Izabel Cristina Ribeiro da Silva Saccomann

Health-related quality of life among the elderly with heart failure: a generic measurement

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) instruments have been greatly used among patients with heart failure (HF), although few of them are specific for elderly people. Among the generic instruments, the Medical Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is widely used. The aim here was to evaluate HRQoL among elderly individuals with HF through this generic instrument. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional study at two university hospitals in São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS 170 elderly people with HF who were being followed up as outpatients were interviewed. To evaluate HRQoL, SF-36 was used. RESULTS The sample was composed of subjects with a mean age of 67.5 (± 6.2) years, with a diagnosis of HF for 65.9 (± 42.4) months, in functional class I (38.8%; 66) or II (42.9%; 73) and with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (51.2%). The mental and social HRQoL domains did not seem to be compromised, since they presented high scores. Patients with HF typically had impaired physical capacity, which may explain the lower scores in the physical domain. Cronbachs alpha coefficients were greater than 0.77 for all dimensions, except for general health status. CONCLUSION The HRQoL measurements using SF-36 presented a high level of reliability when applied to Brazilian elderly individuals with HF. This population presented lower scores for the functional capacity and physical dimensions. This provides support for intervention studies aiming towards optimization of HRQoL in this group.

Qualidade de Vida de pacientes submetidos à revascularização do miocárdio

OBJECTIVE: Determining the impact of coronary artery bypass grafting on the Quality of Life of patients, analyzing and comparing dimensions of Quality of Life before and after surgery; comparing sociodemographic and clinical variables with the aspects of depression and anxiety, in the pre and postoperative periods. METHODS: A descriptive exploratory study in which 78 patients were included in the pre and postoperative periods. International instruments of research were used and validated to assess quality of life and the aspects of depression and anxiety. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in all domains of the Quality of Life, depression and anxiety (p=0.05). The physical and social domains of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey showed lower scores (13.46 and 3.03, respectively), as well as the social domain of the Macnew instrument (3.03). CONCLUSION: Coronary artery bypass surgery caused positive impact on the Quality of Life of these patients.

Quality of life in older adults with heart failure: assessment with a specific instrument

Objective: To assess the quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals. Interviews were conducted with 170 elderly patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess the quality of life, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was used. Results: The results showed a minor impact of illness on the emotional dimension of quality of life. However, indicators related to the physical dimension, including fatigue and breathlessness, showed a greater impact on quality of life for elderly patients. The internal consistency of the instrument-specific to quality of life was high, indicating satisfactory reliability (α> 0.80). Conclusion: This study enabled the assessment of quality of life of elderly patients living with heart failure, demonstrating that the physical dimension was the most compromised. It is essential to implement strategies to improve physical functioning in these patients.Objective: To assess the quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals. Interviews were conducted with 170 elderly patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess the quality of life, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was used. Results: The results showed a minor impact of illness on the emotional dimension of quality of life. However, indicators related to the physical dimension, including fatigue and breathlessness, showed a greater impact on quality of life for elderly patients. The internal consistency of the instrument-specific to quality of life was high, indicating satisfactory reliability (α> 0.80). Conclusion: This study enabled the assessment of quality of life of elderly patients living with heart failure, demonstrating that the physical dimension was the most compromised. It is essential to implement strategies to improve physical functioning in these patients.

Factors associated with beliefs about adherence to non-pharmacological treatment of patients with heart failure

This study aimed at assessing beliefs about the benefits and barriers to adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema in patients with heart failure, and the influence of demographic and clinical variables on those beliefs. 105 patients were interviewed. The mean of the subscales Benefits and Barriers were 20.2 (± 5.7) and 30.1 (±7.1), respectively. Patients perceived that adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema could keep them healthy, improve their quality of life and decrease the chances of readmission. Approximately half of patients (46.7%) reported forgetting this measure. Those who controlled weight once a month were more likely to have barriers to adherence (OR= 6.6; IC 95% 1.9-13.8; p=0.01), showing this measure to be the main factor related to perceived barriers. Education in health can contribute with the development of strategies aimed at lowering barriers and increasing benefits of this control.This study aimed at assessing beliefs about the benefits and barriers to adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema in patients with heart failure, and the influence of demographic and clinical variables on those beliefs. 105 patients were interviewed. The mean of the subscales Benefits and Barriers were 20.2 (± 5.7) and 30.1 (±7.1), respectively. Patients perceived that adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema could keep them healthy, improve their quality of life and decrease the chances of readmission. Approximately half of patients (46.7%) reported forgetting this measure. Those who controlled weight once a month were more likely to have barriers to adherence (OR= 6.6; IC 95% 1.9-13.8; p=0.01), showing this measure to be the main factor related to perceived barriers. Education in health can contribute with the development of strategies aimed at lowering barriers and increasing benefits of this control.

Qualidade de vida relacionada à Saúde em Idosos com Insuficiência cardíaca: avaliação com instrumento específico

Objective: To assess the quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals. Interviews were conducted with 170 elderly patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess the quality of life, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was used. Results: The results showed a minor impact of illness on the emotional dimension of quality of life. However, indicators related to the physical dimension, including fatigue and breathlessness, showed a greater impact on quality of life for elderly patients. The internal consistency of the instrument-specific to quality of life was high, indicating satisfactory reliability (α> 0.80). Conclusion: This study enabled the assessment of quality of life of elderly patients living with heart failure, demonstrating that the physical dimension was the most compromised. It is essential to implement strategies to improve physical functioning in these patients.Objective: To assess the quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals. Interviews were conducted with 170 elderly patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess the quality of life, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was used. Results: The results showed a minor impact of illness on the emotional dimension of quality of life. However, indicators related to the physical dimension, including fatigue and breathlessness, showed a greater impact on quality of life for elderly patients. The internal consistency of the instrument-specific to quality of life was high, indicating satisfactory reliability (α> 0.80). Conclusion: This study enabled the assessment of quality of life of elderly patients living with heart failure, demonstrating that the physical dimension was the most compromised. It is essential to implement strategies to improve physical functioning in these patients.

