| dc.description.abstract | Background: In Norway, approximately 10% of those over 75 years old have a moderate to
severe valve defect, with aortic stenosis (AS) being the most common. Severe AS is
associated with increased mortality. Heart valve replacement can effectively improve
outcomes. European guidelines recommend physical follow-up after intervention. This paper
explored the feasibility of digital follow-up for patients who have undergone heart valve
surgery.
Method: This cross-sectional study invited 60 individuals, with a digital questionnaire
employed as the data collection method. In cases of digital non-response, questionnaires were
sent in paper form via post. The variables encompassed demographic characteristics,
socioeconomic status, symptoms, medications, and digital follow-up.
Results: Out of 60 individuals invited, 47 (78.3%) consented to participate, of which 4 (8.5%)
responded with few or no answers. Thirty-three (70.2%) responded via digital questionnaire,
and 10 (21.2%) responded in paper format. The mean age of respondents was 77 years (SD =
9.9) for those who participated digitally, and 80.6 years (SD = 7.6) for those who responded
using paper forms. Most of the digital respondents were male (75.8%), whereas most paper
respondents were female (60%). In both groups, participants reported requiring little or no
assistance with the survey. Additionally, more than half of the participants expressed a
preference for digital interaction
Conclusion: The study demonstrates feasibility of digital follow-up for patients who have
undergone heart valve surgery. Most participants completed the questionnaire without
assistance and exhibited a positive attitude towards digital interaction with the healthcare
system. Our results indicate that participants effectively reported their symptoms which is
essential for digital interaction with healthcare institutions. Further randomized controlled
trials are needed to confirm our findings.
Key words:
Cardiac outpatient clinic
Cross-sectional study
Digital home monitoring
Heart valve surgery patients
Self-reporting | |