Introduction: Hypertension affects over 1 billion people worldwide, yet only 1 in 5 patients effectively manage their condition. Even in Switzerland, over 50% of adults with hypertension do not reach blood pressure targets. The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) developed a PROMs set to evaluate hypertension management. PROMs are validated self-report instruments capturing patients' perspectives on health and quality of life. Incorporating PROMs into chronic care management has the potential to enhance communication, patient engagement, and outcomes. This study explores stakeholders opinions on the ICHOM PROM set and develops a strategy to implement it in a digital interprofessional tool for Swiss primary care settings.
Method(s): From March to December 2024, patients with hypertension, pharmacists and GPs participated in three rounds of participatory design. The first session explored the ICHOM PROM set’s relevance for Swiss stakeholders. Subsequent sessions refined prototypes of a PROM-based interprofessional digital platform. Each round involved 4 to 7 end-user representatives. Discussions were transcribed, coded inductively, and analysed thematically to identify stakeholders needs and concerns.
Result(s): Healthcare providers (HCPs) recognize advantages of PROMs such as a better understanding of the patient's health status and enabling personalised care, but also disadvantages such as the length of the questionnaires and the potential unreliability of the answers. Integrating PROMs into existing health information systems was perceived as a solution. Patients appreciated the potential benefits of PROMs but expressed concerns about their usefulness. They emphasized the importance of presenting PROMs feedback in a clear, personalized manner relevant to their health journey. The participatory design pro cess shaped HeartCare’s features: on the mobile app, patients complete PROMs, receive real-time feedback, and track blood pressure values. Their data is accessible to their HCPs on a web platform, hopefully benefitting an individualized care.
Conclusion: This study successfully developed a solution for integrating PROMs into a digital platform for hypertension management. The participatory process ensured that the platform met both HCPs' and patients’ preferences. HeartCare’s features and development journey will be presented at the conference. A pilot study will evaluate its feasibility in real-world settings.