Social prescribing to help women with heart failure stick to treatments and avoid hospital visits.
Social Prescribing to Improve Adherence and Outcomes in Women With Heart Failure
This project will try social prescribing—connecting women with heart failure to community supports—to help them take heart medicines and reduce hospitalizations.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | Female |
| Sponsor | McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Montreal, Quebec and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT06628973 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a multicenter, open-label, randomized intention-to-treat trial conducted at five heart failure clinics in Alberta and Quebec. Eligible women will be matched within centers and randomized to receive social prescribing delivered by trained link workers or to usual care. The intervention includes a six-month preparation and link-worker training phase, creation of local community resource lists, active linkage to supports, and follow-up. The main aims are to improve adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy and reduce hospitalizations.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are women aged 18 or older with documented heart failure, a valid provincial health identifier, and a score of two or more on the weighted SPARK questionnaire who can engage with link-worker support.
Not a fit: Patients who do not take heart failure medications, are not residents of the participating provinces or have severe cognitive impairment that prevents engagement are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could increase medication adherence and reduce hospitalizations and deaths among women with heart failure.
How similar studies have performed: Social prescribing has shown promise in other chronic conditions, but it is a relatively novel approach with limited prior evidence specifically for improving adherence and outcomes in women with heart failure.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Women * 18 years of age or older * Documented HF of any etiology * Valid personal health identifier * Two or more points on the weighted SPARK questionnaire Exclusion Criteria: * Patients not meeting inclusion criteria * Do not take HF medications * Not residents of the province where they are being followed or who have opted out from their provincial health registry * Patients with severe cognitive impairment or other conditions that significantly impact the ability to participate in SP will also be excluded.
Where this trial is running
Montreal, Quebec and 1 other locations
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre — Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Not_yet_recruiting)
- Royal Victoria Hospital — Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Dr. Louise Pilote, MD MPH PhD FRCPC
- Email: Louise.pilote@mcgill.ca
- Phone: +1 514-934-1934
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.