Limoges

Heart failure is a chronic condition that often affects patients mental health, with about half experiencing linked issues like stress, depression, and anxiety. Despite this connection, mental health support is not routinely part of heart failure care. This study evaluates the FRAME intervention, which was co-designed by researchers, healthcare providers, health system decision-makers, and patient partners to improve mental health awareness and support within cardiac care pathways in Ontario, Canada. The study uses a pretest-posttest hybrid 1 model to assess feasibility at pilot clinical sites such as family medicine clinics, cardiac rehabilitation clinics, specialist clinics, and emergency departments. The FRAME intervention is a multi-component web tool designed to help patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers recognize and manage mental health alongside heart failure. It includes educational materials, conversational aids for discussing mental health, self-management activity suggestions like nutrition and exercise tips, resource maps, and a provider tool to guide conversations and referrals. Participants who complete the intake survey receive the FRAME intervention via email in April 2026. Participants will be involved in baseline data collection through surveys, followed by the intervention and up to six months of follow-up evaluations. Researchers will monitor the frequency of mental health conversations, engagement in health-seeking behaviors, and confidence and knowledge related to mental health discussions. These outcomes will be measured through surveys and semi-structured interviews, aiming to inform a future larger cohort study and broader integration of the FRAME tool into cardiac care.