Perception of impairments by patients with heart failure. (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kraai, I H; Vermeulen, K M; Hillege, H L; Jaarsma, T
• Other Names: Norekvål Tone M guest-editor.; Moser Debra K guest-editor.; Thompson David R guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: European journal of cardiovascular nursing. Volume 15:Number 2(2016)
• Page Start: 178
• Page End: 185
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: Heart failure -- quality of life -- degree of harshness -- severity of impairments; Cardiovascular system -- Diseases -- Nursing -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular Diseases -- nursing -- Periodicals; Cardiology -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Periodicals; Vascular Diseases -- Periodicals; 610.7369105
• DOI: 10.1177/1474515115621194
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1474-5151

Abstract

Background: One of the major aims in the treatment of patients with heart failure (HF) is symptom relief and an improvement in the health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). The perception of impairments due to HF may differ between patients. A knowledge of the prevalence and perceived harshness of impairments due to HF is essential in providing personalized care on a patient level, in optimizing care on a population level and in finding the most appropriate patient-reported outcome for clinical trials. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and perceived harshness of impairments due to HF and the relation between perceived harshness and HR-QoL in patients with HF. Methods and results: The prevalence of impairments due to HF was assessed using items of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire and the degree of perceived harshness was assessed using a structured self-assessment. A total of 100 outpatients (mean±SD age 70±9 years, 71% men) from an HF outpatient clinic were included. The prevalence of impairments was between 18 and 77%. The most prevalent impairments included tiredness and impairments in physical activity. Impairments that were frequently perceived as severely harsh included tiredness (67%), dyspnoea (57%) and impairments in physical activity (55%). Corrected item-total correlation (range 0.10–0.59) showed that tiredness ( r =0.54) and impairments related to resting ( r =0.59) and to participation in physical ( r =0.52) and social ( r =0.55) activities contributed highly to the sum-score of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Conclusion: Highly prevalent impairments are not by definition perceived as severely harsh by patients with HF and do not contribute to the overall HR-QoL except for the impairments tiredness and working around the house/yard. These insights are important in providing personalized and optimized care for patients with HF.