The impact of therapeutic education in the management of heart failure

Abstract

This study was conducted to help patients acquire and/or maintain the knowledge and skills to improve understanding of the disease, adherence to treatment to reduce deaths and readmissions to hospital while improving quality of life. We conducted a cohort study, prospective from February to August 2020 at the university hospital of Brazzaville in the department of cardiology and internal medicine. 138 patients were included who met the inclusion criteria. Patients were divided into two groups: a group that has benefited from therapeutic education (51 patients) and a group that was not educated (87 patients). Both groups were reassessed after three months. We noted a female predominance in 58.8% in the educated group and 54% in the uneducated group the mean age was 52.4 in the educated group and 59.5 in the uneducated group in the educated group, the ci was global in 90.2% of cases, left in 9.8% of cases in the uneducated group, the ci was global in 89.7% of cases, left in 4.6% of cases, right in 5.7% of cases among the 138 patients (51 educated and 87 uneducated) in the study, four patients (7.8%) educated and 20 patients (22.9%) had at least one readmission (recurrence). Two patients (3.9%) educated and 17 patients (19.5%) died. 32 (65.3%) educated and 13 (16.9%) uneducated patients were good observers. 41 (83.7%) educated and 29 (40.3%) uneducated patients had good quality of life. 34 (69.4%) educated and 10 (13.9%) uneducated patients had adequate knowledge of ci. Four patients (7.8%) educated and 41 patients (53.2%) uneducated had a diet gap. Therapeutic education of the heart failure patient shows major benefits with a significant difference between educated and uneducated patients in terms of improved patient quality of life, reduced readmissions and overall mortality.