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The Development and Testing of the Hippocratic Heart Failure Self-Care Scale
Hero Brokalaki1, Anastasia A Chatziefstratiou2, Nikolaos V Fotos1
1Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
Insights
This study developed and validated the Greek Hippocratic heart failure self-care scale (HHFSCS) for congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. The HHFSCS is a reliable tool for assessing patient self-care behaviors in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nursing
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Self-care is crucial for managing congestive heart failure (CHF).
- Existing tools for assessing CHF self-care are limited.
- A validated Greek version of a self-care scale is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Greek version of the Hippocratic heart failure self-care scale (HHFSCS).
- To provide a reliable instrument for assessing self-care behaviors in Greek-speaking CHF patients.
Main Methods:
- A 22-item scale was developed and reviewed by experts.
- Adult CHF patients (n=250) in Athens completed the scale (June 2020-March 2021).
- Psychometric properties were assessed using reliability coefficients and exploratory factor analysis (EFA).
Main Results:
- The HHFSCS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.807).
- Exploratory factor analysis identified two domains explaining 88.44% of variance.
- Strong test-retest reliability was confirmed (r = 0.973, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- The Greek HHFSCS is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring self-care in CHF patients.
- This scale can be utilized by healthcare professionals to enhance CHF patient management.
- Improved assessment of self-care behaviors can lead to better health outcomes for CHF patients.
Background:
The adoption of self-care behaviors among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) is essential for the management of their health condition. However, there is a lack of tools for estimating self-care in CHF patients. We aim to develop and validate the Greek version of the Hippocratic heart failure self-care scale (HHFSCS).
Methods:
The scale includes 22 items which are reviewed by a committee of experts. Individuals indicate the frequency at which they follow each self-behavior on a five-point Likert scale. Adult patients with CHF (n = 250) from a General Hospital in Athens participated in the study from June 2020 to March 2021. Reliability coefficients and an explanatory factor analysis (EFA), using a Varimax rotation and the principal component method, were used to assess the psychometric measurements.
Results:
The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the HHFSCS was 0.807. The exploratory factor analysis identified two domains that accounted for 88.44% of the variance in the scale items; however, each sub-scale could not be used as an independent scale. Finally, the test-retest showed a significant and strong correlation (r = 0.973, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The HHFSCS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing self-behaviors in CHF patients. Health professionals can use it in their clinical practice to improve the management of a patient's health conditions.
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