The relationship between self-care and health status domains in Thai patients with heart failure

Evaluation of a digital patient education programme for Chinese immigrants after a heart attack

AIMS

To evaluate a self-administered digital education resource for patients after a heart attack (adapted simplified Chinese version of Cardiac College™) on secondary prevention knowledge and health behaviour change outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Chinese immigrants recovering from a heart attack were recruited from cardiac rehabilitation programmes at four metropolitan tertiary hospitals. Participants provided access to Cardiac College™ (adapted simplified Chinese version), a self-learning secondary prevention virtual education resource over 4 weeks. The web-based resources include 9 booklets and 10 pre-recorded video education sessions. Assessments included health literacy, secondary prevention knowledge, self-management behaviours, self-reported physical activity, and a heart-healthy diet. Satisfaction, acceptability, and engagement were also assessed.From 81 patients screened, 67 were recruited, and 64 (95.5%) completed the study. The participants' mean age was 67.2 ± 8.1 years old, 81.2% were males, and the majority had no English proficiency (65.6%). Following the intervention, significant improvements were observed for secondary prevention knowledge overall and in all subdomains, with the most improvement occurring in medical, exercise, and psychological domains (P < 0.001). Dietary and self-management behaviours also improved significantly (P < 0.05). According to participants, the educational materials were engaging (100%), and the content was adequate (68.8%); however, 26.6% found the information overwhelming. Overall, 46.9% were highly satisfied with the resources.

CONCLUSION

A self-learning virtual patient-education package improved secondary prevention knowledge and self-care behaviour in Chinese immigrants after a heart attack. The culturally adapted version of Cardiac College™ offers an alternative education model where bilingual staff or translated resources are limited.

Taking Care of Us© (TCU) study protocol: feasibility and acceptability of a dyadic intervention for couples living with heart failure

BACKGROUND

There are more than 1 million hospital admissions and 3 million emergency visits for heart failure in the USA annually. Although spouse/partners make substantial contributions to the management of heart failure and experience poor health and high levels of care strain, they are rarely the focus of heart failure interventions. This protocol describes a pilot randomized controlled trial that tests the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary change in outcomes of a seven-session couple-based intervention called Taking Care of Us© (TCU). The TCU© intervention is grounded in the theory of dyadic illness management and was developed to promote collaborative illness management and better physical and mental health of adults with heart failure and their partners.

METHODS

A two-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted. Eligible adults with heart failure and their co-residing spouse/partner will be recruited from a clinical site in the USA and community/social media outreach and randomized to either the TCU© intervention or to a control condition (SUPPORT©) that offers education around heart failure management. The target sample is 60 couples (30 per arm). TCU© couples will receive seven sessions over 2 months via Zoom; SUPPORT© couples will receive three sessions over 2 months via Zoom. All participants will complete self-report measures at baseline (T1), post-treatment (T2), and 3 months post-treatment (T3). Acceptability and feasibility of the intervention will be examined using both closed-ended and open-ended questions as well as enrollment, retention, completion, and satisfaction metrics. Preliminary exploration of change in outcomes of TCU© on dyadic health, dyadic appraisal, and collaborative management will also be conducted.

DISCUSSION

Theoretically driven, evidence-based dyadic interventions are needed to optimize the health of both members of the couple living with heart failure. Results from this study will provide important information about recruitment and retention and benefits and drawbacks of the TCU© program to directly inform any needed refinements of the program and decision to move to a main trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04737759) registered on 27 January 2021.

Time to Revisit Heart Failure Self-Care: A Concept Analysis

Self-care is a central concept in heart failure management and nursing practice. Yet, the uptake of heart failure self-care has been uncritical and detached from broader contexts. Therefore, heart failure self-care was explored using Rodger's evolutionary concept analysis approach to identify antecedents, attributes, and consequences with attention to context, time, application, and meaning. The analysis suggests that heart failure self-care tends to focus on individual behaviors to the detriment of social and structural determinants of health. It also shifts responsibility away from the health care system and onto the individual. Moving forward, a more robust conceptualization of heart failure self-care is needed or possibly, the development of a new concept that focuses beyond the self .

