The impact of nurse-led patient education on quality of life in patients with heart failure

Heart failure is a complex condition where the heart is unable to pump blood effectively because of a structural or functional abnormality. This condition is associated with a substantial human and economic burden, with a particularly high impact on patients' quality of life. However, previous research suggests that patient education, which is often delivered by nurses, can help to reduce the burden of heart failure, both for patients and healthcare services. This review aimed to assess the impact of nurse-led patient education programmes on the quality of life among patients with heart failure. Key electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science) were searched from inception to February 2022. Studies of adults with heart failure who received in-person nurse-led patient education using a quality of life assessment tool were included. Of the 2225 studies retrieved in the initial search, 18 were included in the final review, including a total of 2413 participants. Physical health was assessed across all studies, with some variation in the findings, particularly in relation to the impact of patient education on mortality rates. However, positive mental health outcomes were reported in intervention groups across selected studies, with one study reporting significant improvement at 12 months compared to a control group (P=0.038). This indicates that nurse-led patient education can improve some aspects of patients' quality of life, reinforcing the importance of this aspect of nursing care in heart failure management, while also highlighting areas in need of further research.