Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention With Home Visits and Telephone Follow‐Up on Knowledge and Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

A nurse-led educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow-up significantly increased the proportion of patients with adequate heart failure knowledge (82% vs 38%) and good quality of life (73% vs 33%) compared to usual care at 60 days.

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: RCT. Population: Decompensated heart failure (n=120). Intervention: Educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow-up vs. Usual care. Primary outcome: Adequate heart failure knowledge at 60 days (p=<0.001).

Q: What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow-up on disease knowledge and quality of life in patients hospitalized with heart failure.

Cleidinaldo Ribeiro de Góes Marques; Eduesley Santana Santos; Luciane Souza da Silva; Eryck Araujo de Castro Guimarães; Tarcisio Gois dos Santos; Vinícius Barbosa dos Santos Sales; Wanessa Alves Silva; Antônio Carlos Sobral Sousa

doi:10.1111/nhs.70309

February 16, 2026Nursing and Health SciencesOpen Access

Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention With Home Visits and Telephone Follow‐Up on Knowledge and Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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Key result

Nurse-led education improves adequate heart failure knowledge by ~44 percentage points over usual care.

P<0.001
n=120

Figures

Why the study?

Limited patient knowledge about heart failure is associated with poor treatment adherence and worse health outcomes, emphasizing the need for educational interventions.

Does a nurse-led educational intervention with home visits and telephone follow-up improve disease knowledge and quality of life in patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure?

Key Points

To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow-up on disease knowledge and quality of life in patients hospitalized with heart failure.
Randomized clinical trial conducted across six Brazilian hospitals enrolling 120 patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure.
Participants were randomly assigned to usual care (control group, N=60) or structured discharge education supplemented with home visits at days 7, 30, and 60 and telephone calls at days 15 and 45 (intervention group, N=60).
Heart failure knowledge and quality-of-life scores were assessed during hospitalization and at 60 days post-discharge.
At 60 days, adequate heart failure knowledge was achieved by 82% of patients in the intervention group compared with 38% in the control group (p < 0.001).
Good quality of life was achieved by 73% of patients in the intervention group compared with 33% in the control group (p < 0.001).

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=120)

Blinding

Single-blind

Randomization

Simple sequence generated by computer

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Does a nurse-led educational intervention with home visits and telephone follow-up improve disease knowledge and quality of life in patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure?

P

Population

120 adult patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure and systolic dysfunction, randomized to an educational intervention or usual care and followed for 60 days.

I

Intervention

Nurse-led educational intervention including structured education at discharge using an educational booklet, home visits at 7, 30, and 60 days post-discharge, telephone follow-ups at 15 and 45 days, and a self-monitoring tool for weight and medications.

C

Comparator

Usual care, receiving in-person evaluations before hospital discharge and at 60 days, a telephone contact at 30 days to assess clinical condition, and receiving the educational booklet only at the end of the 60-day study.

O

Outcome

Patient knowledge of heart failure (assessed via a 14-objective question questionnaire) and Quality of Life (assessed via the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire) at 60 days post-discharge.patient reported

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 82% vs 38%

p-value: p=<0.001

A comprehensive nurse-led educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow-up significantly improves post-discharge disease knowledge and quality of life in patients with heart failure.

Limitations

Small sample size
Short follow-up duration (60 days)
Lack of involvement of other healthcare professionals
Did not compare the effects of a single intervention modality (e.g., telephone follow-up alone) with the combined strategy
Wide territorial coverage, barriers to patient access, and limited financial resources may restrict wider implementation

Implication

Supports adoption of nurse-led HF education with home visits and calls; extends RCT evidence for gains in knowledge and QoL.

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart failure (HF), are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Limited patient knowledge about HF is associated with poor treatment adherence and worse health outcomes, emphasizing the importance of educational interventions. This randomized clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of a nurse‐led educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow‐up on patients' knowledge and quality of life (QoL). Conducted in six Brazilian hospitals, the study included 120 patients hospitalized with decompensated HF and randomly assigned to a control group (CG) or an intervention group (IG). The IG received structured education at discharge, followed by home visits on days 7, 30, and 60 and telephone follow‐up on days 15 and 45, while the CG received usual care. Outcomes were assessed at 60 days. At this time point, adequate HF knowledge was observed in 82% of patients in the IG compared with 38% in the CG, and good QoL in 73% versus 33%, respectively ( p < 0.001). The intervention was effective in improving knowledge and QoL in patients with HF.

Discussion

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Cite This Study

Marques et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Decompensated heart failure (n=120). Educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow-up vs. Usual care was evaluated on Adequate heart failure knowledge at 60 days (p=<0.001). A nurse-led educational intervention combining home visits and telephone follow-up significantly increased the proportion of patients with adequate heart failure knowledge (82% vs 38%) and good quality of life (73% vs 33%) compared to usual care at 60 days.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6996a82decb39a600b3eeac1 https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.70309

Topics

HFrEF treatment

Heart failure

Heart failure hospitalization

HFpEF management

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Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention With Home Visits and Telephone Follow‐Up on Knowledge and Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Figures

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Topics

Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention With Home Visits and Telephone Follow‐Up on Knowledge and Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Figures

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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Topics

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