Experiences of air travel in patients with chronic heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a survey in a representative cohort of ambulatory patients with stable, well managed chronic heart failure (CHF) to discover their experiences of air travel.


METHODS
An expert panel including a cardiologist, an exercise scientist, and a psychologist developed a series of survey questions designed to elicit CHF patients' experiences of air travel (Appendix 1). The survey questions, information sheets and consent forms were posted out in a self-addressed envelope to 1293 CHF patients.


RESULTS
464 patients (response rate 39%) completed the survey questionnaires. 54% of patients had travelled by air since their heart failure diagnosis. 20% of all patients reported difficulties acquiring travel insurance. 65% of patients who travelled by air experienced no health-related problems. 35% of patients who travelled by air experienced health problems, mainly at the final destination, going through security and on the aircraft. 27% of all patients would not travel by air in the future. 38% of patients would consider flying again if there were more leg room on the aeroplane, if their personal health improved (18%), if they could find cheaper travel insurance (19%), if there were less waiting at the airport (11%), or if there were less walking/fewer stairs to negotiate at the airport (7%).


CONCLUSIONS
For most patients in this sample of stable, well managed CHF, air travel was safe.
Carnegie Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University, Beckett's Park, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3QS, United Kingdom. L.Ingle@leedsmet.ac.uk
Lee
L
Ingle
James
J
Hobkirk
Thibaud
T
Damy
Samantha
S
Nabb
Andrew L
AL
Clark
John G F
JG
Cleland
D000368:Aged; D000401:Aircraft; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel
Occup Med (Lond). 2003 Feb;53(1):19-23
12576561
Eur J Heart Fail. 2007 Nov;9(11):1095-103
17888721
Heart. 2010 Aug;96 Suppl 2:ii1-16
20644218
Cardiologia. 1995 Jul;40(7):477-88
8529252
Eur J Heart Fail. 2002 Jan;4(1):11-22
11812661
Eur J Heart Fail. 2013 May;15(5):505-10
23321950
Eur Heart J. 2003 Apr;24(8):690-703
12713764
Am J Med. 2000 Oct 15;109(6):450-5
11042233
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000 Jan;161(1):264-70
10619830
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2002 Apr;18(2):78-80
11973496
J Econ Bus. 2005 Jan-Feb;57(1):75-95
32287526
N Engl J Med. 1971 Jun 10;284(23):1298-309
4930601