Patient-, Provider-, and System-Level Barriers to Heart Failure Care

Neural Models for Generating Natural Language Summaries from Temporal Personal Health Data

With an increased interest in the production of personal health technologies designed to track user data (e.g., nutrient  intake, step counts), there is now more opportunity than ever to surface meaningful behavioral insights to everyday users in the form of natural language. This knowledge can increase their behavioral awareness and allow them to take action to meet their health goals. It can also bridge the gap between the vast collection of personal health data and the summary generation required to describe an individual's behavioral tendencies. Previous work has focused on rule-based time-series data summarization methods designed to generate natural language summaries of interesting patterns found within temporal personal health data. We examine recurrent, convolutional, and Transformer-based encoder-decoder models to automatically generate natural language summaries from numeric temporal personal health data. We showcase the effectiveness of our models on real user health data logged in MyFitnessPal (Weber and Achananuparp 2016) and show that we can automatically generate high-quality natural language summaries. Our work serves as a first step towards the ambitious goal of automatically generating novel and meaningful temporal summaries from personal health data.

Decisional Needs and Patient Treatment Preferences for Heart Failure Medications: A Scoping Review

Background

Pharmacologic management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) involves several medications. Decision aids informed by patient decisional needs and treatment preferences could assist in making HFrEF medication choices; however, these are largely unknown.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), without language restriction, for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies that included patients with HFrEF or clinicians providing HFrEF care, and reported data on decisional needs or treatment preferences applicable to HFrEF medications. We classified decisional needs using a modified version of the Ottawa Decision Support Framework (ODSF).

Results

From 3996 records, we included 16 reports describing 13 studies (n = 854). No study explicitly assessed ODSF decisional needs; however, 11 studies reported ODSF-classifiable data. Patients commonly reported having inadequate knowledge or information, and difficult decisional roles. No study systematically assessed treatment preferences, but 6 studies reported on attribute preferences. Reducing mortality and improving symptoms frequently were ranked as being important, whereas cost importance rankings varied, and adverse events generally were ranked as being less important.

Conclusion

This scoping review identified key decisional needs regarding HFrEF medications, notably inadequate knowledge or information, and difficult decisional roles, which can readily be addressed by decision aids. Future studies should systematically explore the full scope of ODSF-based decisional needs in patients with HFrEF, along with relative preferences among treatment attributes to further inform development of individualized decision aids.

Reasons for dropout in the transition from hospital to municipality during exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in a Danish cross-sectorial setting: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

Despite documented benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), attrition rates remain relatively high. Insights on patient perspectives concerning dropout during transition phases are deficient. This deeper understanding may help to inform on the perceived benefits and barriers in CR. This qualitative study explores the reasons why patients' dropout during the transition from a hospital-based CR programme to local healthcare facilities.

SETTING

A Danish hospital and seven local healthcare centres.

PARTICIPANTS

Twelve patients, who had dropped out of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (exCR) during the transition from hospital-based rehabilitation to local healthcare centres, were recruited to semistructured interviews based on a purposeful sampling.

RESULTS

Important patient needs during rehabilitation was the ability to identify and reflect oneself in a group of peers in a safe, specialised hospital-based environment. At the transition point, the meaningfulness of continuation of CR was revaluated. Findings showed that reasons for discontinuation varied within individuals. It encompassed on a balanced choice of reassessing benefits against competing agendas as work demands versus expectations of benefits in a changed exercise environment and own exercise capabilities.

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that patient needs as timely relevance, a specialised safe environment and peer support are significant for participation in exCR. These needs may change during the transition stage due to competing agendas as work obligations and assessment of own ability to take control themselves. Perceived meaningfulness may be a major motivational driver for both initiating and making a judiciously choice of leaving an exCR programme.

Factors influencing prescribing by critical care physicians to heart failure patients in Egypt: a cross-sectional survey

Background

Heart failure (HF) guideline-led prescribing improves patient outcomes; however, little is known about the factors influencing guideline-led prescribing in critical care settings. This study used a cross-sectional survey to assess the factors that influence physicians when prescribing to heart failure patients in a critical care setting in Egypt.

Results

The response rate was 54.8%. The international HF guidelines were the primary source of prescribing information for 84.2% of respondents. Staff were more familiar with the latest guideline recommendations than associate staff (86.7% vs 36.8%, p = 0.012) and considered patient’s perspectives more often (86.7% vs 26.3%, p = 0.036). Renal function was the clinical factor that most frequently influenced the prescribing of loop diuretics or renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors. Pulmonary function influenced beta-blockers prescription. The most frequently cited barrier to guideline-led prescribing was the absence of locally drafted guidelines. A majority of prescribers agreed that implementation of clinical pharmacy services, physician education and electronic reminders may improve the implementation of guideline-led prescribing.

Conclusions

Although experienced physicians are familiar with and use international guidelines, physicians would welcome local guidance on HF prescribing and greater clinical pharmacist input.

Special Considerations in the Care of Women With Advanced Heart Failure

Advanced heart failure (AHF) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and greater healthcare utilization. Recognition requires a thorough clinical assessment and appropriate risk stratification. There are persisting inequities in the allocation of AHF therapies. Women are less likely to be referred for evaluation of candidacy for heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device despite facing a higher risk of AHF-related mortality. Sex-specific risk factors influence progression to advanced disease and should be considered when evaluating women for advanced therapies. The purpose of this review is to discuss the role of sex hormones on the pathophysiology of AHF, describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation and definitive therapies of AHF in women with special attention to pregnancy, lactation, contraception and menopause. Future studies are needed to address areas of equipoise in the care of women with AHF.

Patient, caregiving partner, and clinician recommendations for improving heart failure care in the Veterans Health Administration

OBJECTIVE

Heart Failure (HF) care requires substantial care coordination between patients, patients' informal caregivers, and clinicians, but few studies have examined recommendations from all three perspectives. The objective of this study was to understand and identify shared recommendations to improve HF self-care from the perspective of VA persons with HF, their caregiving partners, and clinicians.

METHODS

Secondary data analysis from a study of semi-structured interviews with 16 couples (persons with HF and their caregiving partners) and 13 clinicians (physicians, nurses, other specialists) from a large Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Interviews were double-coded, and analyzed for themes around commonly used or recommended self-care strategies.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged: (1) Couples and clinicians believe that improvements are still needed to existing HF education, especially the need to be tailored to learning style and culture, (2) Couples and clinicians believe that technology can facilitate better HF self-care, and (3) Couples and clinicians believe that caregiving partners are part of the self-care team, and should be involved in care management to support the person with HF.

DISCUSSION

Recommendations from couples and clinicians address barriers to HF self-care and encourage patient-centered care.

Exploring the ability of self-report measures to identify risk of high treatment burden in chronic disease patients: a cross-sectional study

Background

Effective self-management of chronic health conditions is key to avoiding disease escalation and poor health outcomes, but self-management abilities vary. Adequate patient capacity, in terms of abilities and resources, is needed to effectively manage the treatment burden associated with chronic health conditions. The ability to measure different elements of capacity, as well as treatment burden, may assist to identify those at risk of poor self-management. Our aims were to: 1. Investigate correlations between established self-report tools measuring aspects of patient capacity, and treatment burden; and 2. Explore whether individual questions from the self-report tools will correlate to perceived treatment burden without loss of explanation. This may assist in the development of a clinical screening tool to identify people at risk of high treatment burden.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey in both a postal and online format. Patients reporting one or more chronic diseases completed validated self-report scales assessing social, financial, physical and emotional capacity; quality of life; and perceived treatment burden. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore relationships between different capacity variables, and perceived high treatment burden.

Results

Respondents (n = 183) were mostly female (78%) with a mean age of 60 years. Most participants were multimorbid (94%), with 45% reporting more than five conditions. 51% reported a high treatment burden. Following logistic regression analyses, high perceived treatment burden was correlated with younger age, material deprivation, low self-efficacy and usual activity limitation. These factors accounted for 50.7% of the variance in high perceived treatment burden. Neither disease burden nor specific diagnosis was correlated with treatment burden.

Conclusions

This study supports previous observations that psychosocial factors may be more influential than specific diagnoses for multimorbid patients in managing their treatment workload. A simple capacity measure may be useful to identify those who are likely to struggle with healthcare demands.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-12579-1.

Evaluation of Patient-Reported Delays and Affordability-Related Barriers to Care in Head and Neck Cancer

Objective

To examine the prevalence and predictors of patient-reported barriers to care among survivors of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the association with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Outpatient oncology clinic at an academic tertiary care center.

Methods

Data were obtained from the UNC Health Registry/Cancer Survivorship Cohort. Barriers to care included self-reported delays in care and inability to obtain needed care due to cost. HRQOL was measured with validated questionnaires: general (PROMIS) and cancer specific (FACT-GP).

Results

The sample included 202 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with a mean age of 59.6 years (SD, 10.0). Eighty-two percent were male and 87% were White. Sixty-two patients (31%) reported at least 1 barrier to care. Significant predictors of a barrier to care in unadjusted analysis included age ≤60 years ( P = .007), female sex ( P = .020), being unmarried ( P = .016), being uninsured ( P = .047), and Medicaid insurance ( P = .022). Patients reporting barriers to care had significantly worse physical and mental HRQOL on the PROMIS questionnaires ( P < .001 and P = .002, respectively) and lower cancer-specific HRQOL on the FACT-GP questionnaire ( P < .001), which persisted across physical, social, emotional, and functional domains. There was no difference in 5-year OS (75.3% vs 84.1%, P = .177) or 5-year CSS (81.6% vs 85.4%, P = .542) in patients with and without barriers to care.

Conclusion

Delay- and affordability-related barriers are common among survivors of head and neck cancer and appear to be associated with significantly worse HRQOL outcomes. Certain sociodemographic groups appear to be more at risk of patient-reported barriers to care.

