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Symptom Perceptions And Self-Care Behaviors In Patients Who Self-Manage Heart Failure, Katherine M. Reeder, Patrick M. Ercole, Gina M. Peek, Carol E. Smith

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) are at heightened risk for acute exacerbation requiring hospitalization. Although timely reporting of symptoms can expedite outpatient treatment and avoid the need for hospitalization, few patients recognize and respond to symptoms until acutely ill.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore patients’ perceptions of symptoms and self-care behaviors for symptom relief, leading up to a HF hospitalization.

Methods: To examine prehospitalization symptom scenarios, semistructured interviews were conducted with 60 patients hospitalized for acute decompensated HF.

Results: Thirty-seven patients (61.7%) said that they had a sense that “something just wasn’t quite right” before …

Multidisciplinary Group Clinic Appointments: The Self-Management And Care Of Heart Failure (Smac-Hf) Trial, Carol A. Smith, Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, Jo A. Wick, John A. Spertus, Christy Russell, Kathleen M. Dalton, Andrea Elyachar, James L. Vacek, Katherine M. Reeder, Niaman Nazir, Edward F. Ellerbeck

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background—This trial tested the effects of multidisciplinary group clinic appointments on the primary outcome of time to first heart failure (HF) rehospitalization or death.

Methods and Results—HF patients (n=198) were randomly assigned to standard care or standard care plus multidisciplinary group clinics. The group intervention consisted of 4 weekly clinic appointments and 1 booster clinic at month 6, where multidisciplinary professionals engaged patients in HF self-management skills. Data were collected prospectively for 12 months beginning after completion of the first 4 group clinic appointments (2 months post randomization). The intervention was associated with greater adherence to recommended vasodilators …