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Heart Failure Patients: User Journey

Delivered November 15, 2019. Contributor: Benjamin H.

Goals

To understand the user journey of a patient that is diagnosed with heart failure. This should include the tools used during the journey as well as the biggest pain points or unmet needs of these heart failure patients.

Early Findings

  • According to a study that analyzed 214 patients that were hospitalized due to heart failure in Poland, it was found that "for 55% of rehospitalized patients, the subsequent admission was within 3 months after initial discharge".
  • Cardiac patients were the most likely group to receive diuretics, β-blockers, MRA, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB).
  • After discharge from the hospital, more than 90% of patients in the cardiac ward were "referred to cardiac ambulatory care".
  • About 735,000 people in the United States have a heart attack yearly.
  • In a 2005 survey, the majority of respondents (92%) "recognized chest pain as a symptom of a heart attack". However, just 27% of respondents were aware of all the major symptoms of heart attack.
  • Although treatment for heart failure often starts in hospitals, a large part of ongoing care happens at home.
  • A major challenge for many people with heart failure is "self-care and adopting an active role in managing their condition".

Proposed next steps:

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Our background search has provided a few insights into the journey and challenges of heart failure patients. We recommend the following: 1) Further research to provide the user journey of a patient that is diagnosed with heart failure. This should take into account the journey in pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, hospitalization, outpatient, and any re-hospitalizations. 2) Further research to provide 'who' (for example, doctors/family/insurers) and 'what' (for example, physical/digital tools) heart failure patients are interacting with at different parts of the journey. 3) 3-5 of the major/biggest unmet needs (challenges or pain points) of heart failure patients.
Our first proposal allows us to provide a more detailed response regarding the user journey for heart failure patients. However, as an alternative, we may provide a brief overview (within 3 hours of research). Here the research team would provide the user journey of a patient that is diagnosed with heart failure, taking into account the journey in pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, hospitalization, outpatient, and any re-hospitalizations.
Also, we recommend further research to provide 3-5 of the major challenges/pain-points experienced by doctors who treat heart failure patients.