Design principles for enhancing a digital health platform for patients with atrial fibrillation
Design principles for enhancing a digital health platform for patients with atrial fibrillation
Objective: atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice and is associated with an elevated risk of stroke, heart failure, dementia, and mortality. As its clinical consequences are strongly influenced by modifiable risk factors, this study aims to design a patient journey for individuals undergoing AF treatment, with the goal of improving patient safety and healthcare delivery.
Methods: an empirical study was conducted using an action design research approach. The research focused on identifying and implementing design principles to enhance digital health platforms and support AF management.
Results: the study resulted in five key design principles: (i) comprehensive requests for medical interventions, (ii) visualization of patient trajectories, (iii) prioritization of waiting lists informed by real-time data, (iv) equality and inclusion throughout the patient journey, and (v) rapid access to and visualization of quality indicators. These principles collectively address current challenges in AF care by optimizing data use, strengthening patient involvement, and improving decision-making.
Conclusion: we propose adjustments to the design of digital health platforms for AF management based on the identified principles. Such adaptations have the potential to enhance patient safety, improve healthcare delivery, and create more efficient, inclusive, and data-driven processes in AF management.
Atrial Fibrillation/therapy, Digital Health, Humans, Telemedicine/trends, atrial fibrillation, remote monitoring, continuous quality improvements
Jóhannsdóttir, Lilja Guðrún
a36c8ab5-7c03-4fd7-8c30-3ec5dbfabced
Erlingsdóttir, Helga Ýr
97b5a2f5-aff6-4179-9ab5-18c27758bf3a
Gizurarson, Sigfús Örvar
05f82884-f6db-49e7-94b9-6ae144d35ebb
Guðmundsson, Kristján
4466ba17-5578-403c-91ed-5fc67552474a
Kristjánsdóttir, Herdís
e1dcd9e0-9bbe-4860-8550-5677bb895eec
Jónsson, Björn
2185d74e-b6b7-4d0d-95a4-d26a4dd6fffb
Óskarsdóttir, María
d159ed8f-9dd3-4ff3-8b00-d43579ab71be
Islind, Anna Sigríður
207957b5-9bcb-4b25-8f06-016561470dd9
Jóhannsdóttir, Lilja Guðrún
a36c8ab5-7c03-4fd7-8c30-3ec5dbfabced
Erlingsdóttir, Helga Ýr
97b5a2f5-aff6-4179-9ab5-18c27758bf3a
Gizurarson, Sigfús Örvar
05f82884-f6db-49e7-94b9-6ae144d35ebb
Guðmundsson, Kristján
4466ba17-5578-403c-91ed-5fc67552474a
Kristjánsdóttir, Herdís
e1dcd9e0-9bbe-4860-8550-5677bb895eec
Jónsson, Björn
2185d74e-b6b7-4d0d-95a4-d26a4dd6fffb
Óskarsdóttir, María
d159ed8f-9dd3-4ff3-8b00-d43579ab71be
Islind, Anna Sigríður
207957b5-9bcb-4b25-8f06-016561470dd9
Jóhannsdóttir, Lilja Guðrún, Erlingsdóttir, Helga Ýr, Gizurarson, Sigfús Örvar, Guðmundsson, Kristján, Kristjánsdóttir, Herdís, Jónsson, Björn, Óskarsdóttir, María and Islind, Anna Sigríður
(2025)
Design principles for enhancing a digital health platform for patients with atrial fibrillation.
Health Informatics Journal, 31 (4).
(doi:10.1177/14604582251401411).
Abstract
Objective: atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice and is associated with an elevated risk of stroke, heart failure, dementia, and mortality. As its clinical consequences are strongly influenced by modifiable risk factors, this study aims to design a patient journey for individuals undergoing AF treatment, with the goal of improving patient safety and healthcare delivery.
Methods: an empirical study was conducted using an action design research approach. The research focused on identifying and implementing design principles to enhance digital health platforms and support AF management.
Results: the study resulted in five key design principles: (i) comprehensive requests for medical interventions, (ii) visualization of patient trajectories, (iii) prioritization of waiting lists informed by real-time data, (iv) equality and inclusion throughout the patient journey, and (v) rapid access to and visualization of quality indicators. These principles collectively address current challenges in AF care by optimizing data use, strengthening patient involvement, and improving decision-making.
Conclusion: we propose adjustments to the design of digital health platforms for AF management based on the identified principles. Such adaptations have the potential to enhance patient safety, improve healthcare delivery, and create more efficient, inclusive, and data-driven processes in AF management.
Text
jóhannsdóttir-et-al-2025-design-principles-for-enhancing-a-digital-health-platform-for-patients-with-atrial-fibrillation
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 6 November 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 November 2025
Keywords:
Atrial Fibrillation/therapy, Digital Health, Humans, Telemedicine/trends, atrial fibrillation, remote monitoring, continuous quality improvements
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 508500
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508500
ISSN: 1460-4582
PURE UUID: bceab920-d2a3-496e-ad07-318b79bc1a23
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Date deposited: 23 Jan 2026 17:47
Last modified: 24 Jan 2026 03:26
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Contributors
Author:
Lilja Guðrún Jóhannsdóttir
Author:
Helga Ýr Erlingsdóttir
Author:
Sigfús Örvar Gizurarson
Author:
Kristján Guðmundsson
Author:
Herdís Kristjánsdóttir
Author:
Björn Jónsson
Author:
María Óskarsdóttir
Author:
Anna Sigríður Islind
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