Heart Failure Symptom Tracker for Portuguese Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Maria Inês Perez, Joana Seringa, Teresa Magalhães
Primary Institution: NOVA University Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Hypothesis
Higher scores of the HFaST are associated with increased hospitalisations due to HF decompensation.
Conclusion
The Portuguese version of the HFaST is a reliable tool that can predict hospitalisation risk in heart failure patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Higher HFaST scores were significantly associated with increased hospitalisations.
- The tool showed 95% comprehensibility in pre-tests.
- Internal consistency of the HFaST tool was acceptable with a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.724.
- Moderate to strong inter-item correlations were observed.
- Patients with lower social limitation scores had higher HFaST scores.
Takeaway
This study created a tool to help heart failure patients in Portugal track their symptoms, which can help doctors know when they might need to go to the hospital.
Methodology
The study involved translating the HFaST tool into Portuguese, assessing its validity with expert evaluations and cognitive interviews, and testing its psychometric properties in heart failure patients.
Limitations
The study focused only on outpatients and did not include hospitalised patients, which may limit the applicability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
60% male, mean age 63.75 years, 61.7% married, 35% with high school education.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 10–18 for admitted patients; 95% CI: 5–8 for non-admitted patients.
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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