Home-Based, Digitally Assisted Dyadic Tai Chi Intervention for Patients With Chronic Heart Failure and Their Caregivers: Development of an Intervention and Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Yan Zhang, Fei Wan Ngai, Lihua Cao et al.
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In 30 seconds
This sequential, multiphase study developed a home-based, digitally assisted tai chi programme for people with chronic heart failure (CHF) and their caregivers, then evaluated it in a single-centre, assessor-blinded pilot randomised controlled trial. Forty dyads were allocated to 12 weeks of the intervention plus usual care or usual care alone. Recruitment was 83.3% (40/48), mean session attendance was 73.7% (SD 8.6%), and all intervention dyads rated the programme acceptable; no intervention-related adverse events were identified. Exploratory analyses suggested improvements in patient, caregiver, and dyadic outcomes, but these preliminary effects require confirmation in a fully powered trial.
Key findings
- Recruitment was 83.3% (40/48), and mean intervention session attendance was 73.7% (SD 8.6%).
- All intervention dyads rated the programme acceptable; no intervention-related adverse events were identified.
- At 12 weeks, exploratory analyses suggested greater functional-capacity improvement with intervention than control (β=38.858; P=.001).
- Caregiver burden decreased (β=-4.350; P<.001), while mutuality improved for patients (β=10.508; P<.001) and caregivers (β=6.450; P<.001).
Why it matters
Heart failure management involves patients and caregivers whose health behaviours are interdependent. This pilot tests a home-based rehabilitation model that engages both members of the dyad and uses digital support to facilitate tai chi practice. Its feasibility, acceptability, and absence of identified intervention-related adverse events support further evaluation, while the exploratory outcome findings suggest potential benefits extending beyond the patient.
What to keep in mind
This was a single-centre pilot trial with 40 dyads and 12 weeks of follow-up. The health-outcome analyses were exploratory, so the study cannot establish definitive effectiveness.