Learning needs of patients with congestive heart failure.
BACKGROUND
It is suggested that more effective and efficient educational intervention can be created by matching the program to patient learning needs. Previous attempts to determine the learning needs of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) find all types of information endorsed as very important to learn.


OBJECTIVE
To increase differentiation between patients' ratings of information needs by modifying the CHF Patient Learning Needs Inventory (CHFPLNI) and examined predictors of learning needs.


METHODS
Thirty-four inpatients with CHF from the Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario completed the modified CHFPLNI and rank ordered the perceived importance of eight categories of CHF knowledge measured by the CHFPLNI. Patients also completed measures of emotional distress, fatigue, health beliefs, locus of control and current CHF knowledge.


RESULTS
Ratings across all information categories were similar (M=4.4-5.3/7) and highly correlated (r=0.52-0.87). Patients indicated information on medication, cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, and treatment were the most important to learn on both the CHFPLNI and by rank ordering. Higher fatigue was correlated with information needs on diet (r=0.37), activity (r=0.37), psychological (r=0.38) and risk (r=0.37) factors. No other variables consistently predicted learning needs.


CONCLUSIONS
Changing the format of the CHFPLNI did not increase the differentiation of patients' ratings across information categories. The assessment of patients' learning needs using extensive questionnaires does not appear warranted because simple rank ordering obtained similar information. Individuals who are more fatigued wanted more information on those aspects of care that they managed on a day-to-day basis.
Chan
Alan D F
AD
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Reid
Graham J
GJ
Farvolden
Peter
P
Deane
Mary Lou
ML
Bisaillon
Susan
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009864:Ontario; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires