Assessment of perceived social support on the quality of life of patients with heart failure: A randomized clinical trial

Heart Failure (HF) patients usually have a high physical and emotional burden, due to the very intense symptoms, but also the psychological burden, at the same time as the poor Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL). Studies have found that increased perceived Social Support (SS) can contribute to the improvement of symptoms and HR-QoL through its different modes of functioning. The aim: of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a dual nursing intervention, with an educational approach at the discharge of patients with HF and subsequently, structured telephone follow-up, on the perceived SS and its effect, on HR-QoL, for a period of 12 months after the patients' discharge from the hospital, in relation to usual care. Material - Method: This is a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT), with an intervention and control group, which was carried out at the Cardiology Clinic of the Secondary General Hospital of Serres. A total of 186 hospitalized patients with HF (NYHA I-IV), who met the admission criteria and were scheduled for discharge, were randomized.