Abstract: Objective: To systematically evaluate and analyze the barriers to the use of mobile health tools by patients with heart failure, thereby providing evidence-based recommendations for enhancing mobile health management services for this population. Methods: A comprehensive computerized literature search was conducted to identify qualitative studies on the application of mobile health tools among patients with heart failure globally. The search timeframe spanned from database inception to November 30, 2025. The quality of the literature was evaluated according to the qualitative research quality evaluation criteria of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) of Australia, and the literature was integrated using the convergent integration method. Results: A total of 13 articles were included, from which 21 themes were extracted and categorized into 8 classification. These were further synthesized into three integrated findings: patients' poor physical and mental status, patient's unfavorable usage experience, and unreasonable design of mobile health tools. Conclusion: The use of mobile health tools among patients with heart failure is influenced by multiple factors. It is recommended that healthcare professionals and research & development personnel pay attention to patients' physical and psychological well-being, prioritize their user experience and mobile device needs, and explore innovative management models for mobile health for patients with heart failure.

Key words: heart failure; patient; mobile health; barrier; qualitative research; Meta-synthesis