BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive clinical condition that results in substantial impairment of quality of life (QOL). Helping patients maintain optimal QOL is essential. QOL reflects patients' subjective perceptions about the impact of a clinical condition and its treatment on daily life; however, definitions in the literature vary widely and few reflect the patient's perspective. PURPOSE: The study explored how patients with HF define and perceive QOL. METHODS: Qualitative data were obtained from 14 men and 6 women with HF (mean age 58 +/- 10 years) using semistructured open-ended interviews. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Patients with HF defined QOL as their ability to 1) perform desired physical and social activities to meet their and their family's needs; 2) maintain happiness; and 3) engage in fulfilling relationships with others. Patients perceived a variety of factors as positively or negatively affecting QOL: physical (symptoms and good or poor physical status), psychologic (mood and positive or negative perspective), economic (financial status), social (social support and ability for social activities), spiritual, and behavioral (self-care). Patients perceived that HF had a serious impact on QOL, but most evaluated their QOL as good nonetheless. CONCLUSION: Patients' definition of QOL reflected not only the impact of HF on their daily life but also their active pursuit of happiness. Patients' self-evaluation of QOL reflected the negative impact of HF and patients' altered expectations of what constituted good QOL.
BACKGROUND:Heart failure (HF) is a progressive clinical condition that results in substantial impairment of quality of life (QOL). Helping patients maintain optimal QOL is essential. QOL reflects patients' subjective perceptions about the impact of a clinical condition and its treatment on daily life; however, definitions in the literature vary widely and few reflect the patient's perspective. PURPOSE: The study explored how patients with HF define and perceive QOL. METHODS: Qualitative data were obtained from 14 men and 6 women with HF (mean age 58 +/- 10 years) using semistructured open-ended interviews. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS:Patients with HF defined QOL as their ability to 1) perform desired physical and social activities to meet their and their family's needs; 2) maintain happiness; and 3) engage in fulfilling relationships with others. Patients perceived a variety of factors as positively or negatively affecting QOL: physical (symptoms and good or poor physical status), psychologic (mood and positive or negative perspective), economic (financial status), social (social support and ability for social activities), spiritual, and behavioral (self-care). Patients perceived that HF had a serious impact on QOL, but most evaluated their QOL as good nonetheless. CONCLUSION:Patients' definition of QOL reflected not only the impact of HF on their daily life but also their active pursuit of happiness. Patients' self-evaluation of QOL reflected the negative impact of HF and patients' altered expectations of what constituted good QOL.
Authors: S J Bennett; G A Huster; S L Baker; L B Milgrom; A Kirchgassner; J Birt; M L Pressler Journal: Am J Crit Care Date: 1998-05 Impact factor: 2.228
Authors: H M Krumholz; J Butler; J Miller; V Vaccarino; C S Williams; C F Mendes de Leon; T E Seeman; S V Kasl; L F Berkman Journal: Circulation Date: 1998-03-17 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Roslyn A Prichard; Fei-Li Zhao; Julee Mcdonagh; Stephen Goodall; Patricia M Davidson; Phillip J Newton; Ben Farr-Wharton; Christopher S Hayward Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2021-01-02 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Atefeh Noori; Mostafa Shokoohi; Mohammad Reza Baneshi; Nasim Naderi; Hooman Bakhshandeh; Ali Akbar Haghdoost Journal: Int J Health Policy Manag Date: 2014-09-30