A Multi-Site Thailand Heart Failure Snapshot Study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is increasing in many low-income and middle-income countries, but the limited availability of data on patient profiles and clinical outcomes, particularly at a community level, challenges health service planning.

METHODS

The Thai HF Snapshot Study was a multi-site, observational study conducted in Thailand between June 2017 to June 2019. It aimed to document demographic, clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, and to compare clinical outcomes by the level of the hospital.

RESULTS

A total of 512 participants were recruited across Thailand: mean age was 64.9±15.3 years and 286 were female (55.9%). The most frequently identified admitting diagnosis was ischaemic heart disease (45.1%). Most patients (70.3%) were classified as New York Heart Association class II at discharge. Patients in university hospitals were frailer (3.2 vs 2.9; p=0.015), had more depressive symptoms (8.1 vs 5.7; p<0.001), and had lower functional status (66.2 vs 73.3; p<0.001) than those in tertiary care.

CONCLUSION

Although HF patients admitted to university hospitals had access to advanced technology and health care specialists, clinical outcomes likely affected patient acuity. Interventions are urgently needed to ensure improved HF management considering the social determinants of health in Thailand.

Relationship between self-management behaviors and health-related quality of life among Chinese patients with coronary heart disease: A cross-sectional study

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) has become one of the leading cause of death and physical disability in China. However, the relationship between self-management behaviors and health-related quality of life (HrQoL) among CHD patients in Chinese community settings is unclear.Aim: To explore the relationship between self-management behaviors and HrQoL among CHD patients in Chinese community settings.Methods: 220 participants were recruited from a community setting in Xi'an city, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted by using the Coronary Artery Disease Self-Management Scale (CSMS) and Chinese Mandarin version of the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) on HrQoL.Results: Compared with Chinese norms, the CHD patients reported poorer HrQoL (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analyses identified positive correlations (r = 0.117-0.328, P < 0.05) between self-management behaviors and HrQoL among the CHD patients in Chinese community settings.Conclusion: It is critical to improve self-management behaviors and HrQoL of CHD patients in Chinese communities.

Evaluating emotional distress and health-related quality of life in patients with heart failure and their family caregivers: Testing dyadic dynamics using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model

PURPOSE

1) To compare levels of emotional symptoms and health-related quality of life between patients with heart failure and their family caregivers; and 2) to examine whether patients' and caregivers' emotional symptoms were associated with their own, as well as their partner's health-related quality of life.

METHOD

In this cross-sectional study, 41 patients-caregiver dyads (78% male patients, aged 68.6 years; and 83% female caregivers, aged 65.8 years) completed all nine dimensions of the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Minnesota Living with Heart failure Questionnaire. Dyadic data were analysed for 6 sub-scales of the Brief Symptom Inventory, using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in emotional symptoms and health-related quality of life between patients with heart failure and their caregivers. Patients' and caregivers' emotional symptoms were associated with their own health-related quality of life. Caregivers' anxiety, phobic anxiety, obsession-compulsion, depression and hostility negatively influenced their partner's (i.e. the patient's) health-related quality of life. There were no partner effects of patients' emotional symptoms on the health-related quality of life of caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that patients may be particularly vulnerable to the emotional distress, i.e. thoughts, impulses and actions of their caregivers. It may be possible to improve patients' health-related quality of life by targeting specific detrimental emotional symptoms of caregivers.

Heart failure and social determinants of health in Thailand: An integrative review

Background

Heart failure is a highly burdensome syndrome and is rapidly increasing in prevalence in low and middle-income countries and outcomes are influenced at the level of the patient, provider and health system. Understanding heart failure beyond a biomedical perspective and the relationship between health outcomes and social determinants of health is critical for informing policy development and improving health outcomes.

Aim

To identify the social determinants of health for improving health outcomes for individuals with heart failure in Thailand.

Method

This integrative review included studies published between January 1, 2008, and March 31, 2016 in both the Thai and English language identified through searching Scopus, PubMed, and CINAHL.

Results

Six experimental, eight descriptive and two qualitative studies were identified met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The majority of study participants were elderly, female, had low-education and income levels, were participating in a universal coverage scheme and living in a rural setting. All interventions were delivered at the level of the individual, focusing on education to improve knowledge, self-care, and functional status. Findings showed an improvement in health outcomes which were moderated by social determinants of health such as gender and income.

