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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to utilize research findings to create an appropriate the nursing intervention for Heart Failure patients
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to used the findings for planning and developing more effective interventions to improve clinical outcomes among Heart Failure patients
Methods: All adult HF patients hospitalized at a hospital with a primary diagnosis of HF (ICD 9 code 428) upon discharge were recruited. The initial database of HF patients admitted and discharged included 1,100 medical records. Of those records, 540 met the study criteria including both male and female adults, aged 18 years and older with a primary discharge diagnosis of HF.A total of 24 variables were extracted from the HF database including patient demographics, 30 day readmission rates, and co-morbidities. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS 19.The research questions was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square testing and logistic regression analyses.
Results: 70.7% of patients (n = 382) were > 65 years. Males represented 58.2% (n = 314) of the sample, and the majority of patients were married 68.9% (n = 372) and resided with their spouse and/or family 90.3% (n = 488).The mean hospital LOS was 10.4 days. The hospital readmission rate was 19% (n = 103). Myocardial Infarction (MI) was the most common comorbidity 24.8% (n = 134). HF patients 67 years and older (n = 103, r = 99.8, p = .009) and HF female patients (χ2 (1), n = 103) = 5.849, p = .016) were more likely to be readmitted with HF.
Conclusion: Study findings may provide a better understanding of strategies that need to be used in planning and developing more effective interventions to improve clinical outcomes among HF patients.These findings should also drive future research questions that further evaluate the relationship between the influence of gender, select comorbidities, and health insurance coverage upon re-hospitalization in the HF population.