Functional status, mood disturbance and quality of life in patients with heart failure

Patients with chronic heart failure are known not only for exceptionally high mortality rates, but also for having the highest reported hospital readmission rates for all patient groups. Analysis of preliminary descriptive data from 24 patients currently enrolled in an experimental study to examine the effects of a nursing model upon reducing readmission rates and improving quality of life are reported in this paper. Results indicate that heart failure patients experience significant mood disruption that appears to be greater than that reported by other cardiac patients; mood disruption is also related to reported quality of life. Reported exercise tolerance was unrelated to ejection fraction; this finding underscores the importance of psychosocial interventions in improving the quality of life and care outcomes for patients with heart failure.