Patient Education for Heart Failure Self-Management: A Scoping Review of Implementation-Related Reporting Using the Re-AIm Framework

Objective To map and synthesize patient education interventions for heart failure (HF) self-management and retrospectively characterize the completeness of implementation-related reporting across the RE-AIM domains. Methods This scoping review followed Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and PRISMA-ScR. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched on June 27, 2026. Studies involving adults with HF receiving patient education in non-hospital or transitional care contexts were included. Findings were synthesized descriptively, and the RE-AIM framework was applied retrospectively to characterize the completeness of implementation-related reporting rather than to evaluate demonstrated implementation outcomes. Results Sixty-three studies were included, of which 61 (96.8%) were randomized controlled trials. Hybrid delivery was most frequent (54.0%), and multisetting interventions were the most common context (31.7%). Education commonly addressed symptom monitoring (66.7%), lifestyle modification (60.3%), and medication management (55.6%), while 63.5% of interventions were tailored. Low completeness of reporting was common across RE-AIM dimensions, particularly Reach (54.0%), Adoption (52.4%), and Maintenance (54.0%). Conclusion Patient education for HF self-management has been widely investigated, but implementation-related characteristics remain incompletely reported. Given the predominance of controlled trials, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of real-world adoption, implementation, or sustainability. Practice implications Future pragmatic and implementation-focused studies should evaluate and report intervention reach, organizational adoption, delivery fidelity, maintenance, equity, and sustainability in routine HF care.