Knowledge expectations, self-care, and health complaints of heart failure patients scheduled for cardiac resynchronization therapy implantation

• Published in: Patient Preference and Adherence
• Main Authors: Ingadottir, Brynja, Thylén, Ingela, Jaarsma, Tiny
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Avdelningen för omvårdnad 2015
• Subjects: cardiac devices; CRT treatment; patient education; Health Care Service and Management; Health Policy and Services and Health Economy; Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation; hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi; Iceland
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-120368; https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S83069

Purpose: To describe what knowledge heart failure patients expect to acquire in relation to their upcoming cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation, to describe their self-care and health complaints, and to explore the relationship between knowledge expectations and self-care, health complaints, and background factors. Patients and methods: Cross-sectional multicenter study with 104 patients scheduled for a first-time, elective CRT implantation in Swedish and Icelandic hospitals. Data were collected with the Knowledge Expectations of hospital patient Scale, European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale, and Adjusted Postoperative Recovery Profile. Results: Patients expected most knowledge related to their disease and its treatment (median 4.0, interquartile range 0.13) and least on social issues (median 3.5, interquartile range 0.83). Their self-care was average (standardized mean 51.0 +/- 19.6) before the procedure. Patients had on average 8.2 (+/- 4.7) health complaints and rated fatigue and sexual problems as the most severe. Age was independently associated with knowledge expectations (Exp beta 0.049, P= 0.033). Conclusion: Heart failure patients waiting for a CRT device implantation have high expectations for multiple aspects of knowledge, including self-care issues, before their procedure. These expectations are similar to those of other surgical patients and they increase with age. Funding Agencies|Landspitali University Hospital Research Fund, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland; Icelandic Nurses Association Research Fund; Ingibjorg Magnusdottir in Iceland; Medtronic-Vingmed AB; St. Jude Medical Sweden AB in Sweden