A qualitative descriptive study of the work of adherence to a chronic heart failure regimen: patient and physician perspectives.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the known benefit of self-care strategies for symptom management in heart failure (HF), most patients are unable to perform self-care activities successfully. This study therefore examined how communication about the HF regimen between patients and their physicians is experienced and understood by both partners.


METHODS
Six pairs (n = 12) of adult patients with HF who were admitted for acute symptom exacerbation and their physicians were interviewed for this qualitative descriptive study in the inpatient setting. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using content analysis.


RESULTS
Both patients and providers described adherence to the HF regimen as "work." Both reported the same list of tasks and knowledge requirements as key components of the HF regimen, and both reported delegating their own regimen-related work to others. Despite these similarities, perceptions of the nature and complexity of the work of the HF regimen differed. Patients described the regimen as "hard work," but physicians perceived patients as nonparticipatory in self-care, in spite of the instructions being "easy." Patients perceived themselves as understanding what to do but needing help with how to carry out self-care. By contrast, physicians perceived patients as not understanding what the regimen requires and therefore needing more repetition of knowledge-based instructions.


CONCLUSIONS
The self-care regimen in chronic HF is characterized by both patients and physicians as work, but patient-physician dyads show divergent understandings of that work. Future research to improve adherence should move beyond the patient to look at the nature of the work itself and the relationship of the patient and caregivers to the work.
Granger
Bradi B
BB
Duke University Health Systems, Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, North Carolina, USA. grang004@mc.duke.edu
Sandelowski
Margarete
M
Tahshjain
Hera
H
Swedberg
Karl
K
Ekman
Inger
I
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003142:Communication; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009657:North Carolina; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology