Spanish version of the short European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire HLS-Q12: Transcultural adaptation and psychometric properties

BACKGROUND

Health literacy has a direct impact on the health of populations. It is related to education, capacity for self-care, and management of health resources. The Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire HLS-Q12 is one of the reference instruments but has not yet been adapted to Spanish. The aims of the study were to cross-culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the HLS-Q12.

METHODS

Data was collected from June 2020 to March 2022. The sample consisted of 60 patients who initiated cancer treatment for the first time within a clinical trial. Double direct translation, back-translation, cognitive debriefing with a 10-patient sample, and an expert committee were used for cross-cultural adaptation. For validation of the HLS-Q12, a psychometric analysis was performed to assess feasibility, reliability, sensitivity to change and construct validity with other measures such as health-related quality of life, empowerment, and health needs.

RESULTS

The HLS-Q12 is equivalent at the semantic, conceptual, and content level to the original version and its psychometric properties demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 and a McDonald´s omega of 0.91, a high degree of fit for the confirmatory factor analysis, and a statistically significant sensitivity to change (p = 0.025).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on robust psychometric values, the Spanish version of HLS-Q12 was found to be a good cross-culturally adapted tool for collecting correct information on health literacy in cancer patients regardless of tumour type or stage. Although more studies are needed, this version of HLS-Q12 could be used in research for collecting data on the health literacy needs of Spanish-speaking patients.

Impact of telenurse-led intervention in clinical trials on health literacy, empowerment, and health outcomes in patients with solid tumours: a pilot quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, decentralised clinical trials incorporated self-monitoring, self-reporting, and telenursing tools to address health literacy and health empowerment of patients enrolled in clinical trials. We aimed to determine the impact of an educational intervention using telenursing consultations on health literacy, health empowerment, and health-related quality of life in cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials by measuring the level of satisfaction with the care received and assessing the views of healthcare professionals concerning the advanced practice nurse (APN) role in oncology clinical trials.

METHODS

In this pilot analytical, descriptive, longitudinal, quasi-experimental, and pre-post test study, an educational intervention was conducted by 5 visits with an APN using synchronous teleconsultation in patients starting cancer treatment for the first time in a clinical trial (n = 60), and health professionals working with the APN (n = 31). A descriptive analysis of the samples and questionnaires were utilised along with statistical comparisons.

RESULTS

After the intervention, patients' health literacy (31.7%), health empowerment (18.3%), and health-related quality of life (33.3%) increased (p < 0.05), with a decrease and trend towards resolution of care needs (p < 0.05). Satisfaction with the quality and care received in terms of perceived convenience, transition, and continuity of care showed positive results in 64.9 ± 20.7, 77.6 ± 19.5, and 72.1 ± 20.4 of respondents, respectively. On the overall assessment of the APN role, healthcare professionals expressed a high level of agreement with the statements related to their work performance.

CONCLUSIONS

The data indicates that a clinical trial APN-led telenursing educational intervention results in an overall increase in health literacy, an improvement in health empowerment and health-related quality of life, and a decrease in care needs of oncology clinical trials patients. Patients stated that they received a high quality of care and health professionals indicated high levels of acceptance with APNs. Based on these results, we suggest that the APN role should gain more recognition in the Spanish healthcare system and their professional competencies should be aligned with those of other countries.

Professional competencies of oncology nurses: Recognizing advanced practice in nursing

OBJECTIVE

To identify the competency profile of advanced practice nurses involved in the care process of cancer patients.

METHODS

Cross-sectional and descriptive study. The study included all nurses involved in the cancer patient care process in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Competence profile data were collected using the instrument for defining the role of the advanced practice nurse (APRD), as well as sociodemographic and occupational variables. Sociodemographic and occupational data were compared against the performance of advanced practice activities.

RESULTS

A total of 29 (82.9%) nurses participated with a mean age of 42.6±12.54 years. 9 (31%) nurses were identified as meeting the standard in all 6 domains on the APRD scale to be considered advanced practice nurses. Of these 9 (31%) nurses, 7 (24.1%) met the training standards required by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) with an official master's degree and 2 (6.9%) with a PhD.

