Perceived learning needs of patients with heart failure

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Nursing Education
• Patient Education

Background:

• Understanding patient learning needs is crucial for effective heart failure (HF) management.
• Discrepancies between patient and healthcare provider perceptions can impact educational intervention success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the perceived learning needs of adult patients with heart failure (HF) to those identified by registered nurses (RNs).

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, comparative study was conducted in two midwestern hospitals.
• A convenience sample of 84 HF patients and 84 RNs completed the Heart Failure Learning Needs Inventory.
• The inventory assessed 98 items across 8 subscales based on AHCPR practice guidelines.

Main Results:

• Patients rated general HF information, risk factors, medications, prognosis, and signs/symptoms as more important learning needs than RNs (P <.05).
• Patients found diet information less important than RNs (P <.05) but all learning subscales more realistic to learn.
• Both groups identified medication and signs/symptoms as top educational priorities, though diet was ranked last by patients and third by RNs.

Conclusions:

• Patients with HF perceive educational needs as more important and realistic to learn during hospitalization than nurses do.
• Both patients and nurses agree on the high priority of education regarding medication and signs/symptoms.
• RNs identified signs and symptoms as essential content, aligning with but expanding upon AHCPR guidelines.