title: Patient-reported outcomes in left ventricular assist device therapy: a systematic review and recommendations for clinical research and practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Technological advancements of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have created today's potential for extending the lives of patients with end-stage heart failure. Few studies have examined the effect of LVAD therapy on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as health status, quality of life, and anxiety/depression, despite poor PROs predicting mortality and rehospitalization in patients with heart failure. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of available evidence on the impact of LVAD therapy on PROs and discuss recommendations for clinical research and practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A systematic literature search identified 16 quantitative studies with a sample size ≥10 (mean±SD age=50.1±12.6 years) that examined the impact of LVAD therapy on PROs using a quantitative approach. Initial evidence suggests an improvement in health status, anxiety, and depression in the first few months after LVAD implantation. However, PRO scores of patients receiving LVAD therapy are still lower for physical, social, and emotional functioning compared with transplant recipients. These studies had several methodological shortcomings, including the use of relatively small sample sizes, and only a paucity of studies focused on anxiety and depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a paucity of studies on the patient perspective of LVAD therapy. To advance the field of LVAD research and to optimize the care of an increasingly growing population of patients receiving LVAD therapy, more well-designed large-scale studies are needed to further elucidate the impact of LVAD therapy on PROs.
authors: Department of Medical Psychology and Neuropsychology, CoRPS, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors: Corline
authors: C
authors: Brouwers
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Denollet
authors: Nicolaas
authors: N
authors: de Jonge
authors: Kadir
authors: K
authors: Caliskan
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Kealy
authors: Susanne S
authors: SS
authors: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression; D006304:Health Status; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D016896:Treatment Outcome