Patients' explanatory models for heart failure and COPD exacerbations

Although there is extensive information on the disease aspect of heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the illness aspect of these diseases has received limited attention. This limitation in our knowledge is of concern because these diseases are increasing in incidence and prevalence and contributing to the premature morbidity and mortality of thousands of persons. This naturalistic inquiry study was undertaken to describe the explanatory models (EMs) of persons hospitalized for HF (n = 30) or COPD (n = 30) exacerbations. In semistructured interviews, participants offered descriptions of the etiology, cause, and effects of their disease exacerbations and identified interventions that they believed would have helped prevent their hospitalizations or helped them to live better at home. The findings provide a basis for understanding the EMs of persons with HF or COPD as an initial step in making health care more relevant.