Using Atlanta Heart Failure Questionnaire in ambulatory heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction HFPEF

The present study uses the Atlanta Heart Failure Questionnaire as a tool to evaluate and design a tailored education material for ambulatory heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction, highlighting the strengths and weakness toward the planning of education programs.

A total of 450 patients were screened; 112 patients were recruited, and 27-item was used to evaluate the usefulness of this questionnaire. All patients received education by a dedicated medical education about the nature of the disease, risk factors and management including prevention of complications. Descriptive statistics were used for assessing the sample characteristics.

In the assessment of patient disease knowledge, in a 7-item questionnaire, the most well-understood item was correctly identified in 95% patients, whereas the least-understood item was identified in 1.8% of patients. In the assessment of patient management knowledge, in a 6-item questionnaire, the most well-understood item was correctly identified in 50% of patients and the least-understood item was identified in 10% of patients. In the assessment of patient medication intake knowledge, in a 3-item questionnaire, the most well-understood item was correctly identified in 97.3% of patients and the least-understood item was identified in 26.6% of patients.

For a disease not fully understood, the study has concluded the usefulness of Atlanta Heart Failure Questionnaire for filling the gaps, setting a base line and follow-up in the process of educating ambulatory heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction HFPF.