A nurse-guided patient-centered heart failure education program

Objective/Background: Heart Failure (HF) places substantial burden on patients, families, communities, and care systems. Patients who suffer from HF often experience a decline in health resulting in recurrent hospitalizations and debilitating symptoms including breathing problems, fluid retention, and chronic fatigue. HF is the most common cause of repeat hospitalizations in the Medicare program and is estimated to cost the health care system billions of dollars each year. The objective of this article is to review the literature on educational strategies to reduce HF related readmissions and improve self-care management for patients with HF after hospital discharge. Methods: A structured review of PubMed, CINAHL, and MEDLINE resulted in 42 articles. The studies included 13 randomized control trials, six systematic reviews, and 23 studies using quasi-experimental, retrospective or descriptive