Negotiating compliance in heart failure: Remaining issues and questions
Received 11 August 2004; received in revised form 30 March 2005; accepted 4 April 2005. published online 16 May 2005.
Abstract
Living with heart failure (HF) means living with a chronic illness characterized by periods of acute decompensation alternating with periods of relative stability. Improved medical care for patients with cardiovascular diseases, coupled with the aging of the populations in the developed world, has resulted in a steadily increasing prevalence of HF. Rehospitalization rates are high for this patient population. In 20–64% of the cases, poor compliance by patients with the prescribed HF treatment is a contributing factor to hospitalization. This article uses a review of the literature on HF non-compliance, including the prevalence, barriers, consequences, and the long-term outcomes of non-compliance with HF therapy, to illustrate remaining issues and questions. Original studies published in English or German between 1966 and June 2004 identified by combining patient compliance, non-compliance, adherence, self-care, rehospitalization, patient education, and management programs, with heart failure in the search strategy are included. Creative approaches to achieving a true partnership between providers and patients are needed if clinical outcomes are to improve.
aInstitute of Nursing Science, University of Basel, Division of Clinical Nursing Science, University Hospital of Basel, CH, Bernoullistrasse 28, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
bSchool of Nursing and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 420 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA, USA 19104-6096
cSharp HealthCare, 8695 Spectrum Center Blvd, San Diego, CA, USA 92123
dSchool of Nursing, Campanile Drive, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA 82182-4158
eCenter for Health Services and Nursing Research, Catholic University of Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35/4, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
Corresponding author. Institute of Nursing Science, University of Basel, Division of Clinical Nursing Science, University Hospital of Basel, CH, Bernoullistrasse 28, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 61 2670951; fax: +41 61 2670955.
ABSTRACT