The Association Between Regular Symptom Monitoring and Self-care Management in Patients With Heart Failure. Issue 2 (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Kyoung Suk; Lennie, Terry A.; Dunbar, Sandra B.; Pressler, Susan J.; Heo, Seongkum; Song, Eun Kyeung; Biddle, Martha J.; Moser, Debra K.
• Is Part Of: Journal of cardiovascular nursing. Volume 30:Issue 2(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: heart failure -- self-care -- symptom assessment; Cardiovascular system -- Diseases -- Nursing -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular system -- Diseases -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Heart -- Diseases -- Nursing -- Periodicals; Heart -- Diseases -- Prevention -- Periodicals; 616.10231
• DOI: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000128
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0889-4655

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Symptom monitoring is considered the first step toward self-care management (actions to manage altered symptom status) to avert worsening heart failure (HF). However, empirical evidence demonstrating that symptom monitoring leads to adequate self-care management is lacking. We examined the relationship of adherence to regular symptom monitoring with adequate self-care management in HF patients. Methods and Results: A total of 311 HF patients (60 years, 35% women) were divided into 3 groups by adherence to 2 symptom monitoring behaviors (monitoring daily weights and lower extremity edema). Patients who were adherent to both symptom monitoring behaviors formed the adherent group (15.1%). Those adherent to either of the symptom monitoring behaviors formed the partially adherent group (28.9%). Those adherent to neither of the symptom monitoring behaviors formed the nonadherent group (56.0%). The adjusted odds of performing adequate self-care management were increased by 225% (95% confidence interval, 1.13–4.48) and 344% (95% confidence interval, 1.55–7.62) for the partially adherent and adherent symptom monitoring groups, respectively, compared with the nonadherent group. Conclusion: Adequacy of self-care management was predicted by adherence to symptom monitoring behaviors. This finding suggests that regular symptom monitoring facilitates performance of adequate self-care management, which may contribute to a decrease in preventable hospitalizations in HF.