Issues in cardiovascular nursing“They diagnosed bad heart”: A qualitative exploration of patients' knowledge about and experiences with heart failure
Section snippets
Participants and procedures
Patients were eligible for our study if they were 18 years or older, were able to speak and read English, had a B-type natriuretic peptide level of 100 or higher,15 and were receiving treatment from a primary care provider or cardiologist at an outpatient clinic of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
Ninety patients were enrolled in the quantitative portion of our study. Of the 90 patients, 25 were randomly selected to participate in the qualitative portion of the study. For
Characteristics of participants
Of the 25 participants, most were elderly (mean age 70.4 years; range 53–87 years), male (96%), white (92%), married (60%), and retired (68%), and had at least a high school diploma (76%) (Table I). On a scale ranging from excellent to poor, most rated their current health as either fair (40%) or poor (44%). Most had NYHA class II disease (52%), characterized by slight or mild limitation of activity; class II patients are comfortable at rest or with mild exertion. The B-type natriuretic peptide
Discussion
Our findings suggest that the process of diagnosing heart failure, particularly for patients without initial angina, is challenging and frustrating. Once the diagnosis is made, most patients understood that it is important to actively participate in their care by self-monitoring, adhering to a treatment plan, and undergoing continued testing. The findings of this study suggest that patients do not think they have received adequate information from their health care providers. For example, they
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Financial Support: This work was supported in part by the following awards to Dr. Rodriguez: a Merit Review Entry Program Award from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research and Development Office (MRP 04-410), a Minority Supplement Award from the National Cancer Institute (3R01 CA100387-03S1), and a grant from the Pilot Project Program of the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (LIP 981) and VA Stars and Stripes Healthcare Network 4 (VISN4).