IMPACT OF SELF-CARE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ON KNOWLEDGE AND FUNCTIONAL HEALTH STATUS OF ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH ACUTE HEART FAILURE
Ebtesam Mo’awad El-Sayed - Gerontological Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Egypt
Yousria Abd Elsalam Seloma - Critical Care and Emergency Nursing departement, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Egypt
ABSTRACT
Background: literature cited that, acute heart failure imposes marked limitation of biopsychosocial functioning and compromising quality of life. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the impact of self-care educational program on knowledge and functional health status of elderly patients with acute heart failure. Research hypotheses: Acute heart failure elderly patients who are exposed to self-care educational program will exhibit higher post-test total and subtotal mean knowledge scores (H1), higher post- test total and subtotal mean practice scores (H2), higher mean scores of physical functional independence (H3), lower post total mean psychological distress scores (H4) and lower post total mean social dysfunction scores (H5) in the immediate post and one month later after program implementation assessment than pre program mean scores. Design: A quasi-experimental one group pre-posttest research design was utilized. Sample: A purposive sample of 30 acute heart failure elderly patients were recruited from selected Intensive Care Units affiliated to Cairo University Hospitals. Tools; Four tools were used to collect data pertinent to the study; 1- personal characteristics and medical data sheet, 2- knowledge assessment questionnaire about acute heart failure self care management, 3- bio-psychosocial functional health status assessment sheet and 4- Observational checklist for acute heart failure elderly patients' physical exercises. Results: findings of the study revealed that, more than half of the studied sample were females, their age ranged from 65 to less than 70 years, married and can read and write. Four out of five research hypotheses can be supported (H1, H2, H4 &H5) however, the fifth hypothesis (H3) can be partially supported at p values of 0.05. Personal characteristics were correlated with total knowledge, total practice, total physical function, total psychological distress and total social dysfunction scores, correlations were found between total social dysfunction scores during immediate post and one month after program implementation and the patients' age at X2 = 42.1 &50.0 at p= 0017 and 0,002 respectively. Also, there was a significant correlation between total knowledge and total practice scores immediate post and one month after the program at r = 0.35 and 0.38 at p values= 0.01 and 0.00 respectively. Conclusion: It might be concluded that self care educational program might be feasible and beneficial and resulted in significant increase in knowledge and promoting biopsychosocial health functioning among acute heart failure elderly patients admitted to ICUs. Recommendations: Replication of this program and evaluation of its effectiveness on a nationwide large scale project to gain more generalization and to improve knowledge and functional health status of elderly with acute heart failure is essential.