Conclusion

As the burden of heart failure increases in Thailand and other emerging economies, developing culturally appropriate, affordable and acceptable models of intervention considering social determinants of health is necessary.

The Role of Dyadic Confidence on Engagement in Heart Failure Care Behaviors

Background and Objectives

Increasingly, older adults and their families are expected to manage complex conditions with little support. In the case of heart failure (HF), symptom monitoring and management are critical in preventing acute exacerbations and poor clinical outcomes. The current study examined the role of dyadic confidence on engagement in HF care behaviors by patients and their spouses.

Research Design and Methods

A cross-sectional design was used to examine 60 couples living with HF. Three dyadic confidence variables were created to represent average level of confidence, gap in confidence, and direction of gap within each couple. A series of multilevel models were used to examine dyadic engagement in HF maintenance, management, and consulting behaviors and the role of dyadic confidence.

Results

Patients were significantly more engaged in HF maintenance behaviors than spouses; couples were more collaborative in their engagement in HF management and consulting behaviors. Average level of confidence in the dyad was significantly associated with patient engagement in all three HF behaviors. Spouse engagement was associated with more congruence in confidence and having higher levels of confidence than their partners with HF. Women were significantly more engaged in HF behaviors than men, regardless of role.

Discussion and Implications

The study employed a dyadic approach to HF care and a novel approach to confidence. Findings confirm the social nature of confidence and its important role in HF. Clinicians have opportunities to optimize patient outcomes by fostering greater collaboration within couples.

Health Literacy and Cardiovascular Disease: Fundamental Relevance to Primary and Secondary Prevention: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals are able to access and process basic health information and services and thereby participate in health-related decisions. Limited health literacy is highly prevalent in the United States and is strongly associated with patient morbidity, mortality, healthcare use, and costs. The objectives of this American Heart Association scientific statement are (1) to summarize the relevance of health literacy to cardiovascular health; (2) to present the adverse associations of health literacy with cardiovascular risk factors, conditions, and treatments; (3) to suggest strategies that address barriers imposed by limited health literacy on the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease; (4) to demonstrate the contributions of health literacy to health disparities, given its association with social determinants of health; and (5) to propose future directions for how health literacy can be integrated into the American Heart Association's mandate to advance cardiovascular treatment and research, thereby improving patient care and public health. Inadequate health literacy is a barrier to the American Heart Association meeting its 2020 Impact Goals, and this statement articulates the rationale to anticipate and address the adverse cardiovascular effects associated with health literacy.

Social support predicts self-care confidence in patients with heart failure

BACKGROUND

Self-care for patients with heart failure includes engaging in behaviours that maintain medical stability and manage problematic symptoms, as well as the confidence in one's ability to carry out such behaviours. Given the social context of self-care behaviours in heart failure, there has been increasing interest in social support as a predictor of self-care.

AIM

The goal of the present study was to examine the role of social support in self-care across time for persons with heart failure.

METHODS

Using data from an observational study of patients with chronic heart failure ( n = 280), we examined the role of three types of support - instrumental support, emotional support and assistance with self-care - in the longitudinal course of self-care maintenance, management and confidence. Self-report questionnaire data were collected at baseline and at three and six months later.

RESULTS

We found that instrumental and emotional support predicted better self-care confidence on average and that self-care confidence improved at a faster rate for those with less instrumental support. Emotional support was positively associated with self-care management and self-care confidence, and assistance with self-care was positively associated with self-care maintenance.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the contribution of social support to self-care in heart failure and provide guidance for future family-based interventions to improve self-care.

Self-care in heart failure patients

Objective:

to describe self-care behavior and its associated factors in a sample of heart failure Brazilian patients.

Method:

descriptive cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic sample of 116 ambulatory patients undergoing heart failure treatment. Self-care was evaluated using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index, (scores ≥70 points=appropriate self-care). Association tests were applied, considering a descriptive level of 0.05.

