Quality Of Life Of Individuals With Heart Failure

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Quality of Life of Individuals with Heart Failure

Isabella Carnero, Carolina Garcia, Giavonna Hall, Joan Padilla, Kinzel Rony, and Natalia

Urquiza

HSC3661 – U01 – Fall 2015

Communication Theory in Clinical Practice for Health Professions

Dr. Kellen Hassell

Florida International University

December 2, 2015

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Quality of Life of Individuals with Heart Failure

Introduction

The problem to be addressed. Today, cardiovascular diseases represent an enormous

challenge in medicine. Worldwide, the number of patients with heart disease and death due to

heart failure has been growing considerably. Due to physical impairment caused by deterioration

of cardiac function, a fundamental organ for sustaining life, cardiovascular diseases invariably

cause impairment in quality of life of individuals suffering from the condition. However, this

rapid growth has not just impaired the quality of life of patients, it has, also, “increased both the

pressure on hospital resources and the need for community management of the

condition” (Harrison et al., 2002, p. 271).

In particular, Congestive Heart Failure is one of the fastest growing cardiomyopathy in

terms of population and the most complex and challenging, requiring not just hospital, but

community intervention as well. Congestive Heart failure (CHF) is a chronic disease of

progressive and slow development, with great impact on patient’s quality of life, causing

functional limitations that lead to decreased ability to perform self-care activities. The deficit of

self-care skills in patients with CHF can explain the high consumption of hospital resources, and

the consequent increasing use of emergency service and hospitalization. Thus, the development

of self-care skills in patients with heart failure is critical to the control and treatment of the

disease, and for the effective management of the treatment (Harrison et al., 2002).

Purpose of the study. According to Harrison (2002), “… there is a fragile balance

between coping with this long-term condition at home and the exacerbations, often life-

threatening, which require hospitalization.” The trajectory of individuals with heart failure limits

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the drug therapies as well as the capabilities of non-pharmaceutical, adjunctive interventions.

This has become of great importance for clinical research. Interventions such as weight, diet, and

symptom control through exercise and rest management have been shown to reduce the negative

consequences. This includes both the physiological and psychological aspect of the condition for

preventing exacerbation of the disease, reducing hospital stays, and readmission (Harrison et al.,

2002).

Professionals agree that educating patients about effective forms of management of the

condition requires collaborative proactive caution by health care providers, including before and

after hospitalization. Adding a clinical nurse specialist or other case specialists has helped

improve the quality of the discharge process and reduces hospital readmission rates with both

hospital and community based approaches. For this matter, the present randomized study aimed

to evaluate the effectiveness of, “…the use of usual providers, and a reorganization of discharge

planning and transition care with improved intersectional linkages between nurses” (272), would

help improve the quality of life and the care of CHF patients admitted to hospital (Harrison et al.,

2002).

Details of the Study

Research design. According to Harrison (2002), a randomized control trial was

conducted prospectively for 12 weeks on consequences of transitional care in the quality of life,

rates of readmission, and emergency use of people with health chronic health problems. He

reported, “…the nurse-led intervention focused on the transition from hospital-to-home and

supportive care for self-management 2 weeks after hospital discharge” (Harrison et al., 2002).

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Population. The population for the Quality of Life Care for Individuals with Heart Failure

case study consisted of 483 patients assigned to each of the two study groups. During the 18-

month trial, for various reasons many patients were deemed ineligible. The total number of

participants remaining was 192 people. Out of the 192 participants, 100 were randomly assigned

to usual care and the remaining 92 were assigned to transitional care. The participants were all

females’ ranging from age 33-93 years old. The mean age was 76 years old. The population

consisted of married, single, divorced, and widowed females. Most of the participants were

retired, on disability pension, or living alone (Harrison et al., 2012).

Setting. The research differed from others because the results would be based on a

quantitative measurement as opposed to a qualitative method. The participants were based in