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Development and testing of the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale.
T Jaarsma1, A Strömberg, J Mårtensson
1Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Groningen, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. t.jaarsma@thorax.azg.nl
European Journal of Heart Failure
|June 12, 2003
Summary
A new scale measures heart failure self-care behavior. The European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale (EHFScBS) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing patient self-care practices.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nursing
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Nurse-led programs aim to improve heart failure self-care.
- Evaluating program impact on readmissions, costs, and quality of life is common.
- Assessing changes in patient self-care behavior is crucial but requires a dedicated measure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a comprehensive, reliable, and valid scale for measuring heart failure self-care behavior.
- The scale aims to capture behaviors patients perform for maintaining life, health, and well-being.
Main Methods:
- The European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale (EHFScBS) was developed through a three-phase process.
- Phases included concept analysis, item/response format refinement, and validity/reliability testing.
- The scale is a 12-item, self-administered questionnaire.
Main Results:
- The EHFScBS demonstrates face and concurrent validity.
- Internal consistency was assessed using pooled data from 442 heart failure patients across multiple European centers.
- Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.81, indicating good reliability.
Conclusions:
- The EHFScBS is a valid, reliable, and practical instrument for measuring self-reported self-care behavior in heart failure patients.
- This scale is suitable for researchers evaluating heart failure management programs focused on self-care practices.