Heart failure awareness: a cross-sectional study on misconceptions and educational opportunities
| Author | Affiliation |
|---|---|
Burneikaitė, Greta | |
| Date |
|---|
2016-05-21 |
eISSN: 1879-0844.
Background: Heart failure (HF) is a growing cause of morbidity and mortality. The vast majority of HF patients lack basic comprehension of HF and self-care, which manifests itself in suboptimal outcomes in such patients. Purpose: This study targeted at establishing the preexisting level of knowledge on HF in Lithuania and evaluating the effects of a single lecture on such knowledge. Methods: A cross sectional survey study using an anonymous questionnaire designed by the German Competence Network Heart Failure (CNHF), provided to the participants prior to and after a standardized lecture on HF. The survey was conducted at five hospitals and two shopping malls, during public events. The CNHF questionnaire consisted of two sets of questions focusing on individual characteristics of the respondent and HF-related knowledge. A completion of the questionnaire was followed by a 20-minute standardized lecture on HF. The participants were given the opportunity to pose questions. After the lecture, the same questionnaire was completed for the second time. The gathered data was verified by a standardized procedure in Germany, and then transferred into a databank. Results: A total of 1025 Lithuanian respondents, including patients, hospital employees, and shopping malls’ visitors, participated in survey. The majority (60%) of the respondents were female. The rate of the participants with occupational experience in the medical field was 15%. The majority (79%) of the study population had heard about HF previously. Overall pre-existing HF-knowledge was insufficient. Only 44% of the respondents recognized the grim prognosis of HF once the patient needs hospitalization for HF. Evaluation of pre-existing knowledge also revealed that a whopping 58% of subjects who had worked in the medical field mistakenly perceived exercise as harmful for those with HF. Male participants were more prone to falsely attributing HF to normal pr. [...].