CONCLUSIONS

There are nurses who carry out their activity in the oncology field of the hospital analyzed with the EPA profile. The identification of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in our health system is essential to be able to recognize the competencies of these professionals and create specific positions that help to address chronicity, patients' quality of life, their survival, and the optimization of health resources. Our study highlights the importance of chronicity and cancer as areas for the development of the APNs.

In heart failure, self-care behavior is an independent determinant of health-related quality of life, regardless of the severity of this patients

Background

Poor self-care behaviour is associated with a higher risk of readmission and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). The interplay between self-care and patient-reported outcomes such as health-related quality of life (QoL) has not been fully established.

Purpose

To describe the association between self-care and QoL in real-world cohort of HF patients.

Methods

We conducted an observational, prospective, cohort study of 1120 consecutive patients with chronic HF. We used the modified European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale 9-item version (EHFSCBS-9) to measure self-care. Scores were inverted and standardized (higher scores indicate better selfcare). To assess QoL, we used the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) (higher scores indicate worse QoL). Written informed consent, complete clinical and psychosocial information of patients were obtained at baseline. To determine the impact of global self-care and its dimensions (autonomy-based adherence, consulting behaviour and provider-based adherence), multivariate linear regressions models (backwards stepwise methods) to predict

QoL were constructed. The multivariate parametric and non-parametric associations between EHFSCBS-9 scoresand the β estimated risk of impairment of QoL (defined as MLHFQ scores ≥ median values) were explored using General Additive Models (GAM). All models were adjusted by age, sex and prognostic factors such as LVEF, NYHA, NT-proBNP levels and recent hospitalization among other well-known determinants of HF severity.

Results

A total of 484 patients (43%) were women, mean age was 72±11 years, and mean LVEF was 45±17%. Mean MLHFQ scores were 45±24. Mean EHFSCBS-9 scores were 69±28. There was a significant inverse correlation between EHFScBS-9 and MLHFQ scores (r=−0.158; p-value&lt;0.0001). As shown in Table 1, self-care behaviour and its 3 domains were independent predictors of QoL in 7 out of the 16 associations explored. These models confirmed a weak linear relationship between EHFSCBS-9 scores and MLHFQ scores particularly between global selfcare and consulting behaviour dimension with global, emotional and social dimensions of QoL. Interestingly, when QoL was dichotomized as impaired/preserved QoL, GAM showed a significant non-parametric “U-shape” relationship (p-value&lt;0.05) between EHFScBS-9 scores and the risk of impairment in QoL (Figure 1).

Conclusions

We have shown that self-care behaviour is an independent predictor of health related QoL in HF regardless the level of disease severity. Global self-care and consulting behaviour were particularly and significantly associated with global QoL and emotional and social dimensions of QoL. Interestingly the relationship between self-care scores and the risk of impaired global QoL was non-linear showing a “U-shape” association pointing out that patients with extreme levels of self-care were more likely to experience impairments in QoL.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Fragility influences the impact of self-care behavior on patient-reported outcomes further of psychosocial factors of self-perceived health status in patients with heart failure

Background

Poor self-care behaviour is associated with a higher risk of readmission and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). Psychosocial factors are key determinants of patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) such as health-realted quality of life (QoL). Little is known about the interplay between self-care and psychosocial factors on PROMs in HF.

Purpose

To describe the interaction of self-care and psycho-social factors on QoL in a real-world cohort of HF patients.

Methods

We conducted an observational, prospective, cohort study of 1120 consecutive patients with chronic. We used the modified European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale 9-item version (EHFSCBS-9) to measure self-care (inverted and standardised: higher scores indicate better self-care). To assess QoL, we used Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) (higher scores indicate worse QoL). General linear models (GLM) were constructed to explore the interaction between psychosocial factors and poor self-care (defined as EHFSCBS-9 ≤lower tertile) on adjusted MLHFQ scores. To determine the impact of self-care, multivariate linear regressions models to predict QoL were constructed stratified according to selected psycho-social determinants. All models were adjusted by age, sex and psycho-social determinants of QoL including literacy, cognitive function (Pfeiffer test), dependency (Barthel and Lawton & Brody test), social support (Duke UNC and APGAR Familyfunction), depressive symptoms (15-item Geriatric Depression Scale) and fragility (Barber test scores ≥1).

