Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of the Taking Care of Us Intervention for Couples Living With Heart Failure

Background and objectives: Despite the significant impact of heart failure on both members of the care dyad, few interventions focus on optimizing the health of the dyad. The current study examined the feasibility and acceptability of the novel Taking Care of Us (TCU) program with mid-late-life couples living with heart failure and explored preliminary efficacy.

Research design and methods: This NIH Stage I study used a 2-arm randomized controlled trial with pretest-post-test design and an additional 5-month follow-up to compare TCU with an educational counseling attention-control condition. 37 couples were randomized to TCU (18 couples) or an educational control group (19 couples). Both programs were delivered virtually over 2 months.

Results: Adults with heart failure were primarily male (mean age = 66.32, standard deviation [SD] = 13.72); partners were primarily female (mean age = 63.00, SD = 12.73). Feasibility findings were mixed with over half of the eligible couples randomized, but only 67% of TCU couples completed the post-test. Acceptability of the TCU program was strong for both adults with heart failure and their partners. Recommendations for change focused on shortening session length, offering fewer sessions, and providing alternative modes of delivery. Exploratory between-group analyses found medium effect sizes for physical and mental health and dyadic management for both members of the couple, with many effects remaining 3 months later.

Discussion and implications: Findings suggest the TCU program is acceptable to couples with heart failure and shows promise for optimizing outcomes. Recommendations and strategies for improving retention and a more diverse sample are discussed.

Clinical trial registration: NCT04737759.