Skip Navigation

European Journal of Heart Failure 2005 7(3):363-369; doi:10.1016/j.ejheart.2005.01.002
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Strömberg, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Strömberg, A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2005 European Society of Cardiology

The crucial role of patient education in heart failure

Anna Strömberg*

Department of Cardiology, Heart Centre, Linköping University Hospital Sweden
Department of Medicine and Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University Sweden
The Vårdal Institute Sweden

* Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden. Tel.: +46 13 227762; fax: +46 13 222224. E-mail address: annst{at}imv.liu.se


  Abstract

Background: Deterioration of heart failure causes and complicates many hospital admissions in people aged over 65 years. Frequent readmissions cause an immense burden on the individual, the family and the health care system. Heart failure management programmes, in which patient education is an important component, have been shown to be effective in improving self-care and reducing readmissions.

Aim: This paper reviews the literature on the education of patients with heart failure. The paper addresses the level of knowledge in patients with heart failure, barriers to learning, learning needs, educational methods, goals and how the effects of patient education can be evaluated.

Conclusion: Many patients had low levels of knowledge and lacked a clear understanding of heart failure and self-care. Educational interventions need to be designed specifically for elderly patients and need to target barriers to learning such as functional and cognitive limitations, misconceptions, low motivation and self-esteem. Health care professionals need to be skilled in assessing the requirements and level of education given to the individual. New technologies such as computer-based education and telemonitoring can be used as tools to improve the education. Patient education is an important component of heart failure care and should be provided through effective and well-evaluated strategies.

Key Words: Heart failure • Patient education • Educational intervention

Received May 18, 2004; Revised December 8, 2004; Accepted January 4, 2005


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CJASNHome page
K. L. Cavanaugh, R. L. Wingard, R. M. Hakim, T. A. Elasy, and T. A. Ikizler
Patient Dialysis Knowledge Is Associated with Permanent Arteriovenous Access Use in Chronic Hemodialysis
Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., May 1, 2009; 4(5): 950 - 956.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur J Heart FailHome page
K. Dickstein, A. Cohen-Solal, G. Filippatos, J. J.V. McMurray, P. Ponikowski, P. A. Poole-Wilson, A. Stromberg, D. J. van Veldhuisen, D. Atar, A. W. Hoes, et al.
ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2008: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure 2008 of the European Society of Cardiology. Developed in collaboration with the Heart Failure Association of the ESC (HFA) and endorsed by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM)
Eur J Heart Fail, October 1, 2008; 10(10): 933 - 989.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.