WeChat group program to reduce social frailty in older adults with heart failure
The Effects of "Social Optimization Chat for Interactive Learning for Heart Failure" (SOCIAL_HF) on Improving Social Frailty: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This 6-week WeChat group program tries to improve social frailty, self-care, and social participation in people aged 60 and older who have heart failure.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 208 (estimated) |
| Ages | 60 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | The University of Hong Kong Academic / other |
| Locations | 3 sites (Shanghai and 2 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07234565 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a two-arm, single-blind randomized controlled trial that will randomize about 208 community-dwelling older adults with heart failure to either a 6-week interactive WeChat group program (SOCIAL_HF) or usual care with a self-study heart failure self-care manual. The SOCIAL_HF intervention includes weekly WeChat video meetings for peer sharing and collaborative tasks, daily health task check-ins, and online self-care resources. The trial includes a feasibility phase followed by a larger-scale RCT, with recruitment conducted via face-to-face screening at multiple hospitals in Shanghai and 1:1 random allocation. Primary outcomes focus on social frailty, while secondary outcomes include self-care ability, social participation, and perceived social support.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older with a clinical diagnosis of heart failure for at least 6 months, evidence of social pre-frailty or frailty (SFS-8 score ≥ 2), and a smartphone with experience using WeChat who can read and write Chinese.
Not a fit: Patients with severe cognitive impairment or dementia, known mental illness, significant communication or sensory barriers (including illiteracy or inability to use WeChat), or those already in other intervention studies are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce social frailty and improve self-care, social participation, and perceived social support, leading to better quality of life for older adults with heart failure.
How similar studies have performed: Digital peer-support and self-management programs have shown some benefit for chronic disease self-care, but WeChat-based interventions specifically targeting social frailty in heart failure remain limited and relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. 60 years old and above; 2. Live in the community; 3. a definitive diagnosis of heart failure based on the Framingham Heart Failure Diagnostic Criteria; 4. a diagnosis of heart failure for 6 months or longer; 5. evidence of social pre-frailty or frailty, determined by the SFS-8 score ≥ 2; (6) possession of a smartphone and experience using WeChat; (7) be able to read and write Chinese. Exclusion Criteria: 1. severe cognitive impairment or dementia; 2. known mental illnesses; 3. any communication barriers may hinder participation in SOCIAL\_HF, such as illiteracy, reading disabilities, speak local dialect only, and difficulties in language comprehension; 4. any sensory impairments that may affect learning or interaction with others on WeChat, including untreated severe hearing loss and vision impairments； 5. are currently participating in other intervention studies.
Where this trial is running
Shanghai and 2 other locations
- Fudan University Affiliated Huadong Hospital — Shanghai, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
- Shanghai Baoshan District Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital — Shanghai, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Songjiang Hospital — Shanghai, China (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Miao Miao, MN, RN — School of Nursing, University of Hong Kong
- Study coordinator: Miao Miao
- Email: marymiao@connect.hku.hk
- Phone: 852-51697980
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.