Health system barriers to accessing care for children with weight issues in New Zealand: An interview-based study

OBJECTIVE

To identify barriers created and maintained by the health system affecting engagement in a family-based multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme for children and adolescents in New Zealand.

METHODS

We conducted 64 semi-structured interviews with participants of the programme (n = 71) with varying levels of engagement, including those who declined contact after their referral. Half the interviews were with families with Māori children, allowing for appropriate representation. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Five health system factors affecting engagement were identified: the national policy environment, funding constraints, lack of coordination between services, difficulty navigating the health system, and the cost of primary health care.

CONCLUSIONS

Engaging with a health system that creates and maintains substantial barriers to accessing services is difficult, affecting programme engagement, even where service-level barriers have been minimised. Lack of access remains a crucial barrier to improved health outcomes for children and their families experiencing childhood obesity in New Zealand. There is a need for comprehensive approaches that are accompanied by a clear implementation strategy and coordinated across sectors.

A National Survey Identifying the Factors Associated With Cardiovascular Care Nurses' Perceived Knowledge of International Practice Guidelines: The First Step in the Development of an Implementation Strategy

BACKGROUND

The implementation of international guidelines within everyday practice remains problematic, which can have a detrimental impact on quality of care delivered. This study aimed to ascertain the factors associated with clinical nurses' perceived knowledge of international guidelines.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional survey, nurses from 45 hospitals across Ireland were recruited. A previously validated anonymous questionnaire that assessed guideline knowledge, use, and barriers to implementation was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of the 542 responses, 54% had used international guidelines relevant to their practice and 50% had consulted within the last year. Most nurses perceived that poor patient follow-up, lack of time and resources, poor clinical leadership, workload, long guidelines, and not understanding guideline detail were barriers to guideline use and implementation. Forty-five percent rated their perceived knowledge of guidelines as "low." Logistic regression identified that "high" knowledge levels were significantly associated with having read guidelines in the last year and their use with practice. In contrast, low knowledge of the guidelines was associated with perceptions that they were lengthy and not easy to use, lack of confidence to challenge colleagues when guidelines are not implemented, or not being able to influence current practice.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the specific knowledge needs in this cohort of mainly basic grade registered nurses, with low perceived guideline knowledge. A whole unit or team approach led by nurse champions is needed to develop and establish practice and educational strategies that would increase the availability, application, and knowledge of guidelines within everyday practice.

Peri-discharge complex interventions for reducing 30-day hospital readmissions among heart failure patients: overview of systematic reviews and network meta-analysis

AIMS

An overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted to synthesize evidence of comparative effectiveness of different peri-discharge complex interventions for reducing 30-day hospital readmissions among heart failure (HF) patients.

METHODS

We searched five databases for SRs from their inception to August 2019 and conducted additional search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2003 and 2020. We used random-effect pairwise meta-analysis with pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to quantify the effect of complex interventions, and NMA to evaluate comparative effectiveness among complex interventions. Primary outcome was 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions, while secondary outcomes were 30-day HF-related hospital readmissions, 30-day mortality, and 30-day emergency department visits.

RESULTS

From 20 SRs and additional RCT search, 21 eligible RCTs (n = 5362) assessing eight different peri-discharge complex interventions were included. Pairwise meta-analysis showed no significant difference between peri-discharge complex interventions and controls on all outcomes, except that peri-discharge complex interventions were significantly more effective than controls in reducing 30-day mortality (pooled RR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.49-0.95, 5 RCTs). NMA indicated that for reducing 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions, supportive-educative intervention had the highest probability to be the best intervention, followed by disease management; while for reducing 30-day HF-related hospital readmissions, disease management is likely to be the best intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that disease management has the best potential to reduce 30-day all-cause and HF-related hospital readmissions. Benefits of the interventions may vary across health system contexts. Evidence-based complex interventions require local adaptation prior to implementation.

"They are interrelated, one feeds off the other": A taxonomy of perceived disease interactions derived from patients with multiple chronic conditions

OBJECTIVE

To understand patients' experiences with condition interactions and develop a taxonomy to inform care for patients with multiple chronic conditions.

METHODS

We conducted qualitative and quantitative analysis of free-text data from patient surveys in which respondents were asked to indicate their most bothersome chronic condition and describe how their other conditions affect their self-care for that condition. Using standard content analysis, we developed a taxonomy comprising how patients perceive interactions among their conditions, and examined cross-cutting themes that reflect qualities of these interactions.

RESULTS

Among 383 eligible survey respondents, the mean (SD) number of chronic conditions was 4 (2); common conditions included hypertension (60%), chronic pain (49%), arthritis (41%), depression (32%), diabetes (29%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (26%). Patients' perceived condition interactions took four broad forms: 1) unidirectional interactions among conditions and/or treatments, 2) cyclical or multidimensional interactions, 3) uncertain or indistinct interactions, and 4) no perceived interaction. Cross-cutting themes included beliefs about causal relationships between conditions, identification of interactions as negative vs. positive, and interactions between physical and mental health.

