A qualitative study of living with the burden from heart failure treatment: Exploring the patient capacity for self-care.
Oda Karin Nordfonn, Ingvild Margreta Morken, Anne Marie Lunde Husebø
PMID 32257268WHAT IT FOUND
Heart failure patients said their ability to manage treatment fluctuated.
They used personal strength, sometimes ignored the illness, set attainable goals, limited information, and relied on nurses, family, and peers.
Key findings
01Patients described capacity for heart failure self-care as built from personal characteristics, including perceived inherent strength and maintaining a positive attitude.
02Patients used coping strategies such as selective denial, setting new attainable goals, and limiting health information to manage treatment burden.
03Support from heart failure nurses at outpatient visits, next of kin, and peers helped patients feel safe and share self-care burden.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and purposive: 17 of 49 eligible patients took part. Patients who declined said they felt overburdened, so the sample may underrepresent the most burdened patients. The study was done in one nurse-led heart failure outpatient clinic in Norway, so findings may reflect patients who were already well supported. Participants did not check the interpretation of the data. Eleven of the 17 participants were male, so gender balance was uneven. Patients who could not speak Norwegian, had cognitive impairment, or were NYHA class IV were not represented. It is a qualitative study of experiences, so it does not show whether any strategy or support improves outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read selective denial as a recommended strategy or as evidence that patients can manage without support. The study only describes how some patients coped; it did not test whether these strategies improved self-care or clinical outcomes.