Walfridsson Ulla, Brohede David, Walfridsson Håkan
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Clinical and Digital Psychology, Psykologpartners W&W AB, Linköping, Sweden.
Cardiovasc Digit Health J. 2020 Nov 13;1(3):160-168. doi: 10.1016/j.cvdhj.2020.11.003. eCollection 2020 Nov-Dec.
In the structured care of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), education is compulsory. Patients search for information but sources of reliable information are sparse. ASK FOR IT, an internet- and guideline-based educational program, offers such information.
To describe the development of ASK FOR IT, report on a pilot study, and present the design of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the benefits of ASK FOR IT in addition to standard care on symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and health economy.
ASK FOR IT was developed by healthcare providers, patients, and a psychologist. ASK FOR IT contains 6 parts: basic mechanisms, symptoms, treatment options, diagnostic possibilities, lifestyle management, and a mental support section. The following questionnaires were used: SF-36, EQ-5D, the disease-specific ASTA (symptoms and HRQoL), and HADS (depression and anxiety). Interviews regarding usability and understanding were conducted.
Pilot study: Fifteen patients (mean age 65 years), 4 women and 11 men, took part in the study. During follow-up, the patients improved regarding symptoms in ASTA ( = .038) and the HRQoL mental domain ( = .011), while no differences were seen in SF-36, EQ-5D, or HADS. Interviews indicated that the program was easy to use and the content easy to understand.
The ASK FOR IT program functioned as intended. It was easy to use and the information was easy to understand. The significant reduction in symptoms and improvement in HRQoL (mental domain) after only 3 months are encouraging. In the main study, 200 patients will be randomized.
在心房颤动（AF）患者的结构化护理中，教育是必不可少的。患者会寻找信息，但可靠的信息来源却很少。“ASK FOR IT”是一个基于互联网和指南的教育项目，提供此类信息。
描述“ASK FOR IT”的开发过程，报告一项试点研究，并介绍一项随机对照试验的设计，该试验评估在标准护理基础上增加“ASK FOR IT”对症状、健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）和健康经济的益处。
“ASK FOR IT”由医疗服务提供者、患者和一名心理学家共同开发。“ASK FOR IT”包含6个部分：基本机制、症状、治疗选择、诊断可能性、生活方式管理和心理支持部分。使用了以下问卷：SF - 36、EQ - 5D、特定疾病的ASTA（症状和HRQoL）以及HADS（抑郁和焦虑）。进行了关于可用性和理解性的访谈。
试点研究：15名患者（平均年龄65岁）参与了研究，其中4名女性和11名男性。在随访期间，患者在ASTA中的症状（P = 0.038）和HRQoL心理领域（P = 0.011）有所改善，而在SF - 36、EQ - 5D或HADS中未观察到差异。访谈表明该项目易于使用且内容易于理解。
“ASK FOR IT”项目按预期发挥了作用。它易于使用且信息易于理解。仅3个月后症状显著减轻以及HRQoL（心理领域）有所改善，这令人鼓舞。在主要研究中，将对200名患者进行随机分组。