Results:

the mean age of participants was 57.7 (SD =11.3) years; 54.3% were male; the mean schooling was 5.5 (SD = 4.0) years; and 74.1% had functional class II-III. The mean scores on the subscales of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index indicated inappropriate self-care (self-care maintenance: 53.2 (SD =14.3), selfcare management: 50.0 (SD = 20.3) and self-care confidence: 52.6 (SD=22.7)) and it was found low frequencies of participants with appropriate self-care (self-care maintenance, 6.9%), self-care management (14.7%) and self-care confidence (19%). Higher scores of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index were associated with: reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.001), longer time of experience with the disease (p=0.05) and joint monitoring by physician and nurse (p=0.007).

Conclusion:

investments are needed to improve the self-care behavior and the nursing can play a relevant role in this improvement.

The Situation-Specific Theory of Heart Failure Self-Care: Revised and Updated

BACKGROUND

Since the situation-specific theory of heart failure (HF) self-care was published in 2008, we have learned much about how and why patients with HF take care of themselves. This knowledge was used to revise and update the theory.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article was to describe the revised, updated situation-specific theory of HF self-care.

RESULT

Three major revisions were made to the existing theory: (1) a new theoretical concept reflecting the process of symptom perception was added; (2) each self-care process now involves both autonomous and consultative elements; and (3) a closer link between the self-care processes and the naturalistic decision-making process is described. In the revised theory, HF self-care is defined as a naturalistic decision-making process with person, problem, and environmental factors that influence the everyday decisions made by patients and the self-care actions taken. The first self-care process, maintenance, captures those behaviors typically referred to as treatment adherence. The second self-care process, symptom perception, involves body listening, monitoring signs, as well as recognition, interpretation, and labeling of symptoms. The third self-care process, management, is the response to symptoms when they occur. A total of 5 assumptions and 8 testable propositions are specified in this revised theory.

CONCLUSION

Prior research illustrates that all 3 self-care processes (ie, maintenance, symptom perception, and management) are integral to self-care. Further research is greatly needed to identify how best to help patients become experts in HF self-care.

A Dyadic Approach to Managing Heart Failure With Confidence

BACKGROUND

The majority of heart failure (HF) self-care research remains focused on patients, despite the important involvement of family caregivers. Although self-care confidence has been found to play an important role in the effectiveness of HF self-care management on patient outcomes, no known research has examined self-care confidence within a dyadic context.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to identify individual and dyadic determinants of self-care confidence in HF care dyads.

METHODS

Multilevel modeling, which controls for the interdependent nature of dyadic data, was used to examine 329 Italian HF dyads (caregivers were either spouses or adult children).

RESULTS

Both patients and caregivers reported lower-than-adequate levels of confidence, with caregivers reporting slightly higher confidence than patients. Patient and caregiver levels of confidence were significantly associated with greater patient-reported relationship quality and better caregiver mental health. Patient confidence in self-care was significantly associated with patient female gender, nonspousal care dyads, poor caregiver physical health, and low care strain. Caregiver confidence to contribute to self-care was significantly associated with poor emotional quality of life in patients and greater perceived social support by caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings are supportive of the need for a dyadic perspective of HF self-care in practice and research as well as the importance of addressing the needs of both members of the dyad to maximize optimal outcomes for both.

Motivational interviewing to improve self-care for patients with chronic heart failure: MITI-HF randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a tailored motivational interviewing (MI) intervention versus usual care for improving HF self-care behaviors, physical HF symptoms and quality of life.

METHODS

This is a single-center, randomized controlled trial. Participants were enrolled in the hospital. Immediately after discharge, those in the intervention group received a single home visit and 3-4 follow-up phone calls by a nurse over 90 days.

RESULTS

A total of 67 participants completed the study (mean age 62±12.8 years), of which 54% were African American, 30% were female, 84% had class III/IV symptoms, and 63% were educated at a high school level or less. There were no differences between the groups in self-care maintenance, self-care confidence, physical HF symptoms, or quality of life at 90 days.

CONCLUSION

Patients who received the MI intervention had significant and clinically meaningful improvements in HF self-care maintenance over 90 days that exceeded that of usual care.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

These data support the use of a nurse-led MI intervention for improving HF self-care. Identifying methods to improve HF self-care may lead to improved clinical outcomes.

