Adult Congenital Heart Disease Patients Experience Similar Symptoms of Disease Activity

Development of a Novel Adult Congenital Heart Disease-Specific Patient-Reported Outcome Metric

Background Patient-reported outcome metrics (PROs) quantify important outcomes in clinical trials and can be sensitive measures of patient experience in clinical practice. Currently, there is no validated disease-specific PRO for adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). Methods and Results We conducted a preliminary psychometric validation of a novel ACHD PRO. ACHD patients were recruited prospectively from 2 institutions and completed a series of questionnaires, a physician health assessment, and a 6-minute walk test. Participants returned to complete the same questionnaires and assessment 3 months±2 weeks later. We tested the internal consistency and test-retest reliability by comparing responses among clinically stable patients at the 2 study visits. We assessed convergent and divergent validity by comparison of ACHD PRO responses to existing validated questionnaires. We assessed responsiveness by comparison with patient-reported clinical change. One hundred three patients completed 1 study visit and 81 completed both. The ACHD PRO demonstrated good internal consistency in each of its 5 domains (Cronbach's α: 0.87; 0.74; 0.74; 0.90; and 0.89, respectively) and in the overall summary score (0.92). Test-retest reliability was good with an intraclass correlation ≥0.73 for all domains and 0.78 for the Summary Score. The ACHD PRO accurately assessed domain concepts based on comparison with validated standards. Preliminary estimates of responsiveness suggest sensitivity to clinical status. Conclusions These studies provide initial support for the validity and reliability of the ACHD PRO. Further studies are needed to assess its sensitivity to changes in clinical status.

Use of a disease-specific mobile health application in the care of adults with congenital heart disease

We completed a pilot study of a novel adult congenital heart disease-specific mobile application. Twenty-eight patients with congenital heart disease from across the US were identified by the Adult Congenital Heart Association, a patient advocacy organization. These patients were asked to complete a 6-month trial of the MyHeartApp mobile application (app), to use the app as part of their clinical care, and to complete a survey at the conclusion of the pilot period. We found that app use is potentially helpful in improving care quality with good ease of use and the potential to facilitate patient-provider communication, but compliance with regular use is poor. Although potentially beneficial, the clinical utility of mobile health apps, even in a young and motivated population, will depend on developing techniques aimed at improving compliance.

A Randomized Trial Comparing Cardiac Rehabilitation to Standard of Care for Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

Background:

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves exercise capacity and quality of life while reducing mortality in adults with acquired heart disease. Cardiac rehabilitation has not been extensively studied in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Methods:

We performed a prospective, randomized controlled trial (NCT01822769) of a 12-week clinical CR program compared with standard of care (SOC). Participants were ≥16 years old, had moderate or severe CHD, had O2 saturation ≥92%, and had peak O2 consumption ([Formula: see text]) < 80% predicted. We assessed exercise capacity, physical activity, quality of life, self-reported health status, and other variables at baseline and after 12 weeks. The prespecified primary end point was change in [Formula: see text].

Results:

We analyzed data on 28 participants (aged 41.1 ± 12.1 years, 50% male), 13 randomized to CR and 15 to SOC. [Formula: see text] averaged 16.8 ± 3.8 mL/kg/min, peak work rate = 95 ± 28 W, and median Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) score = 27 (interquartile range: 11-44). Cardiac rehabilitation participants were older (48 ± 9 years vs 36 ± 12 years; P = .01), but there were no significant between-group differences in other variables. There were no adverse events related to CR. [Formula: see text] increased in the CR group compared with SOC (+2.2 mL/kg/min, 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.7; P = .002, age-adjusted +2.7 mL/kg/min; P = .004); there was a nonsignificant improvement in work rate (+8.1 W; P = .13). Among the 25 participants with baseline MLHFQ > 5, there was a clinically important >5-point improvement in 72.7% and 28.6% of CR and SOC participants, respectively ( P = .047). Cardiac rehabilitation was also associated with improved self-assessment of overall health ( P < .04).

Conclusions:

Cardiac rehabilitation is safe and is associated with improvement in aerobic capacity and self-reported health status compared with SOC in adults with CHD.