Building Successful International Cardiovascular Nursing Research in Heart Failure Care

Abstract

International collaboration is vital to address the causes and deal with the impacts of many of the global challenges that society faces. One example of this is an international approach to fighting cardiovascular disease and its consequences for patients and their families. Selective national initiatives might not always be an optimal use of recourses, but instead international collaboration in cardiovascular caring research can help us in seeking excellence, build capacity and improve political influence, all needed to ultimately improve patient care. However, several countries worldwide have different health care systems, medical and nursing education programs and professional roles, and responsibilities, posing a major challenge to optimal collaboration and implementation of research findings. An example of successful international teamwork is illustrated by research in the area of self-care in heart failure patients with collaboration in the area of empirical research, theory development and instrument development. Several intervention studies on improving self-care are conducted in different parts of the world, strengthening the evidence base of nursing interventions to improve outcomes of heart failure patients. Current international professional guidelines for the management of heart failure patients include advices on self-care. However, to transcend above post hoc pooling of data or adding a new data collecting site in another country, other structural forms of collaboration should be considered. Capacity building, including joint proposal writing, funding and joint policy statements need to be extended globally if it is to optimize reach and impact.