CONCLUSION

This study presents a novel taxonomy of condition interactions from the patient perspective.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Understanding perceived condition interactions may support patient self-management and shared decision-making efforts.

Access and referral to palliative care for patients with chronic heart failure: A qualitative study of healthcare professionals

BACKGROUND

Palliative care for individuals with chronic heart failure is recommended for improving patients' symptoms, function and overall quality of life. Despite this mandate, there is limited access and referral to specialist palliative care for individuals with chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVES

To explore healthcare professionals' perspectives on access to palliative care for patients with chronic heart failure, focussing on patient, provider and system factors.

METHODS

Cardiologists, palliative care specialists, heart failure nurses and palliative care nurses in acute and community care settings were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used for recruitment. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. The COREQ checklist guided data collection and reporting.

RESULTS

There were 15 participants in the study, and the majority were female. Participants included palliative medicine physicians, a palliative care nurse consultant, cardiologists, a general practitioner and advanced heart failure nurses. The themes derived from the thematic analysis centred on patient, provider and system factors impacting access and referral to palliative care in the context of chronic heart failure. The patient themes were (a) patient and family preconception of palliative care and (b) patient's clinical profile influences referral. The provider themes were (a) conflict, (b) making decisions and (c) education needs, and the system themes were (a) accessing services and resources and (b) improving the model of care.

CONCLUSIONS

The patient's clinical profile, education needs of healthcare professionals and improving access to services and resources need to be considered to enhance palliative care access and referral as well as the interacting and influencing elements of the patient, provider and system.

An exploration of learning needs: identifying knowledge deficits among hospitalized adults with heart failure

The current study examined the learning needs of hospitalized patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) by identifying their current CHF self-care behaviors and knowledge levels, while identifying relationships between clinical variables, and their learning needs. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was utilized to examine a convenience sample of 42 hospitalized patients with CHF. Self-care behaviors and knowledge levels were measured using the Self Care of Heart Failure Index V. 6.2, and the Japanese Heart Failure Knowledge Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the learning needs and sociodemographic data and Pearson product moment correlation examined relationships between the learning needs and clinical variables. The mean scores of self-care were 38.6% (maintenance), 41.6% (management) and 17.8% (confidence). The participant's mean knowledge level score was 74.9%. Multiple CHF hospital readmissions had a significant negative correlation with CHF knowledge scores (r = -0.358, p < 0.05), suggesting the lower the knowledge score, the higher the prevalence of CHF readmissions. There were significant positive correlations between self-care maintenance (r = 0.525, p < 0.05), management (r = 0.435, p < 0.05), confidence (r = 0.366, p < 0.05), knowledge level (r = 0.752, p < 0.05) and not living alone. Thus, indicating that living with family support is correlated with better self-care and greater knowledge. The presence of multiple comorbidities revealed significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) with self-care scores (maintenance [r = 0.391], management [r = 0.438], and confidence r = 0.504), indicating a higher number of comorbidities, yielded lower self-care behaviors. Findings revealed poor self-care behaviors in all three areas (maintenance, management, confidence). These findings suggested that patients had difficulty implementing knowledge into self-care. By identifying knowledge deficits and contributing factors to suboptimal self-care, the chronic care model can be used as a guideline for ideal CHF education and management. Improving self-care behaviors can be obtained by initiating an active engagement between health care teams and the patient.

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.

Cardiac Rehabilitation: Are People With Stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack Being Included? A Cross-Sectional Survey

BACKGROUND

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) may be an effective secondary prevention program for people with stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The aims of this study were to determine whether people with stroke or TIA were attending CR in Australia and if there were any barriers to attendance.

METHODS

An invitation to participate in an online survey was distributed between January and April 2018, via email, to 411 phase 2 CR coordinators located across Australia. These coordinators were identified through a publicly available directory. The survey contained questions on the demographics of CR programs and attendance of people with stroke or TIA. A Likert scale was used to investigate perceived barriers to CR for people with stroke or TIA. Descriptive statistics were completed for all survey responses except those from open text questions, which were analysed via an inductive qualitative approach.

RESULTS

In total, 149 CR coordinators responded who managed a total of 154 programs. The programs were primarily located in regional (40%) or metropolitan (31%) areas. Nearly 50% of programs were based in a public hospital-based gym/outpatient centre. Over 90% (n = 97/104) of coordinators reported that people with a primary diagnosis of stroke or TIA accounted for less than 2% of their patient population. Despite this, 52% of coordinators thought CR was an appropriate form of secondary prevention for people with stroke or TIA. The largest perceived barriers to attendance were safety (79%, n = 80/101), limited staff to patient ratio (76%, n = 77/101), integration difficulties (68%. n = 69/101) and a lack of referrals (66%, n = 67/101).

CONCLUSION

Few people with a primary diagnosis of stroke or TIA attend CR in Australia, despite over half of CR coordinators believing that CR is appropriate for this group. Cardiac rehabilitation may be particularly suitable for people with mild-stroke or TIA. However, further research is required.

