AdapteD:REACH-HF

About AdapteD:REACH-HF

AdapteD:REACH-HF is developing a user-friendly and culturally inclusive digital cardiac rehabilitation programme. It helps patients and their families, especially from British South Asian communities, manage heart failure at home.

The study is funded by the LEAP Digital Health Hub and delivered in collaboration with:

Building on the success of REACH-HF, a home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme, we are adapting D:REACH-HF, the digital version, for British South Asian communities.

Early testing of D:REACH-HF showed that it improved confidence and independence in managing heart failure. However:

• Some users, especially older adults and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, found parts of the platform difficult to use.
• South Asian participants were underrepresented in the original research.

Our goal is to make digital cardiac rehabilitation practical, relevant, and impactful for all communities.

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What the project involves

AdapteD:REACH-HF brings together patients, caregivers/supporters, healthcare professionals, designers and researchers to ensure the platform is practical, inclusive and effective.

The project applies human–computer interaction (HCI) principles to ensure that the D:REACH-HF platform meets users’ needs, supports collaboration between stakeholders, and helps cardiac rehab clinicians deliver efficient, person-centred remote consultations.

Participants will join a series of online co-design workshops (involvement arm) and think-aloud interviews (research arm) to share their experiences of cardiac rehabilitation, their views on digital health, and their perspectives on how the programme can better support self-management and meaningful communication with clinical teams.

This project aims to make digital cardiac rehabilitation more inclusive and effective. We are designing technology that works for a diverse range of users, including older adults and those less familiar with digital tools.

The project also prepares for a larger evaluation of the updated programme in the future.

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Community involvement

We are actively inviting people from British South Asian communities across the UK, as well as cardiac rehabilitation professionals, to take part in our co-design workshops and research interviews.

Participants’ feedback will directly inform how we adapt the digital programme to improve inclusivity, usability, and cultural sensitivity.

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Ethical approval

The research arm of this project has been ethically approved by the University of Exeter and follows standard procedures to ensure participant confidentiality and wellbeing.