Izabella Uchmanowicz

Cross-cultural adaptation and reliability testing of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator for optimizing care of Polish patients with frailty syndrome

Background Frail older people are at high risk of developing adverse outcomes, such as disability, mortality, hospitalization, and institutionalization. Previous research suggests that the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring frailty. The aim of this study was to adapt and to test the reliability of the Polish version of the TFI. Method A standard guideline was used for translation and cultural adaptation of the English version of the TFI into Polish. The study included 100 Polish patients (mean age 68.2±6.5 years), among them 42 men and 58 women. Cronbach’s alpha was used for analysis of the internal consistency of the TFI. Results The mean total TFI score was 6.7±3.1. Forty patients scored ≥5, which corresponded to being frail. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients of the instrument ranged from 0.68 to 0.72 and item-total correlation ranged from 0.12 to 0.52. Conclusion The TFI is valid and reproducible for assessment of frailty syndrome among a Polish population. The Polish adaptation of the TFI proved a useful and fast tool for assessing frailty.

The relationship between frailty, anxiety and depression, and health-related quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure

Objective Elderly people constitute over 80% of the population of patients with heart failure (HF). Frailty is a distinct biological syndrome that reflects decreased physiologic reserve and resistance to stressors. Moreover, frailty can serve as an independent predictor of visits to the emergency department, hospitalizations, and mortality. The purpose of this paper was to assess the relationship between frailty, anxiety and depression, and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of elderly patients with HF. Patients and methods The study included 100 patients (53 men and 47 women) with a diagnosis of HF. Frailty was measured using the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) scale. HRQoL was measured using the 36-Item Short Form Medical Outcomes Study Survey. To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used. Results Frailty was found in 89% of the studied population. The study showed significant inverse correlations between the values of the physical component scale (PCS) domain results and TFI score, and a significant inverse correlation between the values of the mental component scale (MCS) domain and TFI score. When participants showed increased levels of frailty as measured by the TFI scale, there was also an increase in the levels of anxiety and depression. With increased anxiety and depression, there was deterioration in the quality of life of patients with HF. Conclusion Frailty has a negative impact on the HRQoL results of elderly patients with HF. The assessment of frailty syndrome, and anxiety and depression should be taken into account when estimating risk and making therapeutic decisions for cardiovascular disease treatment and care.

Frailty syndrome and self-care ability in elderly patients with heart failure

Background Chronic heart failure is a serious medical condition. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in frailty syndrome and self-care levels among patients with cardiovascular conditions. Demonstrating the influence of frailty syndrome on self-care could improve the quality of self-care and prevent the adverse effects of frailty syndrome. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of frailty syndrome on the self-care capabilities of patients with chronic heart failure, and to identify factors associated with frailty. Methods The data were collected between January and July 2014. The study included 110 patients with chronic heart failure who were hospitalized in the cardiology clinic. Frailty syndrome was assessed using the Tilburg Frailty Indicator, a self-report questionnaire, and self-care behavior was assessed using the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale. Results Fifty-four percent of the study patients were male and 46% were female. The mean age was 66±11 years, the mean Tilburg Frailty Indicator score was 7.45±3.02 points, and the mean self-care level was 27.6±7.13 points. Correlation analyses showed that patients with higher scores in the social components of the frailty scale had better self-care capabilities. Frailty was associated with age, education, duration of heart failure, number of hospitalizations, and New York Heart Association class. The effects of these patient characteristics differed across components of frailty (physical, psychological, social). Conclusion The social components of frailty syndrome adversely affect the ability to self-care in elderly patients with heart failure. It is relevant to use a multidimensional measurement of frailty.

