Values of Importance to Patients with Cardiovascular Disease as a Foundation for eHealth Design and Evaluation: Mixed Methods Study

Background:
eHealth interventions are developed to support and facilitate patients with lifestyle changes and (self) care tasks after being diagnosed with a chronic heart disease. Creating long lasting effects in lifestyle change and health outcomes with eHealth interventions is challenging and requires good understanding of patient values.

Objective:
This study aims to identify which values of cardiac patients should be considered when designing a technological lifestyle platform.

Methods:
A mixed-method design was applied, combining data from usability testing with an additional online survey study, to validate the outcomes of the usability tests.

Results:
Eleven relevant patient values were identified, including the need for security, support, not wanting to feel anxious, tailoring of treatment, and personalized, accessible care. The validation survey shows that all values but one (Value 9: To have extrinsic motivation to accomplish goals or activities (related to health/lifestyle)) were regarded as important/very important. A rating of very unimportant or unimportant was given by less than 2% of the respondents (0.5%¬¬–1.6%) to all values except but one (Value 9).

Conclusions:
There is a remarkably high consensus among patients regarding the identified values reflecting goals and themes central to patients in their lives, while living with or managing their cardiovascular disease. The identified values can serve as a starting point for future research to translate and integrate these values into the design of the eHealth technology. This may call for prioritization of values, as not all values can be met equally.