| dc.description.abstract | 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 | |