Results

A total of 484 patients (43%) were women, mean age was 72±11 years, and mean LVEF was 45±17%. Mean MLHFQ scores were 45±24. Mean EHFSCBS-9 scores were 69±28. There was a significant inverse correlation between EHFScBS-9 and MLHFQ scores (r=−0.158; p-value &lt;0.0001). Fragility was present in 883 patients (79%). In adjusted GLM, poor self-care (F=10.2; p-value=0.001) and fragility (F=17.9; p-value &lt;0.001) were independent predictors of higher adjusted scores in the MLHFQ indicating worse QoL. As shown in Figure 1, the interaction between fragility and self-care was significant (F=6.8; p-value = 0.009). Linear regression models (Table 1) stratified according the absence (panel A) or the presence (panel B) of fragility showed that fragility modulated the association between self-care behaviour and QoL. Only in patients without fragility, self-care were independent predictors of QoL. On the other hand, in patients with fragility, self-care behaviour did not longer influence self-perceived health status in patients with HF.

Conclusions

We have shown that self-care behaviour is an independent predictor of PROMs in HF regardless the presence of important psycho-social determinants of QoL only when fragility status is taken into account. Fragility modulates the influence of self-care and QoL, including each one of its dimensions.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

DAMOCLES project show that cognitive function is a strong determinant of the influence of self-care behavior on health-related quality of life in patients with heart failure

Background

Poor self-care is associated with a poorer outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). Psycho-social factors are determinants of patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) such as health-realted quality of life (QoL). However, little is known about the interplay between self-care and psychosocial factors such as cognitive function on PROMs in patients with HF.

Purpose

Describe the effect of self-care on QoL across cognitive function and explore whether the interaction between self-care and cognitive function may account for this effect.

Methods

1120 patients with chronic HF from DAMOCLES study were analyzed. We used the modified European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale 9-item version (EHFSCBS-9) to measure self-care (inverted and standardised: higher scores indicate better self-care). To assess QoL, we used Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) (higher scores indicate worse QoL). Cognitive function was evaluated using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ) Tests. Cognitive impairment was defined as abnormal age-and-literacy-adjusted scores. General linear models (GLM) were constructed to explore the interaction between cognitive function and poor self-care (defined as EHFSCBS-9 ≤lower tertile) on adjusted MLHFQ scores. To determine the impact self-care, multivariate linear regressions models to predict QoL were constructed stratified according to cognitive function. All models were adjusted by determinants of HF severity.

Results

Mean age was 72±11 years, 43% were women and mean LVEF was 45±17%. Lower MMSE scores (β=−0,163; p-value &lt;0.001) and &gt;3 errors in the SPMSQ indicating cognitive impairment (β=0.071; p-value = 0.023) were associated with higher scores in the MLHFQ. These associations were confirmed in multivariare linear regression models (β=0.062; p-value = 0.038). In adjusted GLM, poor global self-care (F=4.8; p-value = 0.029) was an independent predictor of higher adjusted scores in the MLHFQ. Interaction term poor self-care by cognitive impairment was significantly associated with MLHFQ scores (F=6.0; p-value=0.014; Figure 1). Multivariate linear regresion models (Table 1) stratified according the absence (panel A) or the presence (panel B) of cognitive impairment showed that cognitive function modulates the association between self-care behaviour and QoL. This effect was only seen in patients without cognitive impairment. In patients with cognitive dysfunction, self-care behaviour did not longer influence self-perceived health status in patients with HF.

Conclusions

Self-care behaviour is an independent predictor of PROMs in HF regardless cognitive disfunction. Cognitive function modulates 1) influence of global self-care and each one of its dimensions on emotional QoL and 2) impact of global self-care and consulting behaviour on global and social QoL.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

In patients with chronic heart failure, there have been no gender differences in the impact of self behavior on patient-reported outcomes

Background

Poor self-care behaviour is associated with a higher risk in heart failure (HF). Gender is a determinant of patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) such as health-realted quality of life (QoL) in HF. Female gender is consistently associated with worse QoL. Whether gender may influence the effect of self-care on PROMS is not known.

