Active not recruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Telehealth Interventions for Cardiac Surgery

This research wants to see if using telehealth monitoring for people waiting for heart surgery is better than standard care. You'd be checked remotely for things like symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels. The main goals are to find out if this can make you feel better before surgery and stop you from needing to go to the hospital urgently. Patients will be put into two groups by chance: one gets the home monitoring, and the other gets the usual care. Doctors will then compare these groups to see if telehealth makes a difference in people's quality of life and helps prevent health problems while they wait for their operation.

At a glance

Status

Active not recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Enrolment target

318

Start

04 Apr 2023

Estimated completion

01 Dec 2025

Cardiac Valve Disease Coronary Artery Disease Surgical Complication

What is this study about?

When people are waiting for important heart surgery, their health can sometimes get worse, and they might need to go to the hospital unexpectedly. With longer waiting times common nowadays, doctors are looking for new ways to support patients and keep an eye on them from outside the hospital, especially after the pressures on healthcare from the Covid pandemic.

This study is trying to understand if using 'telehealth' – which means health care and advice given remotely using technology – can help. It involves checking on patients from their homes. This might include regular checks of your symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate, and how much oxygen is in your blood. The idea is that catching problems early could help prevent them from becoming serious and sending you to hospital.

However, it's also important to understand if this kind of monitoring truly helps. Scientists want to know if it improves how you feel day-to-day (your quality of life) and if it stops you from needing unplanned hospital visits. They also want to see if it encourages healthier habits before surgery. This study will help us understand the real benefits and any potential downsides of using telehealth for heart surgery patients.

Key takeaways

This study compares home monitoring with usual care for heart surgery patients.
It aims to improve patients' quality of life before surgery.
It wants to see if home monitoring can prevent serious health problems.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either monitoring or standard care.
The study helps us understand the usefulness of technology in pre-surgery care.

Who may be eligible?

This study is for adults aged 18 or over who have been told they need heart surgery and have agreed to have it. You must be able to understand the study and agree to take part.

However, you can't join if you need urgent or emergency surgery. Also, if your surgery is planned very soon – specifically, within three weeks of your first hospital appointment about your heart surgery – then this study might not be right for you.

Quick self-check

Are you 18 years old or older?
Have you been approved for planned heart surgery?
Can you give your consent to take part in a study?
Is your surgery *not* urgent or an emergency?
Is your surgery *not* planned within the next 3 weeks of your first hospital appointment for it?

This is a guide only — the research team will confirm whether you can take part.

What does participation involve?

If you join this study, you will be put into one of two groups by chance. One group will receive 'telehealth monitoring', where you'll use equipment at home to regularly check things like your blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, and activity. You'll also be asked about your symptoms. The other group will receive 'usual care', meaning you'll continue with your regular appointments and care as you would normally while waiting for surgery.

Researchers will then compare these two groups to see if telehealth makes a difference. The total time you would be involved in the study would depend on how long you wait for your surgery, as the monitoring or usual care continues until your operation. There are no extra hospital visits and no specific medications given as part of this study.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study could potentially help improve your quality of life before surgery and might help prevent serious health issues that could lead to an unplanned hospital visit. However, it's also possible that more monitoring could sometimes feel like an extra responsibility. The study will help us understand if these benefits outweigh any extra effort. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without affecting your standard care.

Locations (1)

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
Liverpool, United Kingdom

Common questions

What is 'telehealth monitoring'?

It means using technology from home, like devices that check your blood pressure, heart rate, or oxygen levels, and possibly apps to report how you're feeling, all while you wait for surgery.

Why is this study important?

It's important because it aims to find new ways to support people waiting for heart surgery, to make sure they stay as well as possible and to avoid unexpected hospital trips.

Will I still get my usual care if I'm in the study?

Yes, regardless of which group you're in, you will still receive the standard care and appointments you would normally get while waiting for your heart surgery.

What if my health gets worse during the study?

If you are in the telehealth group, the monitoring aims to help detect changes early. If you have concerns, you should always contact your healthcare team as you normally would.

How long does the study last?

Your involvement in the study will continue until you have your heart surgery, whether you are in the monitoring group or the usual care group.