title: Patterns and predictors of patient and caregiver engagement in heart failure care: a multi-level dyadic study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart failure is a burdensome clinical syndrome, and patients and their caregivers are responsible for the vast majority of heart failure care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to characterize naturally occurring archetypes of patient-caregiver dyads with respect to patient and caregiver contributions to heart failure self-care, and to identify patient-, caregiver- and dyadic-level determinants thereof.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dyadic analysis of cross-sectional data on patients and their caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient heart failure clinics in 28 Italian provinces.
  
  
  METHODS
  509 Italian heart failure patients and their primary caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multilevel and mixture modeling were used to generate dyadic averages and incongruence in patient and caregiver contributions to heart failure self-care and identify common dyadic archetypes, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three distinct archetypes were observed. 22.4% of dyads were labeled as novice and complementary because patients and caregivers contributed to different aspects of heart failure self-care that was generally poor; these dyads were predominantly older adults with less severe heart failure and their adult child caregivers. 56.4% of dyads were labeled as inconsistent and compensatory because caregivers reported greater contributions to the areas of self-care most insufficient on the part of the patients; patients in these dyads had the highest prevalence of hospitalizations for heart failure in the past year and the fewest limitations to performing activities of daily living independently. Finally, 21.2% of dyads were labeled as expert and collaborative because of high contributions to all aspects of heart failure self-care, the best relationship quality and lowest caregiver strain compared with the other archetypes; patients in this archetype were likely the sickest because they also had the worst heart failure-related quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three distinct archetypes of dyadic contributions to heart failure care were observed that represent a gradient in the level of contributions to self-care, in addition to different approaches to working together to manage heart failure. Interventions and clinical programs that involve heart failure dyads should tailor strategies to take into consideration these distinct archetypes and their attributes.
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. Electronic address: csleern@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ercole
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vellone
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Karen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.affiliation: University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cocchieri
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Julie T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Bidwell
authors.affiliation: University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Shirin O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Hiatt
authors.affiliation: University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvaro
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Harleah G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riegel
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000451:nursing*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010361:Patients; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care
keywords: Caregivers; Family; Heart failure; Self-care