The changing role of patients, and nursing and medical professionals as a result of digitalization of health and heart failure care

AIM: The aim of the study is to discuss the changing role of patients, nurses and doctors in an era of digital health and heart failure care.

BACKGROUND: With a growing demand for heart failure care and a shortage of health care professionals to meet it, digital technologies offer a potential solution to overcoming these challenges.

EVALUATION: In reviewing pertinent research evidence and drawing on our collective clinical and research experiences, including the co-design and development of an autonomous remote system, DoctorME, we offer some reflections and propose some practical suggestions for nurturing truly collaborative heart failure care.

KEY ISSUES: Digital health offers real opportunities to deliver heart failure care, but patients and health care professionals will require digital skills training and appropriate health services technological infrastructure.

CONCLUSIONS: Heart failure care is being transformed by digital technologies, and innovations such as DoctorME have profound implications for patients, nurses and doctors. These include major cultural change and health service transformation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers should create inclusive and supportive working environments where collaborative working and digital technologies in heart failure care are embraced. Nurse managers need to recognize, value and communicate the importance of digital health in heart failure care, ensuring that staff have appropriate digital skills training.