Heart Valve Voice Canada – Disease Awareness Research
The mission of Heart Valve Voice Canada (HVVC) is to support, educate, and advocate on behalf of Canadians living with heart valve disease, a serious but treatable condition. To inform this work – and ultimately to advance its goal of saving lives and improving quality of life for people living with heart valve disease – HVVC sought our help to better understand public awareness of heart valve disease in Canada.
The research project was designed to help HVVC benchmark existing awareness levels and develop the ability to track the impact of their awareness-raising work over time. The project was also meant to provide insights that would inform positioning and engagement strategies, helping HVVC to connect with Canadians. Specifically, the research sought to explore Canadians’ familiarity with and perceptions of heart valve disease, their access to primary care, the frequency of their doctors’ visits, consistency with which stethoscope checks are included in those visits, and their openness to attending activities and events focused on heart valve disease and related issues.
Recognizing that it was vital to learn not only what Canadians understand about heart valve disease but also how understanding varies across different groups, we developed our methodology accordingly:
Conducted an online survey with 1,000 Canadians aged 50 and older.
Used a methodology that ensured a representative national sample – gathering suitable participation by age and gender, and among people living in rural areas.
Ensured the research sample enabled statistical testing across age, gender, regions, community size, and age to identify differences across groups.
The findings from this research shed light on:
How much Canadians know about the signs and conditions associated with heart valve disease, and which groups may benefit from more information on this topic.
The gap between visits with primary care physicians and consistency of stethoscope checks, which is the first step in detecting heart valve disease.
The frequency of stethoscope checks vary among groups. One key observation was that frequency of checks varies among women and men, across provinces, and by age groups.
The public’s openness to attending events to undergo a stethoscope check or to learn more about heart valve disease.
Insights were presented to the Heart Valve Voice Canada board and shared with other cardiovascular patient support groups such as the Global Heart Hub. As HVVC reflected on the findings alongside our team, leaders agreed that the research:
Validated planned initiatives, enabling the group to advance them with confidence.
Offered guidance that could help to shape HVVC’s strategic direction.
Pointed to potential future activities that could help the organization continue to raise awareness of heart valve disease.
Was a useful tool to help leaders and advocates address disparities among Canadians when it comes to awareness of heart valve disease as well as related issues concerning early detection and self-advocacy.
This research highlights the gaps in knowledge and access to early detection that can delay a diagnosis of heart valve disease — a serious, but treatable condition. With this data, we can take evidence-informed action to strengthen awareness, promote regular stethoscope checks for those most at risk, and improve pathways to timely diagnosis and treatment for patients
Managing Director of Heart Valve Voice Canada
Heart Valve Voice Canada is the only nonprofit working for better outcomes for the more than one million Canadians living with heart valve disease. Heart Valve Voice Canada is patient-centred, with a board composed of people with lived experience as well as leading clinicians from across the country. Heart Valve Voice Canada unites patients, caregivers, and multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals sharing their experiences, expertise, and knowledge.
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