Psychosocial factors and their association with clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure: why clinicians do not seem to care.
Poor quality of life, social isolation, depression and anxiety all have been linked to increased risk of rehospitalization and mortality in patients with heart failure. Yet, despite evidence of their importance to outcomes in heart failure patients, psychosocial factors are assessed and treated infrequently in clinical practice. Potential reasons for this include: (1) inadequate dissemination of research about the link between psychosocial factors and outcomes; (2) insufficient training in heart-mind interactions that precludes clinicians from taking advantage of what is known; (3) perceived problems with interventions or with the science of heart-mind interactions that interfere with acceptance of what is known; (4) concerns about how to measure psychosocial factors in clinical practice; and (5) lack of curiosity from clinicians about the role of psychosocial factors in their patients. In this article, each of these possible explanations is explored and recommendations suggested.
Moser
Debra K
DK
College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, 527 CON/HSLC Building, Lexington, KY 40536-0232, USA. dmoser@uky.edu
D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011603:Psychophysiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome