Family functioning, support, problem solving, communication, self-efficacy, and caregiver burden are important areas influencing heart failure self-care and outcomes.
Do family-focused interventions improve self-care and outcomes in heart failure patients?
Family functioning and support are critical components of heart failure self-care, highlighting the need for family-focused interventions and targeted support for socially isolated patients.
Many patient education guidelines for teaching heart failure patients recommend inclusion of the family; however, family-focused interventions to promote self-care in heart failure are few. This article reviews the state of the science regarding family influences on heart failure self-care and outcomes. The literature and current studies suggest that family functioning, family support, problem solving, communication, self-efficacy, and caregiver burden are important areas to target for future research. In addition, heart failure patients without family and those who live alone and are socially isolated are highly vulnerable for poor self-care and should receive focused attention. Specific research questions based on existing science and gaps that need to be filled to support clinical practice are posed.
Dunbar et al. (2008) conducted a review in Heart failure. Family influences was evaluated on Heart failure self-care and outcomes. Family functioning, support, problem solving, communication, self-efficacy, and caregiver burden are important areas influencing heart failure self-care and outcomes.