title: Influential factors for self-care in ambulatory care heart failure patients: a qualitative perspective.
abstract: Chronic heart failure is associated with debilitating symptoms, diminished quality of life and frequent hospitalizations. The literature suggests that effective everyday self-care decision-making can improve heart failure outcomes. This article focuses on the qualitative portion of a study of self-care decision-making in community-dwelling individuals attending a heart failure clinic. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 11 participants identified influences that enhance or impede self-care practices and their behavioural responses to them. Content analysis was used to examine predisposing attributes and enabling circumstances described in Connelly's Model of Self-Care in Chronic Illness. These interactive factors were either facilitators or barriers to self-care. The importance of individualizing patient teaching plans and frequent monitoring of factors likely to facilitate self-care were pivotal nursing implications that emerged from this study.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Sciences Program, St. Boniface General Hospital, Manitoba.
authors.forename: Karen N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Schnell
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Naimark
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: McClement
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016294:Models, Nursing; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires