Mindfulness meditation for pulmonary hypertension program development: Acceptability and feasibility of technology-assisted complementary health intervention for symptom self-management

Background: Adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH) live with a high symptom burden, psychological distress, and poor quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions delivered in person or virtually have shown clinical benefits for chronic conditions and PH. Pilot testing of the Mindfulness Meditation for Pulmonary Hypertension (MMPH), an 8-week, web-based, multimodal program, shows improvement in depression, symptoms, and quality of life. Objectives: To evaluate the MMPH program's acceptability and feasibility quantitatively and qualitatively from MMPH participants. Methods: Descriptive statistics were used to report adherence to and completion of each component of MMPH (Zoom, video, and app use) among 15 participants who received the intervention in 2022–2023. Qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on their daily reflection journals, downloaded from the MMPH app. Results: Fifteen participants attended 28 out of 30 Zoom sessions (93%). Twelve of 15 (80%) participants accessed the video-viewing activity at least 50% of the time (3 of 6 videos). Eight out of 15 participants (53%) used the App during the intervention period, and 6 out of 15 participants (40%) used the App for >2 weeks. The content analysis reveals four most salient themes: Perceived Benefits of Meditation, Daily Life Practice and Activity, Awareness and Acceptance, and PH Symptom Improvement. The System Usability Scale for the MMPH program was 81.47 (±10.21), indicating moderate acceptability. Conclusions: Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a complex behavioral health intervention, such as the MMPH program, is critical to ensuring consistent intervention fidelity. Comprehensive approaches are essential to guide necessary program modifications for future real-world implementation science testing.