Advanced heart failure patients need care built around living in the moment
A Swedish study of patients with advanced heart failure reveals they prioritize quality of life over medical outcomes, wanting to make the most of remaining time while managing debilitating symptoms. Healthcare systems redesigning cardiac care programs should use these insights to shift from purely clinical interventions toward patient-centered support that acknowledges emotional and practical realities.
Originaltitel: To live in the present - adapting to life with advanced heart failure: a qualitative interview study
<p>BackgroundDespite evidence that structured, multidisciplinary care for people with advanced heart failure (AHF) significantly enhances patients' quality of life, critical questions remain regarding how such care should be optimally designed. To improve the quality of life for people with AHF, healthcare professionals must deepen their understanding of what these patients genuinely need and how best to meet them in their illness trajectory.AimTo describe patients' experience of living with advanced heart failure in Sweden.MethodsFifteen patients with AHF from a medium-sized hospital in Sweden were recruited for a qualitative interview study. Content analyses were conducted.ResultsLiving with AHF was viewed as life changing. The overarching theme, To live in the present, describes the participants' overall experience of their life situation. Four categories and ten subcategories were identified. The four categories were: Symptoms affecting life, Making the most out of life given, Coping with emotions, and To be a part of health care.ConclusionThis study provides valuable insights in how patients with AHF experience their life and need care. The results highlight the need for health care to provide support to help patients cope with emotional, social, spiritual and practical everyday life situations to ease self-care.</p>