title: [Cardiac rehabilitation with a structured education programme for patients with chronic heart failure--illness-related knowledge, mental wellbeing and acceptance in participants].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic heart failure is a severe disease with increasing importance and difficult prognosis. Patient education is an essential component of medical rehabilitation, which is aimed at increasing self-management abilities and reducing mental symptom load in these patients. A newly developed patient education programme for heart failure was implemented as part of a three-week cardiac rehabilitation programme. The present study dealt with patients' acceptance of this programme, changes in disease-related knowledge, perceived health- and illness-related quality of life, and mental symptoms over the treatment course.
  
  
  METHODS
  During inpatient cardiac rehabilitation, 64 patients (79.7% male) participated in this competence-focused programme for patients with chronic heart failure. Before, directly after and 6 months after participation in the programme, they filled in self-rating questionnaires on their mental wellbeing (HADS anxiety and depression), quality of life (SF-36, KCCQ), and a test of their knowledge on heart-related disease behavior. Additionally they were given an evaluation-questionnaire of the programme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evaluation of the programme given by the patients was very good. Knowledge and perceived quality of life had increased significantly at the end and 6 months after rehabilitation. Mental symptoms of anxiety and depressivity were reduced directly and also 6 months after rehabilitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over the course of a multidimensional cardiac rehabilitation programme focusing on training of disease-directed competences, patients felt better and were better informed. However, special attention needs to be given to possible deterioration effects education programmes can have in patients with increased trait-anxiety or hypochondriac tendencies.
authors.affiliation: Forschungsgruppe Psychosomatische Rehabilitation an der Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. beate.muschalla@gmx.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muschalla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glatz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karger
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires