Increased motivation for and use of digital services in heart failure patients participating in a telerehabilitation program: a randomized controlled trial

Background: eHealth literacy (eHL) may be an important factor in the adoption of telerehabilitation. However, little is known about how telerehabilitation affects patients’ eHL. The current study evaluated changes over time in eHL for heart failure (HF) patients in a telerehabilitation program (the Future Patient Program) compared to a traditional rehabilitation program. Methods: As part of a randomized controlled trial comparing telerehabilitation with traditional rehabilitation, 137 HF patients completed the eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ) at 6 and 12 months of their respective rehabilitation programs. Results: At 6 months, the telerehabilitation group indicated higher levels of ‘using technology to process health information’ and ‘motivated to engage with digital services’. This difference was consistent over time, and we found no other differences between groups or over time with regard to eHL. Conclusions: Providing a digital toolbox for processing health information to HF patients may aid in increasing their eHL, motivation, and ability to engage with digital services in HF patients. Especially, if the technology is designed to support patient needs in terms of the educational content of the program. Preferably technology should be provided early on in the rehabilitation process to ensure optimal outcome.