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Decision Making Among Persons Living With Heart Failure
Jiayun Xu1, Martha Abshire, Hae-Ra Han
1Jiayun Xu, PhD, RN Post Doctoral Research Fellow, College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Martha Abshire, MS, RN PhD Candidate, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Hae-Ra Han, PhD, RN Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
|December 10, 2015
Summary
Patients with heart failure (HF) make many decisions daily. This review found most research focuses on end-of-life choices, with gaps in understanding other critical decisions impacting HF self-care and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Psychology
- Medical Decision Making
Background:
- Individuals with heart failure (HF) face daily health decisions and urgent choices during acute exacerbations.
- Understanding the specific types of decisions made by HF patients is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review quantitative literature on decision-making in heart failure (HF) patients.
- To identify research gaps in the field of HF decision-making.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychINFO.
- Inclusion criteria specified studies with at least 50% HF participants, focusing on concrete decisions and using a quantitative design.
- Two independent reviewers assessed titles, abstracts, and full texts for eligibility.
Main Results:
- Twelve quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria.
- Study populations were typically older, white, married males.
- Two-thirds of studies addressed end-of-life decisions (e.g., resuscitation, advanced care planning); the remainder covered care seeking, treatment involvement, and self-care.
Conclusions:
- The term "decision" is often poorly defined in HF research.
- Methodological limitations hinder definitive conclusions on HF decision-making.
- Future research should enhance rigor, explore diverse decision topics (e.g., family involvement), and develop supportive interventions.
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