Determinants of Heart Failure Self-Care Maintenance and Management in Patients and Caregivers: A Dyadic Analysis

Disease self-management is a critical component of maintaining clinical stability for patients with chronic illness. This is particularly evident in the context of heart failure (HF), which is the leading cause of hospitalization for older adults. HF self-management, commonly known as HF self-care, is often performed with the support of informal caregivers. However, little is known about how a HF dyad manages the patient's care together. The purpose of this study was to identify determinants of patient and caregiver contributions to HF self-care maintenance (daily adherence and symptom monitoring) and management (appropriate recognition and response to symptoms), utilizing an approach that controls for dyadic interdependence. This was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from 364 dyads of Italian HF patients and caregivers. Multilevel modeling was used to identify determinants of HF self-care within patient-caregiver dyads. Patients averaged 76.2 (SD = 10.7) years old, and a slight majority (56.9%) was male, whereas caregivers averaged 57.4 (SD = 14.6) years old, and about half (48.1%) were male. Most caregivers were adult children (48.4%) or spouses (32.7%) of patients. Both patients and caregivers reported low levels of HF maintenance and management behaviors. Significant individual and dyadic determinants of self-care maintenance and self-care management included gender, quality of life, comorbid burden, impaired ADLs, cognition, hospitalizations, HF duration, relationship type, relationship quality, and social support. These comprehensive dyadic models assist in elucidating the complex nature of patient-caregiver relationships and their influence on HF self-care, leading to more effective ways to intervene and optimize outcomes.

Resilience mediates the relationship between depression and psychological health status in patients with heart failure: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms are linked to increased morbidity and mortality, and impaired health status in patients with heart failure. Elevating resilience may mitigate the negative consequences associated with depressive symptoms. However, the role of resilience in the relationship between depressive symptoms and health status in patients with heart failure remains unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationships among depressive symptoms, resilience, and physical and psychological health status in patients with heart failure and to determine whether resilience plays a mediating or moderating role in the relationship between depressive symptoms and physical and psychological health status.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study design.

SETTING

Cardiac outpatient clinics in hospitals in Northern Taiwan.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample comprised 128 community-dwelling and medically stable patients with echocardiographically documented heart failure.

METHODS

Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to determine whether depressive symptoms and resilience are associated with physical and psychological health status. The moderating role of resilience was examined by testing the significance of the interaction between depressive symptoms and resilience. The mediating role of resilience was analyzed using the PROCESS procedure in SPSS.

RESULTS

Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with both physical and psychological health status (both p<.01) in patients with heart failure after adjustment for sociodemographic variables, comorbidities, and the New York Heart Association functional class. Furthermore, resilience mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms and psychological health status (b=-0.05; confidence interval: -0.01, -0.001) but not that between depressive symptoms and physical health status (b=-0.004; confidence interval: -0.003, 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Depressive symptoms are risk factors for poor health status in patients with heart failure. However, enhancing resilience may facilitate improving psychological health status in patients with depression and heart failure. Future studies should investigate further the design and feasibility of resilience-focused interventions for patients with depression and heart failure.

The problem with Cronbach's Alpha: comment on Sijtsma and van der Ark (2015)

Knowledge of a scale's dimensionality is an essential preliminary step to the application of any measure of reliability derived from classical test theory--an approach commonly used is nursing research. The focus of this article is on the applied aspects of reliability and dimensionality testing. Throughout the article, the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index is used to exemplify real-world data challenges of quantifying reliability and to provide insight into how to overcome such challenges.

The patient work system: an analysis of self-care performance barriers among elderly heart failure patients and their informal caregivers

Human factors and ergonomics approaches have been successfully applied to study and improve the work performance of healthcare professionals. However, there has been relatively little work in "patient-engaged human factors," or the application of human factors to the health-related work of patients and other nonprofessionals. This study applied a foundational human factors tool, the systems model, to investigate the barriers to self-care performance among chronically ill elderly patients and their informal (family) caregivers. A Patient Work System model was developed to guide the collection and analysis of interviews, surveys, and observations of patients with heart failure (n = 30) and their informal caregivers (n = 14). Iterative analyses revealed the nature and prevalence of self-care barriers across components of the Patient Work System. Person-related barriers were common and stemmed from patients' biomedical conditions, limitations, knowledge deficits, preferences, and perceptions as well as the characteristics of informal caregivers and healthcare professionals. Task barriers were also highly prevalent and included task difficulty, timing, complexity, ambiguity, conflict, and undesirable consequences. Tool barriers were related to both availability and access of tools and technologies and their design, usability, and impact. Context barriers were found across three domains-physical-spatial, social-cultural, and organizational-and multiple "spaces" such as "at home," "on the go," and "in the community." Barriers often stemmed not from single factors but from the interaction of several work system components. Study findings suggest the need to further explore multiple actors, contexts, and interactions in the patient work system during research and intervention design, as well as the need to develop new models and measures for studying patient and family work.

The association between cognitive function and self-care in patients with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND

Self-care requires that patients learn to care for themselves. Cognitive impairment and depression can decrease the ability and interest in performing self-care. The objectives were to explore the association between cognitive function and self-care in heart failure patients, and to examine if this association was moderated by symptoms of depression.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 105 heart failure patients in NYHA II-IV, median age 72 years. Self-care was measured with the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale, cognitive function with a neuropsychological battery, and depressive symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire. The associations between the study variables were examined with multiple regression analyses.

RESULTS

Psychomotor speed was the only cognitive dimension significantly associated with self-care. The association between psychomotor speed and self-care was not moderated by symptoms of depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Deficits in psychomotor speed have implications for how patients should be educated and supported to perform self-care.

Dimensionality and reliability of the self-care of heart failure index scales: further evidence from confirmatory factor analysis

The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) is used widely, but issues with reliability have been evident. Cronbach alpha coefficient is usually used to assess reliability, but this approach assumes a unidimensional scale. The purpose of this article is to address the dimensionality and internal consistency reliability of the SCHFI. This was a secondary analysis of data from 629 adults with heart failure enrolled in three separate studies conducted in the northeastern and northwestern United States. Following testing for scale dimensionality using confirmatory factor analysis, reliability was tested using coefficient alpha and alternative options. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that: (a) the Self-Care Maintenance Scale has a multidimensional four-factor structure; (b) the Self-Care Management Scale has a two-factor structure, but the primary factors loaded on a common higher-order factor; and (c) the Self-Care Confidence Scale is unidimensional. Reliability estimates for the three scales, obtained with methods compatible with each scale's dimensionality, were adequate or high. The results of the analysis demonstrate that issues of dimensionality and reliability cannot be separated. Appropriate estimates of reliability that are consistent with the dimensionality of the scale must be used. In the case of the SCHFI, coefficient alpha should not be used to assess reliability of the self-care maintenance and the self-care management scales, due to their multidimensionality. When performing psychometric evaluations, we recommend testing dimensionality before assessing reliability, as well using multiple indices of reliability, such as model-based internal consistency, composite reliability, and omega and maximal reliability coefficients.

Tai Ji Quan for the aging cancer survivor: Mitigating the accelerated development of disability, falls, and cardiovascular disease from cancer treatment

Currently there are more than 13.7 million cancer survivors living in the U.S., and that figure is projected to increase by 31% in the next decade, adding another 4 million cancer survivors into the healthcare system. Cancer is largely a disease of aging, and the aging of the population will sharply raise the proportion of older cancer survivors, many of whom will be long-term survivors (5+ years post diagnosis). This review will address the potential utility of exercise to address three health problems that are of particular concern for the aging cancer survivor and the healthcare system, i.e., disability, falls, and cardiovascular disease, because the development of these age-related problems may be accelerated by cancer treatment. While there are many different modes of exercise that each produce specific adaptations, Tai Ji Quan may be a particularly suitable strategy to mitigate the development of age- and cancer-treatment-related problems. Based on studies in older adults without cancer, Tai Ji Quan produces musculoskeletal and cardiometabolic adaptations and is more easily performed by older adults due to its low energy cost and slower movement patterns. Since cancer survivors are mostly older, inactive, and often physically limited by the lingering side effects of treatment, they need to engage in safe, practical, and effective modes of exercise. The dearth of published controlled trials examining the efficacy of Tai Ji Quan to mitigate cancer-treatment-related musculoskeletal and cardiovascular side effects points to ample research opportunities to explore the application of this non-Western exercise modality to improve long-term outcomes for aging cancer survivors.

