Effects of telemonitoring on self-care and quality of life in adults with heart failure: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: This study gathered the most up-to-date evidence on the contribution of home telemonitoring programs in promoting self-care, quality of life, and clinical condition management in heart failure (HF) patients. Methods: A systematic literature review were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The project was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022303773). Searches covered MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases. Two independent reviewers selected studies, examining titles, abstracts, and keywords. Conflicts were resolved by a third reviewer. Full texts of selected articles were evaluated, and a PRISMA flowchart summarized the screening results. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and GRADE system. Results: The following Boolean expression was used, assuming the PICO strategy: (“adult” OR “Age Factors” OR “middle age”) AND (“Self-care” OR “Activities of Daily Living” OR “Community Living”) AND (“Health Promotion” OR “Wellness” OR “Nursing Outcomes”) AND (“Heart Failure” OR “Cardiac Insufficiency”). Data analysis showed statistically benefits in self-care behavior and quality of life among HF patients in telemonitoring programs. Self-care and quality of life scores were higher in telemonitoring groups compared to control groups, at all included studies. Additionally, positive relationship was found between telemonitoring and improvements in clinical status and disease self-management. Conclusions: The systematic review mapped current evidence on nursing interventions promoting self-care in adults with HF. Evidence indicates that telemonitoring programs significantly increase self-care capacity and empower HF patients to manage the disease autonomously, improving quality of life. The findings support integrating personalized telemonitoring solutions into HF patient care. Future studies should explore optimized, patientcentered telemonitoring programs