Exploring well-being and self-care from the heart failure patient perspective for sustainable living.
Julia Gonçalves Escossia Campos, Giulia Gazineo Trindade Assis, Ligia Neres Matos and 5 others
PMID 40862451WHAT IT FOUND
Heart failure patients described self-care as eating whole foods, walking, and following advice, but struggled due to cost and low health literacy.
They valued understanding their disease severity to maintain autonomy and cope with stress.
Key findings
01Patients identified healthy eating, physical exercise, and adherence to medical advice as primary strategies for well-being, though implementation was often hindered by socioeconomic barriers and lack of disease knowledge.
02Recreational activities and distraction were described as coping mechanisms to manage stress and prevent feeling overwhelmed by their condition.
03Health literacy was viewed as essential for self-care, with patients stating that understanding the severity of their disease helped them follow treatment rules more determinately.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single university hospital in Rio de Janeiro, limiting generalizability to other regions or healthcare systems. The sample was restricted to outpatient settings, excluding hospitalized patients who may have different experiences or needs. The qualitative design provides themes and perspectives but does not measure clinical outcomes or the effectiveness of the described self-care strategies. Participants with cognitive impairment were excluded, so findings do not reflect the experiences of patients with dementia or significant cognitive decline.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the patients' reported coping strategies as evidence that these methods improve clinical outcomes like mortality or readmission rates. This study describes subjective experiences and perceived barriers to self-care, not the efficacy of any intervention.