# ”Living with heart failure” –patients’ and nurses’ experience using an online support program via a national e-health platform – a feasibility study

## TL;DR

An online heart failure support program was tested in Sweden and found to be feasible for patients and nurses, though some adjustments are needed.

## Contribution

A co-designed e-health program for heart failure patients was evaluated for feasibility in a real-world setting.

## Key findings

- Patients found the program's design clear and navigation intuitive.
- Nurses liked the program's layout but noted limited time as a barrier to implementation.
- The program was used by patients with heart failure for 12 weeks and was found to be acceptable and practical.

## Abstract

Heart failure is increasingly common among the elderly, yet many are not referred to specialized care. To better support this group, a co-designed e-health program for patients with heart failure was developed and implemented on Sweden’s national health platform, 1177.

To investigate patients and heart failure nurses’ perception of the feasibility of an online support program “Living with Heart Failure”.

A feasibility study including interviews with patients and nurses. Four heart failure nurses recruited patients from outpatient clinics in two Swedish regions through convenience sampling. Patients used the program for 12 weeks before being interviewed about its usability, design, features, and content. Nurses were interviewed in a group setting using similar questions. All interviews were analysed using deductive content analysis, and quantitative data described patient characteristics and program use.

Eleven patients were included, comprising five women and six men, aged 47–84 years (mean 66.8). All had used the program at least once and found the design clear and navigation intuitive. The module content was informative and written in accessible language. They appreciated the variety of content formats. Nurses found the program easy to use and liked the layout but identified limited time as a key barrier to implementation.

Patients and nurses found the support program feasible regarding acceptability, demand, and practicality. The study also indicated a need for future adjustments and showed that the relevance of the program is not restricted to individuals with newly diagnosed heart failure.

Clicicaltrials.org 2023-04289-01 date of submission for registration 10/11/2025.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-026-04370-z.