Issues in Cardiovascular CareRelationship between psychosocial variables and compliance in patients with heart failure*,**,★
Section snippets
Study subjects and data source
The appropriate Institutional Review Board reviewed and approved the study. The convenience sample included 82 persons who were older than 18 years, had a primary diagnosis of HF, and were receiving care at an outpatient HF clinic in Los Angeles. Such patients were included in the study if they were alert and oriented and able to understand English.
Ninety-one patients expressed an interest in participating in the study and met the selection criteria, signed informed consent, and completed the
Results
The compliance rate for the overall HF regimen was 85.13% (SD, 10.01%). Higher levels of compliance (>90%) were noted for follow-up appointments, taking prescribed medications, and smoking and alcohol cessation. Poor compliance (<75%) was observed with dietary and exercise recommendations (Table II).
The mean scores on social support and psychosocial variables are also provided in Table II. On average, patients in the sample had a network of 5 persons who provided them with support. Perceived
Discussion
The overall compliance rate documented in this study was high. In general, patients were compliant with follow-up appointments, taking prescribed medications, and smoking and alcohol cessation. These scores are higher than the ones reported in the literature for the general population as compiled by Haynes,25 which were as follows: follow-up appointments, 16% to 84%; medications, 31% to 58%; and smoking cessation 71% to 96%. However, compliance rates with dietary and exercise recommendations
Conclusion
In this study, we found that patients with HF had poor compliance with dietary and exercise regimens. Since following a dietary and exercise regimen has been demonstrated to reduce morbidity in this population, strategies to increase compliance with diet and exercise recommendations should be rigorously pursued. Helping patients understand their treatment regimen may improve their compliance. In addition, interventions to promote self-management and increase perceptions of mental and physical
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Funded by a Pre-doctoral Fellowship Award from the American Heart Association, Western States Affiliate.
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Reprint requests: Lorraine S. Evangelista, RN, PhD, 23653 White Oak Ct, Santa Clarita, CA 91321.
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Heart Lung® 2001;30:294-301.