Self-reported health and quality of life outcomes of heart failure patients in the aftermath of a national economic crisis: a cross-sectional study.

• Published in: ESC Heart Failure
• Main Authors: Ketilsdottir, Audur, Ingadottir, Brynja, Jaarsma, Tiny
• Other Authors: 1 Department of Medical Services, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. 2 Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. 3 Department of Surgical Services, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. 4 Division of Nursing Science, Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019
• Subjects: Heart failure; Knowledge; Patient-reported outcome measures; Quality of life; Self-care; Symptoms; Iceland; Self Report; Economic Recession
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/620883; https://doi.org/10.1002/ehf2.12369

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Download There are indications that economic crises can affect public health. The aim of this study was to describe characteristics, health status, and socio-economic status of outpatient heart failure (HF) patients several years after a national economic crisis and to assess whether socio-economic factors were associated with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). In this cross-sectional survey, PROMs were measured with seven validated instruments, as follows: self-care (the 12-item European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour scale), HF-related knowledge (Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scale), symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System), sense of security (Sense of Security in Care-'Patients' evaluation'), health status (EQ-5D visual analogue scale), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire), and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Additional data were collected on access and use of health care, household income, demographics, and clinical status. The patients' (n = 124, mean age 73 ± 14.9, 69% male) self-care was low for exercising (53%) and weight monitoring (50%) but optimal for taking medication (100%). HF-specific knowledge was high (correct answers 12 out of 15), but only 38% knew what to do when symptoms worsened suddenly. Patients' sense of security was high (>70% had a mean score of 5 or 6, scale 1-6). The most common symptom was tiredness (82%); 12% reported symptoms of anxiety, and 18% had symptoms of depression. Patients rated their overall health (EQ-5D) on average at 65.5 (scale 0-100), and 33% had poor or very bad HRQoL. The monthly income per household was <€3900 for 84% of the patients. A total of 22% had difficulties making appointments with a general practitioner (GP), and 5% had no GP. On average, patients paid for six health care-related items, ...