A core curriculum for the continuing professional development of nurses: Developed by the Education Committee on behalf of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the ESC

Background: The European Society of Cardiology and the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions share a vision; to decrease the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe. Nurses represent the largest sector of the health professional workforce and have a significant contribution to make, which has not yet been fully realised. Recent evidence highlights an association between the level of nurse education and inpatient mortality making this an important topic, particularly as the provision of nurse education in Europe is variable. Aim: To develop a core curriculum to inform the education of nurses following initial qualification for work in cardiovascular settings. Method: A syllabus was developed using published literature, policy documents and existing curricula with expert input from service users, specialist nurses, cardiologists, educationalists and academics. The syllabus formed the framework for the development of the core curriculum. Results: Eight key themes characterise the core curriculum which are presented together with an account of the development process. While the curriculum is not intended to cover all aspects of the highly complex role of the cardiovascular nurse, the themes do exemplify the science and art of nursing and are transferable across different levels of clinical practice and settings. The curriculum functions both as a ‘map’, which identifies key themes to include in nurse education, and as a ‘tool’ to inform educational provision that bridges’ the gap between initial nurse education and advanced specialist practice. Content can be adapted for use to fit the national context and reflects the specific needs, health priorities, legislative and regulatory standards that govern safe nursing practice across different countries. Conclusion: The core curriculum can be used as a learning framework to guide nurse education, in particular the continuing professional education of post-qualifying nurses working in cardiovascular settings. This represents a significant step towards streamlining cardiovascular nurse education in Europe.

The effect of acceptance of illness on the quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure

Background: Although important, a relationship between acceptance of illness and quality of life has not been studied extensively in individuals with chronic heart failure. Aims: The aim of this study was to analyse an association between these two variables in a large group of individuals with at least a six-month history of heart failure. Methods: The study included 100 patients (68 men and 32 women, mean age 63.2±12.2 years) with at least six months’ clinical evidence of heart failure corresponding to New York Heart Association class II, III or IV. All the patients were examined with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaire and Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS). Results: The patients presenting with low levels of acceptance of illness (8–18 points) scored significantly higher on the energy, pain, emotional reaction, sleep, social isolation and mobility domains of the NHP. Multivariate analysis showed that acceptance of illness was the only independent predictor of quality of life in all the NHP domains: energy (β= −0.653, p<0.001), pain (β= −1.464, p<0.001), emotional reactions (β –1.738, p<0.001), sleep (β= −0.820, p<0.001), social isolation (β= −0.638, p<0.001) and mobility (β= −1.739, p<0.001). Male gender proved to be an independent predictor of lower pain scores (β= −1.320, p= 0.001) and divorce was associated with higher social isolation scores (β=1.948, p<0.001). Conclusion: The extent a patient accepts their chronic heart failure diagnosis has been shown to impact on their quality of life.

Frailty Syndrome in cardiovascular disease: Clinical significance and research tools

Frailty Syndrome is one of the key health problems in geriatrics, strongly affecting poor prognosis. There is a growing interest in the relevance of this syndrome in cardiovascular disease. The diagnosis of Frailty Syndrome in the elderly cardiac population is essential for an accurate risk stratification and for making therapeutic decisions. Most risk assessment systems used in cardiology are based on chronological age, which does not always reflect the biological age of a patient, therefore making an inadequate risk estimation. This paper discusses the definitions of Frailty Syndrome and research tools used to identify it. We specifically address the role of Frailty Syndrome in cardiovascular disease and the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties in patients with Frailty Syndrome, emphasizing the role of the identification of Frailty Syndrome in making therapeutic decisions and the stratification of cardiovascular risk in patients with cardiologic conditions.

Frailty in patients with acute coronary syndrome: comparison between tools for comprehensive geriatric assessment and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator

Purpose It is a known fact that age is a strong predictor of adverse events in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In this context, the main risk factor in elderly patients, ie, frailty syndrome, gains special importance. The availability of tools to identify frail people is relevant for both research and clinical purposes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of a scale for assessing frailty – the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and its domains (mental and physical) – with other research tools commonly used for comprehensive geriatric assessment in patients with ACS. Patients and methods The study covered 135 people and was carried out in the cardiology ward at T Marciniak Lower Silesian Specialist Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland. The patients were admitted with ACS. ST segment elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction were defined by the presence of certain conditions in reference to the literature. The Polish adaptation of the TFI was used for the frailty syndrome assessment, which was compared to other single measures used in geriatric assessment: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Results The mean TFI value in the studied group amounted to 7.13±2.81 (median: 7, interquartile range: 5–9, range [0, 14]). Significant correlations were demonstrated between the values of the TFI and other scales: positive for HADS (r=0.602, P<0.001) and the reverse for MMSE (r=−0.603, P<0.001) and IADL (r=−0.462, P<0.001). Patients with a TFI score ≥5 revealed considerably higher values on HADS (P<0.001) and considerably lower values on the MMSE (P<0.001) and IADL scales (P=0.001). Conclusion The results for the TFI comply with the results of other scales (MMSE, HADS, ADL, IADL), which confirm the credibility of the Polish adaptation of the tool. Stronger correlations were observed for mental components and the mental scales turned out to be independently related to the TFI in a multidimensional analysis.

