Effectiveness of an Individual and Family Educative-Supportive Program among People with Heart Failure: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Heart failure, a growing global public health concern, necessitates the empowerment of individuals and families with self-care knowledge and skills to enhance outcomes and reduce hospitalizations. Studies focused on situation specific of heart failure knowledge and practice of self-care skills are limited. This quasi-experimental study was conducted to assess the impact of the Individual and Family Educative-Supportive program, a significant intervention, on self-care behaviors and symptom burden among hospitalized people with heart failure. The study involved 46 participants (23 in the intervention group and 23 in the control group) from a tertiary care hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. The intervention group received five sessions of the Individual and Family Educative-Supportive Program over three weeks in addition to usual care, while the control group received usual care only. Data were collected at pre-test before the intervention (week 1), post-test (week 3), and follow-up (week 7) using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index-Thai version 7.2 and the Modified Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Heart Failure-Thai version. Repeated measures ANOVA and independent t-tests were used for data analysis. The results revealed that the intervention group demonstrated a significantly higher mean score of self-care behaviors and a lower mean score of symptom burden than those of the control group at both week 3 and week 7. Thus, the Individual and Family Educative-Supportive Program effectively improved self-care behaviors and reduced symptom burden in hospitalized people with heart failure. Nurses can use this program in clinical practice. However, further testing of the program in various settings is required, including a randomized controlled trial.