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Learning Objective 1: understand the multidisciplinary heart failure self-management education program.
Learning Objective 2: apply evaluation methods to use with other patients’ education programs.
Methods: Forty patients, who were randomized to intervention groups in a clinical trial, along with their family caregivers were invited to attend 4 sessions of multidisciplinary HF group education. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patients’ anonymous ratings of each group session. There were mixed ethnicity and education backgrounds across 36 group sessions. Average age of subjects was between 53-69.9 years old. Approximately 40% of caregivers attended the groups with patients.
Results: The patients rated the 36 group sessions highly satisfactory (on average from 4.3 to 4.98 on a 5-point scale). Average scores on writing about emotions were 4.0 compared to other topics discussed. Overall, subjects were willing to pay $25-50 for group sessions, even if insurance would not cover this cost. Subjects wrote similar comments that “talking and learning the correct information about diet restrictions and problem solving about medication costs” were the best ways to learn to cope and manage HF.
Conclusion: Patients ratings indicated they were satisfied with the multidisciplinary group education. The vast majority rated the group as very helpful. A clinical trial to test the effect of multidisciplinary HF self-management group education on subsequent rehospitalization is underway (R01HL085397).