Effect of Mobile Health Nursing Intervention Protocol on Self-Care Behaviors and Readmission Rates for Heart Failure Patients

Background: Heart failure (HF) requires rigorous daily self-care, but post-discharge compliance remains a major clinical challenge, leading to frequent hospital readmissions. Mobile health nursing protocols offer a promising solution to bridge this gap in transitional care. Aim : To evaluate the effect of a structured mobile Health nursing intervention protocol on self-care behaviors and readmission rates for heart failure patients . Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Cardiology Department and Outpatient Clinics at a tertiary-care teaching hospital. A purposive sample of adult patients (N = 150) diagnosed with chronic heart failure who met the technical inclusion criteria was selected. Participants were allocated into two equal groups: the intervention group, which received a structured mHealth nursing protocol consisting of a dedicated smartphone application for daily symptom tracking and scheduled telenursing coaching sessions, and the control group, which received standard discharge care. Data collection tools included a Demographic and Clinical Baseline Questionnaire, the 9-item European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale or the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index to measure interval-level self-care behaviors, and an outcome tracking registry to evaluate dichotomous 30-day hospital readmission rates. Results: Patients in the mHealth intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall self-care behaviors, particularly in daily weight monitoring and fluid restriction compliance, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the mHealth intervention group experienced a significantly lower 30-day all-cause and HF-specific hospital readmission rate than those receiving standard care (p < 0.05). Conclusion: A structured mHealth nursing intervention protocol effectively enhances patient self-care autonomy and reduces critical early hospital readmissions. Integrating mobile health tools into nursing discharge protocols provides a scalable, effective strategy for long-term chronic disease management.