Purpose

Describe the effect of self-care on QoL according to gender in a real world cohort of HF patients.

Methods

1120 patients with chronic HF were analysed. We used the modified European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale 9-item version (EHFSCBS-9) to measure self-care (inverted and standardised: higher scores indicate better self-care). To assess QoL, we used Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) (higher scores indicate worse QoL). General linear models (GLM) were constructed to explore the interaction between gender and poor self-care (defined as EHFSCBS-9 ≤lower tertile) on adjusted MLHFQ scores. To determine the impact of global self-care and its dimensions, multivariate linear regressions models to predict QoL were constructed stratified according to gender. All models were adjusted by determinants of HF severity.

Results

Mean age was 72±11 years, 43% were women and mean LVEF was 45±17%. There was a significant inverse correlation between EHFScBS-9 and MLHFQ scores (r=−0.158; p-value&lt;0.0001). Unadjusted MLHFQ scores were consistenly higher in women compared to men (49±23 vs. 43±24; p-value&lt;0.001). In adjusted GLM, female gender (F=4.8; p-value=0.028) and poor global self-care (F=12.6; p-value&lt;0.001) were independent predictors of higher adjusted scores in MLHFQ, indicating worse global QoL. As shown in Figure 1, the interaction term gender by poor self-care was not significantly associated with MLHFQ scores in adjusted GLM (F=0.018; p-value=0.893): the gap between women and men in terms of QoL was observed in both self-care strata and the effect of self care on QoL was observed in both genders. Multivariate linear regresion models (Table 1) stratified according to female gender (panel A) or male gender (panel B) showed that higher scores in the EHFScBS-9 were associated with lower scores in the MLHFQ in women and men. This effect (Table 1) was equally seen in both genders for global QoL and was driven by global self-care, consulting behaviour, and in a lesser extent by autonomy-baseda dherence. The physical dimension of QoL was not affected by self-care in either women or men except for consulting behaviour.

Conclusions

Self-care is an independent predictor of health-related QoL in HF, regardless of the level of disease severity. Global self-care, autonomy-based adherence and consulting behaviour were particularly associated with global QoL and emotional and social dimensions of QoL in women and men. In both genders, the effect of self-care on QoL was driven by its effect on emotional and social dimensions. Provider-based adherence did not influence QoL.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

The relationship between self-care, long-term mortality, and heart failure hospitalization: insights from a real-world cohort study

AIMS

The assumption that improved self-care in the setting of heart failure (HF) care necessarily translates into improvements in long-term mortality and/or hospitalization is not well established. We aimed to study the association between self-care and long-term mortality and other major adverse HF events (MAHFE).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted an observational, prospective, cohort study of 1123 consecutive patients with chronic HF. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. We used the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale 9-item version (EHFSCBS-9) to measure global self-care (overall score) and three specific dimensions of self-care including autonomy-based adherence, consulting behaviour and provider-based adherence. After a mean follow-up of 3.3 years, all-cause death occurred in 487 patients (43%). In adjusted analysis, higher EHFScBS-9 scores (better self-care) at baseline were associated with lower risk of all-cause death [hazard ratio (HR) 0.993, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.988-0.997), P-value = 0.002], cardiovascular (CV) death [HR 0.989, 95% CI (0.981-0.996), P-value = 0.003], HF hospitalization [HR 0.993, 95% CI (0.988-0.998), P-value = 0.005], and the combination of MAHFE [HR 0.995, 95% CI (0.991-0.999), P-value = 0.018]. Similarly, impaired global self-care [HR 1.589, 95% CI (1.201-2.127), P-value = 0.001], impaired autonomy-based adherence [HR 1.464, 95% CI (1.114-1.923), P-value = 0.006], and impaired consulting behaviour dimensions [HR 1.510, 95% CI (1.140-1.923), P-value = 0.006] were all associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we have shown that worse self-care is an independent predictor of long-term mortality (both, all-cause and CV), HF hospitalization, and the combinations of these endpoints in patients with chronic HF. Important dimensions of self-care such as autonomy-based adherence and consulting behaviour also determine the risk of all these outcomes in the long term.