Cross-cultural adaptation and reliability testing of Polish adaptation of the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale (EHFScBS)

Background Development of simple instruments for determination of self-care levels in heart failure (HF) patients is a subject of ongoing research. One such instrument, gaining growing popularity worldwide, is the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale (EHFScBS). The aim of this study was to adapt and to test reliability of the Polish version of EHFScBS. Method A standard guideline was used for translation and cultural adaptation of the English version of EHFScBS into Polish. The study included 100 Polish HF patients aged between 24 and 91 years, among them 67 men and 33 women. Cronbach’s alpha was used for analysis of the internal consistency of EHFScBS. Results Mean total self-care score in the study group was 34.2±8.1 points. Good or satisfactory level of self-care were documented in four out of 12 analyzed EHFScBS domains. Cronbach’s alpha for the entire questionnaire was 0.64. The value of Cronbach’s alpha after deletion of specific items ranged from 0.55 to 0.65. Conclusion Polish HF patients present significant deficits of self-care, which are to a large extent associated with inefficacy of the public health care system. Apart from cultural characteristics, the socioeconomic context of the target population should be considered during language adaptation of EHFScBS, as well as during interpretation of data obtained with this instrument. A number of self-care–related behaviors may be optimized as a result of appropriate educational activities, also those offered by nursing personnel.

Sociodemographic factors affecting the quality of life of patients with asthma

Background In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the subjective quality of life (QoL) of patients with bronchial asthma. Patients diagnosed with asthma experience a number of problems with regard to everyday activities and functions, which adversely affects their health-related QoL. Aim The aim of this study is to analyze the sociodemographic factors affecting the QoL of patients with asthma. Patients and methods The study comprised of 100 patients (73 females and 27 males) aged 18–84 years (mean age 45.7 years) treated in the Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Geriatrics and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University. All patients with asthma who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. We used medical record analysis and two questionnaires: the asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) and the asthma control test. Up-to-date sociodemographic data were collected from all participants, including sex, age, marital status, education, and sources of income. Results The sociodemographic variables that correlated positively with QoL in all domains of the AQLQ were professional activity and higher education level of respondents. Factors that negatively influenced the AQLQ domains were older age and lack of professional activity. Conclusion This study shows that age, physical work, and lack of professional activity decreased the QoL in this patient group. It was found that higher education contributes to better QoL scores.

The influence of frailty syndrome on acceptance of illness in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

COPD is one of the most debilitating diseases. Frailty syndrome and advanced age may decrease the acceptance of illness, quality of life, and worsen health conditions in these patients, as well as lead to an increase in health care expenses. The aim of the study was to assess how the level of frailty affects the acceptance of illness in elderly patients with COPD. We also aimed to evaluate the associations between sociodemographic and clinical factors and the level of acceptance of illness, anxiety, and frailty in this group of patients. The study included 102 COPD patients with a mean age of 63.2 (standard deviation =6.5) years and grades I (3%), II (37%), III (52%), and IV (8%) by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. The Polish versions of the Acceptance of Illness Scale and Tilburg frailty indicator were used. Frailty syndrome was found in 77 (75.5%) patients, with an average score of 7.42 (standard deviation =2.24). Coexisting diseases such as hypertension (46.07%), coronary artery disease (32.35%), heart failure (28.43%), diabetes (18.63%), and heart arrhythmia (9.8%) were found among the subjects. The overall level of acceptance of illness was 20.6 (standard deviation =7.62). A lower level of acceptance of illness was associated with a higher level of frailty, especially in the physical and social domain. Elderly patients with severe COPD are more prone to frailty and decreased acceptance of their disease in comparison to patients with other chronic diseases. Assessment and management of frailty in the care of older COPD patients are likely to improve risk stratification significantly and help personalize management, leading to better patient outcomes.