Prediction of unplanned hospital admissions in older community dwellers using the 6-item Brief Geriatric Assessment: Results from REPERAGE, an observational prospective population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

The 6-item Brief Geriatric Assessment (BGA) provides a priori risk stratification of incident hospital health adverse events, but it has not been used yet to assess the risk of unplanned hospital admission for older patients in primary care. This study aims to examine the association between the a priori risk stratification levels of the 6-item BGA performed by general practitioners (GPs) and incident unplanned hospital admissions in older community patients.

METHODS

Based on an observational prospective cohort design, 668 participants (mean age 84.7 ± 3.9 years; 64.7% female) were recruited by their GPs during an index primary care visit. The 6-item BGA was completed at baseline and provided an a priori risk stratification in three levels (low, moderate, high). Incident unplanned hospital admissions were recorded during a 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

The incidence of unplanned hospital admissions increased with the risk level of the 6-item BGA stratification, the highest prevalence (35.3%) being reported with the high-risk level (P = 0.001). The risk of unplanned hospital admission at the high-risk level was significant (crude odds ratio (OR) = 5.48, P = 0.001 and fully adjusted OR = 3.71, P = 0.032, crude hazard ratio (HR) = 4.20; P = 0.002 and fully adjusted HR = 2.81; P = 0.035). The Kaplan-Meier's distributions of incident unplanned hospital admissions differed significantly between the three risk levels (P-value = 0.002). Participants with a high-risk level were more frequently admitted to hospital than those at a low-risk level (P = 0.001). Criteria performances of all risk levels were poor, except the specificity of the high-risk level, which was 98.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

The a priori 6-item BGA risk stratification was significantly associated with incident unplanned hospital admissions in primary care older patients. However, except for the specificity of the high-risk level, its criteria performances were poor, suggesting that this tool is unsuitable for screening older patients in primary care settings at risk of unplanned hospital admission.

Incorporating patient-centered factors into heart failure readmission risk prediction: A mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Capturing and incorporating patient-centered factors into 30-day readmission risk prediction after hospitalized heart failure (HF) could improve the modest performance of current models.

METHODS

Using a mixed-methods approach, we developed a patient-centered survey and evaluated the additional predictive utility of the survey compared to a traditional readmission risk model (the Krumholz et al. model). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic quantified the performance of both models. We measured the amount of model improvement with the addition of patient-centered factors to the Krumholz et al. model with the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). In an exploratory analysis, we used hierarchical clustering algorithms to identify groups with similar survey responses and tested for differences between clusters using standard descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

From 3/24/2014 to 3/12/2015, 183 patients hospitalized with HF were enrolled from an urban, academic health system and followed for 30days after discharge. The Krumholz et al. plus patient-centered factors model had similar-to-slightly lower performance (AUC [95%CI]:0.62 [0.52, 0.71]; goodness-of-fit P=.10) than the Krumholz et al. model (AUC [95%CI]:0.66 [0.57, 0.76]; goodness-of-fit P=.19). The IDI (95%CI) was 0.003 (-0.014,0.020). We identified three patient clusters based on patient-centered survey responses. The clusters differed with respect to gender, self-rated health, employment status, and prior hospitalization frequency (all P<.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of patient-centered factors did not improve 30-day readmission model performance. Rather than designing interventions based on predicted readmission risk, tailoring interventions to all patients, based on their characteristics, could inform the design of targeted, readmission reduction strategies.

An East-West comparison of self-care barriers in heart failure

BACKGROUND

Barriers in heart failure self-care contribute to heart failure hospitalizations, but geographic differences have not been well-studied. We aimed to compare self-care barriers in heart failure patients managed at tertiary centers in an Eastern (Singapore) versus a Western (USA) nation.

METHODS

Acute heart failure patients were prospectively assessed with a standardized instrument comprising of 47 distinct self-care barriers. The multi-equation generalized structural equation model was used to evaluate for geographic differences in barriers experienced, and association of barriers with outcomes.

RESULTS

Patient-related factors accounted for six out of 10 most prevalent self-care barriers among the 90 patients, with a median number of 11 barriers reported per patient. The Western patients reported a higher level of barriers when compared with their Eastern counterparts (median (interquartile range) 15 (9-24) versus 9 (4-16), p=0.001), after adjusting for demographics and co-morbidities. Many of these differences could be explained by geographic differences between the countries. There was no significant difference identified in all-cause mortality (19.4% versus 10.2%) and heart failure re-hospitalization (41.9% versus 45.8%) at six months between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-care barriers are highly prevalent among acute heart failure patients, and differ substantially between East and West, but were not associated with geographic differences in outcomes.

Managing expectations: cognitive authority and experienced control in complex healthcare processes

Background

Balancing the normative expectations of others (accountabilities) against the personal and distributed resources available to meet them (capacity) is a ubiquitous feature of social relations in many settings. This is an important problem in the management of long–term conditions, because of widespread problems of non-adherence to treatment regimens. Using long-term conditions as an example, we set out middle range theory of this balancing work.

Methods

A middle-range theory was constructed four stages. First, a qualitative elicitation study of men with heart failure was used to develop general propositions about patient and care giver experience, and about the ways that the organisation and delivery of care affected this. Second, these propositions were developed and confirmed through a systematic review of qualitative research literature. Third, theoretical propositions and constructs were built, refined and presented as a logic model associated with two main theoretical propositions. Finally, a construct validation exercise was undertaken, in which construct definitions informed reanalysis of a set of systematic reviews of studies of patient and caregiver experiences of heart failure that had been included in an earlier meta-review.

Results

Cognitive Authority Theory identifies, characterises and explains negotiation processes in in which people manage their relations with the expectations of normative systems – like those encountered in the management of long-term conditions. Here, their cognitive authority is the product of an assessment of competence, trustworthiness and credibility made about a person by other participants in a healthcare process; and their experienced control is a function of the degree to which they successfully manage the external process-specific limiting factors that make it difficult to otherwise perform in their role.

Conclusion

Cognitive Authority Theory assists in explaining how participants in complex social processes manage important relational aspects of inequalities in power and expertise. It can play an important part in understanding the dynamics of participation in healthcare processes. It suggests ways in which these burdens may lead to relationally induced non-adherence to treatment regimens and self-care programmes, and points to targets where intervention may reduce these adverse outcomes.

Transitional care management in the outpatient setting

Patients who are high risk high cost (HRHC), those with severe or multiple medical issues, and the chronically ill elderly are major drivers of rising health care costs.1 The HRHC patients with complex health conditions and functional limitations may likely go to emergency rooms and hospitals, need more supportive services, and use long-term care facilities.2 As a result, these patient populations are vulnerable to fragmented care and “falling through the cracks”.2 A large county health and hospital system in California, USA introduced evidence-based interventions in accordance with the Triple AIM3 focused on patient-centered health care, prevention, health maintenance, and safe transitions across the care continuum. The pilot program embedded a Transitional Care Manager (TCM) within an outpatient Family Medicine clinic to proactively assist HRHC patients with outreach assistance, problem-solving and facilitating smooth transitions of care. This initiative is supported by a collaborative team that included physicians, nurses, specialists, health educator, and pharmacist. The initial 50 patients showed a decrease in Emergency Department (ED) encounters (pre-vs post intervention: 33 vs 17) and hospital admissions (pre-vs post intervention: 32 vs 11), improved patient outcomes, and cost saving. As an example, one patient had 1 ED visit and 5 hospital admission with total charges of $217,355.75 in the 6 months' pre-intervention with no recurrence of ED or hospital admissions in the 6 months of TCM enrollment. The preliminary findings showed improvement of patient-centered outcomes, quality of care, and resource utilization however more data is required.

Experiences of long-term life-limiting conditions among patients and carers: what can we learn from a meta-review of systematic reviews of qualitative studies of chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease?

OBJECTIVES

To summarise and synthesise published qualitative studies to characterise factors that shape patient and caregiver experiences of chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

DESIGN

Meta-review of qualitative systematic reviews and metasyntheses. Papers analysed using content analysis.

DATA SOURCES

CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from January 2000 to April 2015.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Systematic reviews and qualitative metasyntheses where the participants were patients, caregivers and which described experiences of care for CHF, COPD and CKD in primary and secondary care who were aged ≥18 years.

RESULTS

Searches identified 5420 articles, 53 of which met inclusion criteria. Reviews showed that patients' and caregivers' help seeking and decision-making were shaped by their degree of structural advantage (socioeconomic status, spatial location, health service quality); their degree of interactional advantage (cognitive advantage, affective state and interaction quality) and their degree of structural resilience (adaptation to adversity, competence in managing care and caregiver response to demands).

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first synthesis of qualitative systematic reviews in the field. An important outcome of this overview is an emphasis on what patients and caregivers value and on attributes of healthcare systems, relationships and practices that affect the distressing effects and consequences of pathophysiological deterioration in CHF, COPD and CKD. Interventions that seek to empower individual patients may have limited effectiveness for those who are most affected by the combined weight of structural, relational and practical disadvantage identified in this overview. We identify potential targets for interventions that could address these disadvantages.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42014014547.

Comparing Perspectives of Patients, Caregivers, and Clinicians on Heart Failure Management

BACKGROUND

Although substantial effort has been devoted to reducing readmissions among heart failure (HF) patients, little is known about factors identified by patients and caregivers that may contribute to readmissions. The goal of this study was to compare the perspectives of HF patients, their caregivers, and their care team on HF management and hospital admissions. Understanding these perspectives may lead to better strategies for improving care during the post-hospital transition and for reducing preventable readmissions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed freelisting, an anthropologic technique in which participants list items in response to a question, with hospitalized HF patients (n = 58), their caregivers (n = 32), and clinicians (n = 67). We asked about home HF management tasks, difficulties in managing HF, and perceived reasons for hospital admission. Results were analyzed with the use of Anthropac. Salience indices (measures of the most important words for defining the domain of interest) were calculated. Patients and clinicians described similar home HF management tasks, whereas caregivers described tasks related to activities of daily living. Clinicians cited socioeconomic factors as challenges to HF management, whereas patients and caregivers cited limited functional status and daily activities. When asked about reasons for hospitalization, patients and caregivers listed distressing symptoms and illness, whereas clinicians viewed patient behaviors to be primarily responsible for admission.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight that although some similarities exist, there are important differences among patients, caregivers, and clinicians in how they perceive the challenges of HF management and reasons for readmission. Understanding these differences may be critical to developing strategies to reduce readmissions.

