British Heart Foundation

Skopos designed a two-phase research programme combining depth with scale:

• Qualitative exploration:
  • In-depth interviews conducted both face-to-face and by telephone.
  • Included a mix of patients, family members, carers, and BHF nurses to capture different perspectives.
  • Explored emotional journeys, unmet needs, and real experiences of support received.
• Quantitative validation:
  • A large-scale survey was conducted to provide robust, measurable data.
  • Quantified satisfaction levels, accessibility ratings, and the relative value placed on hard vs. soft support.
  • Allowed segmentation of responses to highlight where experiences varied most (e.g. by age, condition severity, role).

This combined approach ensured the insights were both emotionally rich and statistically grounded.

The findings provided the British Heart Foundation with clear, actionable insights that shaped its support strategy:

• Optimised the delivery of support services across all channels — from digital and telephone to in-person advice and nursing support.
• Refined the mechanisms for providing softer, emotional support, recognising its central importance in building resilience and reassurance for patients and families.
• Acted as a catalyst for the BHF to embrace social media as part of its holistic support programme, enabling peer-to-peer connection, real-time reassurance, and broader reach.
• Empowered BHF nurses with insights into how their role was perceived, strengthening the value and visibility of frontline staff within the overall support ecosystem.
• Ultimately reinforced the BHF’s reputation as a charity that not only funds life-saving research but also stands alongside patients and families throughout their journey.