April 19, 2017Open Access
Exergaming Through the Eyes of Patients with Heart Failure: A Qualitative Content Analysis Study
Key Result
Interviews with 14 heart failure patients using an exergame platform at home revealed three themes: making exergaming work, added value of exergaming, and low appeal of exergaming.
Structured PICO
How do patients with heart failure experience using an exergame platform at home?
P
Population
14 patients with heart failure (42.9% female, aged 56-81 years) who had access to an exergame platform at home.
E
Exposure
Exergame platform at home (advised to exergame for 30 minutes per day)
O
Outcome
Experiences of patients with HF when using an exergame platform at homepatient reported
Exergaming at home is experienced differently by heart failure patients, with some finding added value and others finding low appeal, suggesting a need for personalized approaches to physical activity.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Exergaming appears to be a promising tool to increase exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Therefore, it is important to obtain more in-depth knowledge about preferences, attitudes, use, and abilities in regard to exergaming. The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of patients with HF when using an exergame platform at home. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study using content analysis was conducted on interviews with 14 patients with HF (6 women, ages ranging between 56 and 81 years). The patients were recruited from three centers in Sweden included in a randomized controlled study. These patients had access to an exergame platform at home and were advised to exergame for 30 minutes per day. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in three categories describing patients' experience of exergaming: (1) making exergaming work, (2) added value of exergaming, and (3) low appeal of exergaming. CONCLUSION: This is the first study that explores how patients with HF experience using an exergame platform at home. The study provided important information on what aspects to discuss when initiating an exergame platform at home and following patients who may want to use an exergame platform at home. The results also revealed that this technology may be suitable for some patients, while others prefer other kinds of physical activity.