Racial disparities and the use of technology for self-management in blacks with heart failure: A literature review

Heart failure is a debilitating illness that requires patients to be actively engaged in self-management. Self-management practices, including maintenance and management of an evidence-based medication regimen, are associated with improved outcomes. Yet, sustained engagement with self-management practices remains a challenge. Both self-management practices and clinical outcomes differ by race, with the poorest self-management and clinical outcomes reported in Blacks. Contemporary interventions to address self-management and reverse current trends in outcomes have evaluated the use of technology. Technological innovations, such as text messaging, social networking, and online learning platforms may provide a more accessible means for self-management of heart failure, yet these innovations have been understudied in the population at greatest risk - Blacks with heart failure. We conducted a review and discovered only four studies evaluating use of technology for self-management in Blacks. More studies are needed to close the gap on racial disparities and use of technology for self-management. © 2014 The Author(s).