Self-care Barriers Reported by Emergency Department Patients With Acute Heart Failure: A Sociotechnical Systems-Based Approach

STUDY OBJECTIVE

We pilot tested a sociotechnical systems-based instrument that assesses the prevalence and nature of self-care barriers among patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute heart failure.

METHODS

A semistructured instrument for measuring self-reported self-care barriers was developed and administered by ED clinicians and nonclinician researchers to 31 ED patients receiving a diagnosis of acute heart failure. Responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Feasibility was assessed by examining participant cooperation rates, instrument completion times, item nonresponse, and data yield.

RESULTS

Of 47 distinct self-care barriers assessed, a median of 15 per patient were indicated as "sometimes" or "often" present. Thirty-four specific barriers were reported by more than 25% of patients and 9 were reported by more than 50%. The sources of barriers included the person, self-care tasks, tools and technologies, and organizational, social, and physical contexts. Seven of the top 10 most prevalent barriers were related to patient characteristics; the next 3, to the organizational context (eg, life disruptions). A preliminary feasibility assessment found few item nonresponses or comprehension difficulties, good cooperation, and high data yield from both closed- and open-ended items, but also found opportunities to reduce median administration time and variability.

CONCLUSION

An instrument assessing self-care barriers from multiple system sources can be feasibly implemented in the ED. Further research is required to modify the instrument for widespread use and evaluate its implementation across institutions and cultural contexts. Self-care barriers measurement can be one component of broader inquiry into the distributed health-related "work" activity of patients, caregivers, and clinicians.

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.

Data collection challenges in community settings: insights from two field studies of patients with chronic disease

PURPOSE

Collecting information about health and disease directly from patients can be fruitfully accomplished using contextual approaches, ones that combine more and less structured methods in home and community settings. This paper's purpose was to describe and illustrate a framework of the challenges of contextual data collection.

METHODS

A framework is presented based on prior work in community-based participatory research and organizational science, comprised of ten types of challenges across four broader categories. Illustrations of challenges and suggestions for addressing them are drawn from two mixed method, contextual studies of patients with chronic disease in two regions of the USA.

RESULTS

The first major category of challenges was concerned with the researcher-participant partnership, for example, the initial lack of mutual trust and understanding between researchers, patients, and family members. The second category concerned patient characteristics such as cognitive limitations and a busy personal schedule that created barriers to successful data collection. The third concerned research logistics and procedures such as recruitment, travel distances, and compensation. The fourth concerned scientific quality and interpretation, including issues of validity, reliability, and combining data from multiple sources. The two illustrative studies faced both common and diverse research challenges and used many different strategies to address them.

CONCLUSION

Collecting less structured data from patients and others in the community is potentially very productive but requires the anticipation, avoidance, or negotiation of various challenges. Future work is necessary to better understand these challenges across different methods and settings, as well as to test and identify strategies to address them.

Treatment for chronic heart failure in the elderly: current practice and problems

Treatment for chronic heart failure (CHF) is strongly focused on evidence-based medicine. However, large trials are often far away from the "real world" of geriatric patients and their messages are poorly transferable to the clinical management of CHF elderly patients. Precipitating factors and especially non-cardiac comorbidity may decompensate CHF in the elderly. More importantly, drugs of first choice, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and β-blockers, are still underused and effective drugs on diastolic dysfunction are not available. Poor adherence to therapy, especially for cognitive and depression disorders, worsens the management. Electrical therapy is indicated, but attention to the older age groups with reduced life expectancy has to be paid. Physical exercise, stem cells, gene delivery, and new devices are encouraging, but definitive results are still not available. Palliative care plays a key role to the end-stage of the disease. Follow-up of CHF elderly patient is very important but tele-medicine is the future. Finally, self-care management, caregiver training, and multidimensional team represent the critical point of the treatment for CHF elderly patients.

Effects of tailored telemonitoring on heart failure patients' knowledge, self-care, self-efficacy and adherence: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The education of patients with heart failure (HF) is an essential part of disease management. The perspectives of an increasing number of patients and a shortage of professionals force healthcare to explore new strategies in supporting patients to be better informed and more active.

METHODS

Three hundred and eighty-two patients with HF (age 71±SD 11.2 years) were randomly assigned to either a telemonitoring or a usual care group. Patients received four postal questionnaires to assess their levels of self-reported knowledge, self-care, self-efficacy and adherence. Generalized estimating equations analysis was performed to assess the effects of telemonitoring during the 1-year follow-up. Corrections for baseline were performed if needed.

