Abstract

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a growing healthcare problem, associated with reduced quality of life, poor outcomes, and significant economic burden. Although thorough comprehensive guidelines related to HF disease is present, yet still we witness morbidity, mortality, and hospital readmission rates in increasing manner; In addition there is no good adherence to the guidelines in hands the issue which led to the negative impact on quality of life experienced by heart failure patients. Maintaining a good quality of life remains a core issue to be addressed in heart failure patients. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of educational intervention on knowledge, self-care behaviours and quality of life among patients with chronic heart failure.

Subject and Methods: a quasi-experimental research design was conducted at Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon. A convenient sample of eighty patients with chronic heart failure were selected and sequentially assigned to two equal groups, intervention group which included 40 patients who had received the nursing educational sessions in addition to the routine hospital care. Control group that included 40 patients who had received the routine hospital care only. Three tools were used to collect the required data. Heart Failure Patients’ Knowledge Questionnaire, the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale (EHFScBS), and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHF).

Results: Patients in the intervention group had significantly better QoL in the first and fourth months after discharge.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the educational intervention had improved the knowledge, self-care behaviours and the quality of life among chronic heart failure patients.