CHART Project Summary
What is the purpose of the CHART Trial?
Older people with heart failure can experience challenges doing everyday things. Our research is testing a new approach to care for these people. The new approach uses an assessment and rehabilitation programme that involves the older person as well as their family, carer(s) and healthcare professionals.
Our research will work out if our new approach in addition to usual care helps people maintain their independence.
What is usual care?
This is the care that is provided by your GP, hospital care team and community and social services in your area as standard. If you have questions about what the usual care is near you, you can talk to your doctor.
What is the new treatment programme?
An assessment by an experienced healthcare professional such as a doctor or nurse. This may happen at a clinic or at your home. They will discuss what is important to you and come up with a plan for your care. They will see you again at least one more time to see how the plan is working. These appointments will last for about 30 minutes each.
A home-based programme including activities to improve your strength, balance and movement. A member of the physiotherapy team will visit you at home for an initial assessment which could last up to 90 minutes and then contact you by phone or visit you at home weekly for about three months. They will help you to set personal goals and ask you to complete an activity diary.
Who is doing this research?
This research is being run by the Academic Unit for Ageing and Stroke Research, Bradford Institute for Health Research, the University of Exeter and the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the University of Leeds. The research team includes patients with lived experience of heart failure.
Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is also involved and has overall responsibility for how the research is run.
The research is funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
What is involved?
433 people with Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) who are taking part in this research will get either:
- Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), including 12 weeks of rehabilitation at home, on top of their usual care; or
- their usual care only.
We will ask people about their everyday activities to see if the programme has helped maintain or improve what they can do after a year. We will also collect information about their quality of life, mood, need for home care or to go into a care home, any hospital care, and the cost of any health and social care they have. We will also talk to older people with HFpEF, their carers and healthcare staff about their thoughts and experiences of CGA and rehabilitation.
How will we share our results?
We will share our findings with study participants, health and care professionals, patient organisations, policymakers and the research community. When the results are available, we will tailor sharing the findings to different audiences. This will be through publication in a medical journal, a public registry and providing information on our website.