Nursing education action in the quality of life of patients with diabetes mellitus type I

Materials and methods An exploratory, descriptive and quasi-experimental study in outpatients with Diabetes Type I whose data collection was conducted in two phases. In the first phase the educational action was held during seven meetings and in the second phase, three months after, questionnaires on patient satisfaction and evaluation of quality of life were applied. The educational action focused on the beliefs of self-efficacy for medication and non-medication treatment aiming at changing behavior for self-care and consequent improvement of QOL. It was used Diabetes Quality of Life Measure (DQOL) and patient satisfaction instrument.

Fatores associados às crenças sobre adesão ao tratamento não medicamentoso de pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca

This study aimed at assessing beliefs about the benefits and barriers to adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema in patients with heart failure, and the influence of demographic and clinical variables on those beliefs. 105 patients were interviewed. The mean of the subscales Benefits and Barriers were 20.2 (± 5.7) and 30.1 (±7.1), respectively. Patients perceived that adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema could keep them healthy, improve their quality of life and decrease the chances of readmission. Approximately half of patients (46.7%) reported forgetting this measure. Those who controlled weight once a month were more likely to have barriers to adherence (OR= 6.6; IC 95% 1.9-13.8; p=0.01), showing this measure to be the main factor related to perceived barriers. Education in health can contribute with the development of strategies aimed at lowering barriers and increasing benefits of this control.This study aimed at assessing beliefs about the benefits and barriers to adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema in patients with heart failure, and the influence of demographic and clinical variables on those beliefs. 105 patients were interviewed. The mean of the subscales Benefits and Barriers were 20.2 (± 5.7) and 30.1 (±7.1), respectively. Patients perceived that adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema could keep them healthy, improve their quality of life and decrease the chances of readmission. Approximately half of patients (46.7%) reported forgetting this measure. Those who controlled weight once a month were more likely to have barriers to adherence (OR= 6.6; IC 95% 1.9-13.8; p=0.01), showing this measure to be the main factor related to perceived barriers. Education in health can contribute with the development of strategies aimed at lowering barriers and increasing benefits of this control.

Factores asociados a las creencias sobre la adherencia al tratamiento no farmacológico de pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca

This study aimed at assessing beliefs about the benefits and barriers to adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema in patients with heart failure, and the influence of demographic and clinical variables on those beliefs. 105 patients were interviewed. The mean of the subscales Benefits and Barriers were 20.2 (± 5.7) and 30.1 (±7.1), respectively. Patients perceived that adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema could keep them healthy, improve their quality of life and decrease the chances of readmission. Approximately half of patients (46.7%) reported forgetting this measure. Those who controlled weight once a month were more likely to have barriers to adherence (OR= 6.6; IC 95% 1.9-13.8; p=0.01), showing this measure to be the main factor related to perceived barriers. Education in health can contribute with the development of strategies aimed at lowering barriers and increasing benefits of this control.This study aimed at assessing beliefs about the benefits and barriers to adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema in patients with heart failure, and the influence of demographic and clinical variables on those beliefs. 105 patients were interviewed. The mean of the subscales Benefits and Barriers were 20.2 (± 5.7) and 30.1 (±7.1), respectively. Patients perceived that adherence to daily self-monitoring of weight/edema could keep them healthy, improve their quality of life and decrease the chances of readmission. Approximately half of patients (46.7%) reported forgetting this measure. Those who controlled weight once a month were more likely to have barriers to adherence (OR= 6.6; IC 95% 1.9-13.8; p=0.01), showing this measure to be the main factor related to perceived barriers. Education in health can contribute with the development of strategies aimed at lowering barriers and increasing benefits of this control.

Calidad de vida relacionada a la Salud en ancianos con Insuficiencia cardíaca: evaluación con instrumento específico

Objective: To assess the quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals. Interviews were conducted with 170 elderly patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess the quality of life, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was used. Results: The results showed a minor impact of illness on the emotional dimension of quality of life. However, indicators related to the physical dimension, including fatigue and breathlessness, showed a greater impact on quality of life for elderly patients. The internal consistency of the instrument-specific to quality of life was high, indicating satisfactory reliability (α> 0.80). Conclusion: This study enabled the assessment of quality of life of elderly patients living with heart failure, demonstrating that the physical dimension was the most compromised. It is essential to implement strategies to improve physical functioning in these patients.Objective: To assess the quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals. Interviews were conducted with 170 elderly patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess the quality of life, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was used. Results: The results showed a minor impact of illness on the emotional dimension of quality of life. However, indicators related to the physical dimension, including fatigue and breathlessness, showed a greater impact on quality of life for elderly patients. The internal consistency of the instrument-specific to quality of life was high, indicating satisfactory reliability (α> 0.80). Conclusion: This study enabled the assessment of quality of life of elderly patients living with heart failure, demonstrating that the physical dimension was the most compromised. It is essential to implement strategies to improve physical functioning in these patients.