Effects of self-care on quality of life in adults with heart failure and their spousal caregivers: testing dyadic dynamics using the actor-partner interdependence model

Emotions are contagious in couples. The purpose of this study was to analyze the manner in which adults with chronic heart failure (HF) and their informal caregivers influence each other's self-care behavior and quality of life (QOL). A sample of 138 HF patients and spouses was enrolled from ambulatory centers across Italy. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was used to analyze dyadic data obtained with the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI), the Caregivers Contribution to the SCHFI, and the Short Form 12. Both actor and partner effects were found. Higher self-care was related to lower physical QOL in patients and caregivers. Higher self-care maintenance in patients was associated with better mental QOL in caregivers. In caregivers, confidence in the ability to support patients in self-care was associated with improved caregivers' mental QOL, but worsened physical QOL in patients. Interventions that build the caregivers' confidence are needed.

Profiles of self-care management versus consulting behaviors in adults with heart failure

INTRODUCTION

Patients with heart failure (HF) vary in their ability to respond to symptoms when they occur. The goal of this study was to classify common patterns of symptom response behaviors among adults with HF and identify biobehavioral determinants thereof.

METHODS

Consulting behaviors (i.e. contacting a provider for guidance) were measured using the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale consulting behaviors subscale, and self-care management (i.e. recognizing and engaging in self-initiated treatment of symptoms) was measured with the Self-Care of HF Index self-care management scale in a prospective cohort study. Latent class mixture modeling was used to identify distinct profiles of consulting and of self-care management behaviors.

RESULTS

The mean age (n=146) was 57±13 years, 30% were female, and 59% had class III/IV HF. Two distinct profiles of consulting behaviors (novice and expert) and three distinct profiles of self-care management (novice, inconsistent and expert) were identified. There was a weak association between profiles of consulting behaviors and self-care management (Kendall's tau-b=0.211). Higher levels of anxiety were associated with worse consulting behaviors (β=1.67±0.60) and worse self-care management (β= -5.82±3.12) and lower odds of exhibiting expert level consulting behaviors (odds ratio (OR)=0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.26-0.95) and self-care management (OR=0.47; 95% CI=0.24-0.92) (all p<0.05). Higher levels of physical symptoms were associated with better self-care management (β=0.50±0.12; OR =1.02, 95% CI=1.00-1.05; both p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Expertise in consulting behaviors does not necessarily confer expertise in symptom self-care management and vice versa. Physical and psychological symptoms are strong determinants of symptom response behaviors.

Heart failure symptom monitoring and response training

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a heart failure (HF) training program on patients' ability to recognize and respond to changes in HF symptoms. The primary aim was to compare event-free survival at 90 days.

METHODS

A total of 99 HF patients randomized to the HF symptom training intervention or usual care completed instruments about self-care (Self-Care of HF Index) and at baseline and 3 months. Demographic, clinical, and comorbidity data were collected by interview and chart review. Time to first event (death or a HF-related hospitalization) was tracked by electronic records and patient interview.

RESULTS

The sample was predominately male (67.7%), elderly (67.7 yrs ± 12.1) and Caucasian (88.9%). The intervention group reported more events but the difference was not significantly different (χ(2) = 1.18, p = 0.26). There was no difference in survival time between groups (χ(2) = 1.53, p = 0.216). In paired t-tests, the intervention group had significantly improved self-care maintenance, management and confidence scores (all p < 0.01). The usual care group had significantly improved self-care maintenance and management (both p < 0.01). Improvements in self-care maintenance and confidence were higher in the intervention group compared with usual care (18.0 vs. 12.9 points).

CONCLUSIONS

HF symptom awareness training appeared to have an early but not sustained benefit resulting in no difference in 90-day event-free survival. However, larger improvement in self-care maintenance and confidence scores in the intervention group compared to usual care is promising. Embedding meaningful symptom monitoring strategies in self-care maintenance interventions requires further investigation.

Screening for determinants of self-care in patients with chronic heart failure

Heart failure self-care is vital to achieving clinical stability and improved health outcomes. Yet despite the attention it has been given, in both research and clinical practice, effective self-care remains elusive. It is recognised that there are many patient factors that impact on attaining effective self-care skills. Systematic research is warranted to resolve the knowledge gap of how patients process information and develop the necessary self-care skills. In addition, sound screening tools are needed to assess factors that hinder the development of effective heart failure self-care skills. In this manner, education and support strategies can be applied on an individualised needs basis to enhance health outcomes.

