Not yet recruitingOBSERVATIONAL

A Study on Remote Health Support for Patients With Heart Failure.

This study, called RAPHAEL, explores how remote support can help people with heart failure in the UK. Researchers want to see if using a digital questionnaire at home to keep track of symptoms and support needs is practical, useful, and straightforward to integrate into regular heart failure care. It focuses on people experiencing worsening symptoms or needing extra support. Over four weeks, participants will complete a digital questionnaire, and their healthcare team will use this information as part of their usual care. The main goal is to understand how well this remote monitoring system works in practice, rather than testing new drugs or devices. It aims to make sure that people with heart failure get the right support at the right time.

At a glance

Status

Not yet recruiting

Sponsor

Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Enrolment target

Start

01 Mar 2026

Estimated completion

01 Jul 2026

Heart Failure

What is this study about?

This study, called RAPHAEL, is looking into how we can provide better support for people living with heart failure. We know that living with heart failure can be challenging, especially if your symptoms get worse or you need extra care. This research aims to see if a system where you answer questions about your symptoms and needs using a digital questionnaire from home can be a helpful and easy way to monitor your health. The idea is to connect you more closely with your healthcare team, even when you're not in the clinic.

Throughout the study, if you participate, you'll be asked to complete a simple digital questionnaire over a four-week period. This questionnaire is designed to help your healthcare team understand how you're feeling, any new symptoms, or if you need additional support. Your healthcare team will then review your answers as part of your regular care, just as they would with any other information they gather about your health. It's important to know that this study is not testing new medications or medical devices; it's about seeing if this way of checking in with you works well and is helpful.

The main goal of the RAPHAEL study is to find out if this remote monitoring approach is practical, whether people find it easy to use and benefit from it, and if healthcare professionals can easily fit it into their routines. By understanding these things, we hope to improve how healthcare support is delivered to people with heart failure in their everyday lives, making sure they receive timely and appropriate care.

Key takeaways

This study explores a new way to support people with heart failure from home.
It uses a digital questionnaire to monitor symptoms and support needs.
Participation involves answering questions over four weeks, without changing your usual treatment.
The goal is to improve how heart failure care is delivered in the future.
There are no new drugs or devices involved, only a focus on care coordination.

Who may be eligible?

To take part in this study, you need to be an adult (18 years or older) living with heart failure according to current medical guidelines and living at home. You should also have symptoms that are getting worse or meet certain criteria suggesting you might benefit from extra support, often referred to as palliative care needs. This includes questions like whether your doctors would be surprised if you died within a year, if you've had frequent hospital visits for heart failure, or if you're experiencing ongoing difficult symptoms despite your current treatments.

You or someone close to you must be able to use technology, such as having internet access or a smartphone/tablet, or having someone who can help you with it. It's also important that you're able to understand and agree to take part in the study.

There are a few reasons why you might not be able to join. For example, if you're having many hospital visits for reasons unrelated to your heart failure, or if you have severe memory problems or language difficulties that would make it hard to participate. Also, you can't be in another study at the same time that would conflict with this one.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years or older with heart failure, living at home?
Are your heart failure symptoms getting worse, or do you feel you need extra support?
Do you or someone who can help you have access to the internet and a smartphone/tablet?
Are you able to understand and agree to take part in a study?
Are you NOT currently having multiple hospital visits for reasons unrelated to your heart problem?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part, your involvement will be quite straightforward. For a period of four weeks, you will be asked to complete a structured digital questionnaire from home. This questionnaire is designed to gather information about your symptoms and support needs. You won't need to take any new medicines or use experimental devices. Your current medical care and any decisions about your treatment will remain entirely with your usual healthcare team, just as always. Your healthcare professionals will review your questionnaire answers and may contact you based on the information you provide, following their usual practice. This study doesn't involve extra visits to the clinic; the main interaction is through the digital questionnaire over the four-week period. The total duration of your active participation will be these four weeks.

Potential risks and benefits

Participating in this study might offer the benefit of more consistent monitoring of your heart failure symptoms and support needs, potentially leading to timelier adjustments to your care by your healthcare team. It's also an opportunity to contribute to improving care for others with heart failure in the future. As this is an observational study and doesn't involve experimental treatments, the direct physical risks are considered very low. The main potential inconvenience might be the time taken to complete the digital questionnaire. You are absolutely free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your usual medical care.

Locations (9)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Universitaetsklinikum Aachen
Verified postcode
Aachen, Germany
Università Degli Studi Di Brescia
Verified postcode
Brescia, Italy
Vilniaus Universitetas
Verified postcode
Vilnius, Lithuania
Universiteit Maastricht
Verified postcode
Maastricht, Netherlands
Uniwersytet Medyczny Im Piastow Slaskich We Wroclawiu
Verified postcode
Wroclaw, Poland
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Verified postcode
Barcelona, Spain
Linkopings Universitet
Verified postcode
Linköping, Sweden
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
Verified postcode
Lausanne, Switzerland
University College London
Verified postcode
London, United Kingdom

Common questions

What is 'heart failure' in simple terms?

Heart failure means your heart isn't pumping blood around your body as well as it should. It can lead to symptoms like breathlessness, tiredness, and swollen legs.

What does 'remote monitoring' mean?

Remote monitoring means checking your health from a distance, typically using technology like a smartphone or computer. In this study, it involves answering digital questionnaires from your home.

Will this study change my current heart failure treatment?

No, this study will not change your current medications or treatment plan. All medical decisions remain with your usual healthcare team.

What is 'palliative care' in this context?

In this study, 'palliative care needs' refers to needing extra support to help with symptoms, comfort, and general well-being, not just end-of-life care. It's about living as well as possible with your condition.

How long do I need to be in the study?

If you participate, you will be asked to complete digital questionnaires over a four-week period.

How to find out more

Cristina Monforte, Phd

cmonforte@uic.es +34652428214 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.