title: Evidence to practice: pre-post-implementation study of a patient/provider resource for self-management with heart failure.
abstract: Background  Evidence-based recommendations for heart failure self-management are contained in quality clinical practice guidelines. To implement these in practice requires additional translation. Partners in Care for Congestive Heart Failure (PCCHF) is a set of resource materials developed to encourage heart failure patients and their families to assume greater responsibility and to participate in daily decision-making related to their illness experience by enhancing their self-assessment and self-management skills. The study objectives were to evaluate its use, acceptability and relevance of this approach by heart failure patients, nurses and policy-makers. Methods  A pre-post study was conducted across 10 rural-urban, acute and community care sites within three Canadian provinces and one US state. Patients' health-related quality of life was assessed with Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire and Medical Outcomes Short Form before and 6 weeks after using the PCCHF program. Nurses completed a survey and participated in focus groups. Policy-makers were interviewed before and post implementation. Results  Baseline and 6-week measures were completed by 239 patients. Health-related quality of life measures revealed statistically significant improvement after 6 weeks. Thirty-three nurses and 19 policy-makers participated in interviews post implementation. Most patients, nurses and policy-makers found the resource acceptable and relevant to support information needs. Conclusion  The PCCHF program positively benefited both patients and clinical staff. The evidence-based teaching materials were considered a useful resource for self-management with heart failure. Time constraints and high staff turnover underline the need for resources like PCCHF to assist in patient-oriented heart failure self-management. Copyright for PCCHF has been transferred to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation for widespread dissemination.
authors.affiliation: Queen's Joanna Briggs Collaboration: a collaborating centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute, School of Nursing and Practice and Research in Nursing Group, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: Margaret B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Ian D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toman
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Friederg