Readiness for Heart Failure Self-Care: Commitment and Capacity

Background: The number of people with heart failure (HF) is rapidly increasing globally. Self-care plays a key role in improving HF outcomes. The readiness to engage in heart failure self-care (HFSC) behaviors encompasses a commitment to change and the capacity to make the change. Commitment is a personal investment and value toward enacting self-care and health-related behaviors. Capacity includes an individual’s skills, knowledge, beliefs, previous experience, and resources. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe patient-identified commitment and capacity factors influencing their readiness to carry out HFSC behaviors. Methods: A qualitative study using thematic analysis was conducted using data from 21 interviews to develop readiness for HFSC themes. Results: The commitment themes identified were cultural values and beliefs, social roles, will to live, attitude, self-efficacy, HF perceptions, and general emotional state. Capacity themes included HF literacy, functional capacity, environmental resources, comorbidities, time, cognitive functioning, and social support. Conclusions: Novel themes related to an individual’s commitment to HFSC activities included their will to live and social roles, while time emerged as a consideration in the capacity to engage in self-care. To optimize HF outcomes, people with HF must be ready to engage in HFSC. Evaluating an individual’s readiness for HFSC can focus healthcare team efforts on targeting specific self-care activities that require intervention. Enhancing readiness by intervening with specific commitment and capacity factors is a step toward optimizing HFSC and improving patient outcomes.