Feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a nurse-led palliative care health coaching intervention (Educate, Nurture, Advise before Life Ends) for patients with heart failure and their caregivers in Singapore: a randomised wait-list controlled pilot study of health coaching in Asian heart failure

Objectives To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and potential efficacy of the culturally adapted Educate, Nurture, Advise Before Life Ends (ENABLE) programme in Singapore for patients with heart failure (HF) and their family caregivers. Design Non-blinded randomised wait-list controlled pilot study, using Simon's randomised phase II trial design.

Setting Specialist outpatient clinics in a tertiary cardiac centre in Singapore. Participants Patients had a diagnosis of American Heart Association Stage C or D HF, were symptomatic with New York Heart Association functional class 2 and above symptoms, had a prognosis of 6 months, a hospitalisation in prior 6 months and were on disease-directed HF management.

Patients already known to palliative care (PC) were excluded. Recruited caregivers were family caregivers of patients.

Intervention ENABLE integrates PC early into HF care. It starts with a comprehensive PC assessment with a PC physician and nurse.

This is followed by a series of nurse coach-led health coaching sessions for both patients and caregivers. After the completion of health coaching, participants would receive follow-up phone calls to review their coping up to 6 months post-enrolment.