Using exercise to improve quality of life for people with heart failure
1Senior Educator for Evidence-based Practice, HMC Organisation, Qatar.
Unlabelled:
In the current economic climate within the NHS, behavioural-change interventions in chronic disease such as exercise programmes will be time-limited within acute hospital facilities. The challenge is to deliver cost-effective, participatory, population-specific health interventions that result in measurable benefits.
Methodology:
A mixed-methods study was undertaken to assess the benefits of participation in a structured exercise programme for patients with heart failure. Primary outcomes were improvements in functional capacity and quality of life. Secondary outcome measures related to patient satisfaction and sustainability of the intervention post study.
Results:
Overall significant improvements were not found in quality of life or functional capacity; some participants demonstrated significant improvements with others showing minor improvement or no improvement in one or both domains.
Conclusions:
Anecdotal evidence of perceived benefit was expressed in participant satisfaction responses. Secondary outcomes were met in relation to sustainability with commissioning of hospital- and community-based programmes on completion of the study.
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