RESULTS

Baseline differences between groups were found for self-care (p=0.001) and self-efficacy (p=0.024). Knowledge of patients in the telemonitoring group significantly improved with 0.9 point on a 15-points scale (p<0.001). Their self-care abilities improved with 1.5 point on a 10-item scale whereas no changes were found in patients receiving usual care (p<0.001). Self-efficacy of patients in the intervention group improved significantly after 6 months yet was not significantly different after 3 months and 1 year. For patients in the intervention group adherence improved for daily weighing (p<0.001) during the whole follow-up and for fluid intake (p=0.019) after 3 months and after 12 months (p=0.086). Adherence for activity recommendations improved (p=0.023) after 3 months and importance of medication adherence increased after 6 (p=0.012) and 12 months (p=0.037). No effects were found regarding appointments, diet, smoking and use of alcohol.

CONCLUSIONS

Tailored telemonitoring was found to educate patients with HF and to improve their self-care abilities and sense of self-efficacy.

Atrial fibrillation and thromboprophylaxis in heart failure: the need for patient-centered approaches to address adherence

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia in heart failure and a risk factor for stroke. Risk assessment tools can assist clinicians with decision making in the allocation of thromboprophylaxis. This review provides an overview of current validated risk assessment tools for atrial fibrillation and emphasizes the importance of tailoring individual risk and the importance of weighing the benefits of treatment. Further, this review provides details of innovative and patient-centered methods for ensuring optimal adherence to prescribed therapy. Prior to initiating oral anticoagulant therapy, a comprehensive risk assessment should include evaluation of associated cardiogeriatric conditions, potential for adherence to prescribed therapy, frailty, and functional and cognitive ability.

Patient education strategies for hospitalized cardiovascular patients: a systematic review

Although mortality from cardiovascular (CV) disease has fallen in the past decade, the burden of CV disease and related conditions remains high, with rates of hospitalization and disability and cost on the rise. Prevention and treatment of CV conditions often involve a complex regimen of lifestyle modification, medications, and/or symptom monitoring and management. Cardiovascular health professionals spend a great deal of time promoting awareness of and adherence to national guidelines for the prevention and management of CV conditions. In addition, patient education for hospitalized patients is becoming increasingly regulated by national organizations and payors. However, it is unclear which educational intervention elements or strategies are most effective for educating hospitalized CV patients and their families. The purpose of this systematic review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies was to identify and examine the characteristics and outcomes of CV health education interventions for hospitalized CV patients.

Factors associated with delayed care-seeking in hospitalized patients with heart failure

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to evaluate the contributions of symptom recognition and clinical factors to delays in care-seeking.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational study design was used to study 75 patients (mean age, 74.7 years; SD, 10.86 years; range, 40 to 96 years) admitted to a tertiary-care medical center with recurrent symptoms (New York Heart Association classes 2 to 4). The sample was 52% male and 85.3% white. The Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale (HFSPS) was used to examine symptoms, and additional data were collected on physiologic, social, and demographic factors.

RESULTS

The mean HFSPS score was 37.52 (range, 2 to 74; possible range, 0 to 90). Subjects reported 2 to 16 out of 18 possible symptoms. Durations of individual symptoms ranged from 5 minutes to 8 years, with individual patients describing a variety of symptom combinations and multiple time frames, depending on the specific symptom. Most subjects (80%) reported a mixture of acute and chronic symptoms. A pattern of chronic vs. acute symptoms was associated with proactive vs. emergent care-seeking, respectively. The HFSPS scores did not correlate with care-seeking behavior.

CONCLUSION

Symptom recognition is a complex phenomenon, and few factors differentiate emergent from proactive care-seeking.

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.

A qualitative meta-analysis of heart failure self-care practices among individuals with multiple comorbid conditions

BACKGROUND

Most heart failure (HF) patients have other comorbid conditions. HF self-care requires medication and diet adherence, daily weight monitoring, and a thoughtful response to symptoms when they occur. Self-care is complicated when other chronic conditions have additional self-care requirements. The purpose of this study is to explore how comorbidity influences HF self-care.

METHODS

Using qualitative descriptive meta-analysis techniques, transcripts from 3 mixed methods studies (n = 99) were reexamined to yield themes about perceptions about HF and self-care and to explore the influence on HF self-care. The Charlson Comorbidity Index identified comorbid conditions.

RESULTS

The sample was 74% Caucasian, 66% male (mean age of 59.6 years ± 15 years). Fifty-three percent of the sample was New York Heart Association Class III. All had at least 1 other chronic condition. Narrative accounts revealed that adherence to diet, symptom monitoring, and differentiating symptoms from multiple conditions were the most challenging self-care skills. Emerging themes included 1) attitudes drive self-care prioritization and 2) fragmented self-care instruction leads to poor self-care integration and self-care skill deficits.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with multiple chronic conditions are vulnerable to poor self-care. Research testing coaching interventions that integrate self-care requirements and focus on developing skill in self-care across multiple chronic conditions is needed.