SETAF patient interviews

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is
the most common arrythmia and is associated with costly morbidity such as
stroke and heart failure. Mobile health (mHealth) has potential to help bridge
the gaps of traditional healthcare models that may be poorly suited to the
sporadic nature of AF. The Self-management and Educational
technology support Tool for AF patients (SETAF) was designed based on the
preferences and needs of AF patients but more study is required to assess the acceptance
of this novel tool.

Objective: Explore the usability and
acceptance of SETAF among AF patients in Singapore

Methods: A mixed methods study was
conducted with AF patients who were purposively sampled from an outpatient
cardiology clinic in Singapore. After 6 weeks of using SETAF, semi-structured
interviews were performed, and data were analyzed inductively following a
thematic analysis approach. Results from a short 4-item survey and application
usage data were also analyzed descriptively. Both qualitative and quantitative results
were organized and presented following the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
framework.

Results: A total of 37 patients
participated in the study and 19 were interviewed. Participants perceived SETAF
as useful for improving AF knowledge, self-management and access to healthcare
providers and was easy to use due to the guided tutorial and user-friendly
interface. They also identified the need for better personalization of content,
psychosocial support features and reduction of language barriers. Application
usage data revealed preference for AF related content and decreased interaction
with the motivational message component of SETAF over time. Overall, most of
the participants would continue using SETAF and were willing to pay for it.

Conclusions: AF patients in Singapore
found SETAF useful and acceptable as a tool for AF management. The insights
from this study not only support the potential of mHealth but may also
inform the design and implementation of future mHealth tools for AF patients.