Help for people with heart failure to stick to medicines, diet, and activity
A novel behavioral intervention to promote adherence in heart failure
This 12-week phone-based program combines positive psychology exercises and motivational coaching to help people with heart failure follow medications, a low-sodium diet, and physical activity plans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129777 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would get weekly telephone sessions that mix positive psychology activities (like using your strengths and expressing gratitude) with motivational interviewing to boost motivation and confidence for self-care. The program uses wearable activity monitors and questionnaires to track physical activity and adherence over time. Coaches tailor the program to your needs and use simple algorithms to guide when to push for behavior changes. The approach builds on a prior multi-stage project (REACH for Health) that developed the 12-week phone format.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with heart failure who are willing to participate in phone coaching and who want help improving medication, diet, or activity adherence are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with severe cognitive impairment, inability to use or receive phone calls or wear an activity monitor, or those needing immediate advanced cardiac interventions may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help people with heart failure stick to recommended behaviors, possibly improving symptoms, quality of life, and reducing hospital visits.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies using motivational interviewing or positive psychology have improved well-being and self-care in heart disease, but combining them specifically for heart failure and for hard cardiac outcomes is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Celano, Christopher M — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Celano, Christopher M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.