A WeChat-Based Rehabilitation Platform for Children and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Disease to Promote Cardiac FITness (HeartFIT): Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Strategy from Evidence-Based Design to Pilot Study

Abstract

Yuan Li,1– 3,* Yaxin Zhou,4,5,* Miao Chen,6 Mei R Fu,7 Biru Luo,1– 3 Pengming Yu,4,5,8 Hong Zheng,1,9 Fangfei Liu1,9 1Nursing Department, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 3West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 4Rehabilitation Medicine Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 5West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 7Rutgers University, School of Nursing, Camden, NJ, USA; 8Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 9Department of Pediatric Cardiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Biru Luo, Nursing Department, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 20, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People’s Republic of China, Tel [phone], Email [email protected] Miao Chen, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People’s Republic of China, Tel [phone], Email [email protected]: Progress in medical and surgical care has tremendously improved the survival rates of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, reduced aerobic capacity and health-related issues remain a threaten to quality survival and prevention of related complications among children and adolescents with CHD. This research program aims to develop and evaluate a WeChat-based health platform (HeartFIT) to facilitate cardiac rehabilitation and promote physical fitness for this rapidly expanding young population. The study protocol describes the use of an iterative process of using a mixed-methods strategy to develop, refine, and pilot test the proposed HeartFIT platform. A sequential problem-solving process comprising four iterative phases with ongoing end-user input will be implemented. In phase 1, relevant literature was systematically reviewed (completed) and then child-parent dyads will be interviewed to understand the broad context and the requirements and considerations of the target population toward the WeChat-based rehabilitation platform. In phase 2, key features and priority functionalities for the platform will be ideated and refined, and a digital interactive prototype will be created. In phase 3, heuristic evaluation and three rounds of end-user testing will be conducted to ensure further refinement and usability of the prototype. In phase 4, a prospective pilot study will be performed to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the developed platform over a 12-week intervention period. If HeartFIT intervention is feasible, acceptable, and demonstrates promising efficacy, an adequately powered randomized controlled trial (future work) will be deployed to test the real-world effectiveness of the intervention.Keywords: congenital heart disease, physical activity, exercise therapy, cardiorespiratory fitness, digital health intervention, user-centered design

Keywords

• congenital heart disease
• physical activity
• exercise therapy
• cardiorespiratory fitness
• digital health intervention
• user-centered design