Biomarkers of myocardial stress and systemic inflammation in patients who engage in heart failure self-care management

BACKGROUND

Self-care is believed to improve heart failure (HF) outcomes, but the mechanisms by which such improvement occurs remain unclear.

METHODS

We completed a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected on adults with symptomatic HF to test our hypothesis that effective self-care is associated with less myocardial stress and systemic inflammation. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to determine if better HF self-care reduced the odds of having serum levels of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and soluble tumor necrosis factor α receptor type 1 at or greater than the sample median. Heart failure self-care was measured using the Self-care of Heart Failure Index.

RESULTS

The sample (n=168) was predominantly male (65.5%), and most (50.6%) had New York Heart Association III HF (mean left ventricular ejection fraction, 34.9% [SD, 14.0%]); mean age was 58.8 (SD, 11.5) years. Self-care management was an independent factor in the model (block χ=14.74; P=.005) after controlling for pertinent confounders (model χ=52.15; P<.001). Each 1-point increase in self-care management score (range, 15-100) was associated with a 12.7% reduction in the odds of having levels of both biomarkers at or greater than the sample median (adjusted odds ratio, 0.873; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.99; P=.03).

CONCLUSION

Better self-care management was associated with reduced odds of myocardial stress and systemic inflammation over and above pharmacological therapy and other common confounding factors. Teaching HF patients early symptom recognition and self-care of symptoms may decrease myocardial stress and systemic inflammation.

Self care in patients with chronic heart failure

'Heart failure self care' refers to the practices in which patients engage to maintain their own health, and to the decisions that they make about managing signs or symptoms. In this article, we base our discussion of self care in chronic heart failure on the classification of patients as being 'expert', inconsistent', or 'novice' in heart failure self-care behaviors. The available literature on factors predicting heart failure self care and its outcomes are reviewed within this context. Factors known to influence heart failure self care include experience with the illness, physical functioning, depression and anxiety, social support, daytime sleepiness, and attitudes such as confidence. Further research is needed to understand the contributions of comorbidities, patient sex, and health disparities on heart failure self care. The evidence to support a link between heart failure self care and health outcomes is limited, but early evidence suggests that adequate self care is associated with an improvement in health status, a decrease in the number and duration of hospitalizations, and a decline in levels of biomarkers of stress and inflammation, and in intrathoracic impedance. Implications of heart failure self care for clinical practice, policy, and public health are also described.

From novice to expert: confidence and activity status determine heart failure self-care performance

BACKGROUND

In a previous, small, mixed-methods study, heart failure patients were described as novice, expert, or inconsistent in self-care. In that study, self-care types differed in experience, confidence, attitudes, and skill.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to validate the novice-to-expert self-care typology and to identify determinants of the heart failure self-care types.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed using data from 689 adults with heart failure (61 ± 2.5 years; 36% female, 50% New York Heart Association class III). Two-step likelihood cluster analysis was used to classify patients into groups using all items in the maintenance and management scales of the Self-care of Heart Failure Index. Multinomial regression was used to identify the determinants of each self-care cluster, testing the influence of age, gender, left ventricular ejection fraction, body mass index, depression, anxiety, hostility, perceived control, social support, activity status (Duke Activity Status Index), and self-care confidence.

RESULTS

Self-care behaviors clustered best into three types: novice (n = 185, 26.9%), expert (n = 229, 33.2%), and inconsistent (n = 275, 39.9%). The model predicting self-care cluster membership was significant (χ2 = 88.67, p < .001); Duke Activity Status Index score and Self-care of Heart Failure Index confidence score were the only significant individual factors. Higher activity status increased the odds that patients would be inconsistent (odds ratio [OR] = 1.02-1.09) or novice (OR = 1.02-1.10) in self-care. Higher self-care confidence increased the odds of being an expert (OR = 1.05-1.09) or inconsistent (OR = 1.01-1.05) in self-care.

DISCUSSION

The three-level typology of heart failure self-care was confirmed. Patients who have fewer limitations to daily activities may not be driven adequately to engage in heart failure self-care and may need extra assistance in developing expertise.