between the third‐ and sixth‐month follow‐up. In addition, the intervention group had significantly higher disease knowledge than the control group at the first‐ and sixth‐month follow‐up. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the program, as an interactive text messaging service, may be an optimal strategy for improving long‐term adherence to self‐care behaviours through motivating and providing social support. RELEVANCE TO THE NURSING PRACTICE: The WithUs program can help nurses and other healthcare professionals to track patients' health indicators such as symptom severity, diet and physical activity. In addition, nurses can take an important role in evaluating the efficacy of the app in relation to patients' health outcome. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patients have completed a self‐reported questionnaire after providing informed consent.