Transitional Care in Patients with Heart Failure: A Concept Analysis Using Rogers' Evolutionary Approach

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Nursing
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Transitional care is crucial for heart failure (HF) patients.
• Existing definitions are inconsistent, hindering research and practice.
• Clarifying the concept is essential for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the concept of transitional care for heart failure patients.
• To define its attributes, antecedents, and consequences.
• To inform the development of evidence-based interventions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis.
• Conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases.
• Included 33 articles published up to January 2023.

Main Results:

• Key attributes include self-care, multidisciplinary collaboration, and information transmission.
• Antecedents involve patient health status, health literacy, and resources.
• Consequences encompass patient outcomes (mortality, quality of life) and healthcare utilization (readmissions, ED visits).

Conclusions:

• Transitional care is a systemic process during vulnerable periods for HF patients.
• It enhances self-management and care coordination.
• Findings support designing interventions and assessment tools for HF transitional care.